Airport invests in rooftop solar system

In a move to make its operations more sustainable and reap some overhead savings, Hawke’s Bay Airport is investing in a rooftop solar system to be installed in the next few months.
The new system will help us better manage our energy costs, says Hawke’s Bay Airport CEO Nick Flack.
“Currently, electricity consumption in the terminal is 86% of our total electricity usage. With energy prices high, it makes sense to make the most of our significant roof area and Hawke’s Bay’s beautiful weather to reduce our costs. Our new system will go a long way help us do that, as well as support our net zero carbon aspiration.”
The airport’s rooftop solar system will be one of the largest rooftop solar arrays in Napier, and is a solar plus battery solution. Six hundred and fifteen solar panels will produce 477,171 kWh per annum, equivalent to 44% of the airport’s annual terminal demand.
Including batteries allows the airport to be smarter about how it uses electricity, says Nick Flack.
“It’s not necessarily about storing to sell back to the grid, but rather taking electricity from the grid at times of the day when it is cheaper, storing it, and then and using that stored energy at peak times when electricity is more expensive.
“Our system uses AI to predict the most cost effective energy source (grid, solar, battery) to optimise energy management. Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do, so to be able to have this intelligence built into the system is a fantastic addition to our sustainability story,” says Mr Flack.
After a competitive tender process, the contract to supply the new solar system was awarded to Ecoefficient, a local Hawke’s Bay business. The new solar system has a pay-back period of just over five years, and an estimated life of 30 years. It will also support Hawke’s Bay Airport’s renewal of its  Level 4+ airport carbon accreditation early next year.
Laura Andrews, Co-Founder of Ecoefficient Solutions NZ, says this project is a statement about the future of Hawke’s Bay.
“It demonstrates how commercial sites can take bold, practical steps toward energy independence and carbon reduction, while securing long-term cost savings. We’re proud to deliver one of Hawke’s Bay’s largest rooftop solar and battery installations, setting a benchmark for sustainable leadership in our region.”
In addition to the solar system install, the airport undertook an energy audit to identify quick wins in the bid to improve terminal comfort, and to optimise terminal energy systems such as air conditioning and lighting.
ENDS

Search

Search

Opening Hours

Monday to Saturday from 4.45 am

Sunday from 5.45 am

The terminal closes after the last flight of the day.

Terms & conditions of competition

  • For the purposes of these Terms and Conditions, “The Promoter” refers to Hawke’s Bay Airport.
  • By entering the competition, you agree to be bound by these terms and conditions.
  • The Promoter’s competition with entry via Facebook is open only to residents of New Zealand, over 18 years old.
  • No purchase necessary. Winners will not be required to pay to enter the competition.
  • Employees of the Promoter are not eligible to enter.
  • Facebook/Meta are not in any way affiliated or involved in the competition.
  • Each entrant shall enter the competition the Hawke’s Bay Airport Facebook page by adding a photo to the competition post. Private messages will not be accepted as an entry.
  • The Prize will be awarded to a randomly selected winner, using a random number generator. The Promoter will not be held liable if the named prize becomes unavailable or cannot be fulfilled. The winner will be posted to our Facebook page within 3 days of the competition closing date.
  • If the prize winner cannot be contacted within 3 days of the closing date, at promoter’s option the winner may be taken to have forfeited the prize and a substitute winner may be selected.
  • The Promoter will not be held liable for any failure of receipt of entries. The Promoter takes no responsibility for any entries that are lost, delayed, illegible, corrupted, damaged, incomplete or otherwise invalid.
  • To the extent permitted by applicable law, The Promoter shall not be liable under or in connection with these terms and conditions, the competition or any Prize for any indirect, special or consequential cost, expense, loss or damage suffered by a participant even if such cost, expense, loss or damage was reasonably foreseeable or might reasonably have been contemplated by the participant and the promoter and whether arising from breach of contract, tort, negligence, breach of statutory duty or otherwise.
  • Prizes are non-negotiable, non-transferable and non-refundable. No cash alternative is available. Where a Prize becomes unavailable for any reason, the Promoter reserves the right to substitute that prize for a different prize which may not be of equal value.
  • The name, address and phone number of the winner must be provided to the Promoter if requested and will be shared with the donator of the prize to enable fulfilment of the Prize.
  • In the event of unforeseen circumstances beyond the Promoter’s reasonable control, the Promoter reserves the right to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the competition or these terms and conditions, either in whole or in part, with or without notice.
  • The Promoter’s decision is final. No correspondence will be entered into.
  • The winner’s name and social media username may be posted on the social media profiles of the Promotor after the winner has been selected.