Solar canopy proposed at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport

Officials at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport are exploring a company’s proposal to add a canopy of solar panels above some of its parking spaces, to save on the Unity facility’s electric bills and to take advantage of related energy credits.

Under the proposal from Veregy, which has an office in Cranberry, the panels would be placed over 300 parking spaces that are closest to the Palmer airport terminal and are available for overnight parking at $10 per night.

Westmoreland County Airport Authority Executive Director Gabe Monzo said Tuesday he reached out to Veregy for the proposal after consulting with the Aviation Council of Pennsylvania.

“They said don’t put solar panels on any land areas where it’s going to interrupt later expansion,” he said.

Using the panels as an overhead canopy instead, he said, will enhance the parking spaces underneath, providing some shelter from the weather and cutting down on snow removal for that area in winter.

According to the Veregy proposal, construction of the 660-kilowatt canopy would have an estimated cost of $3.8 million to $4.5 million. Monzo said he would check whether funding assistance might be available through PennDOT’s Bureau of Aviation.

The company indicated the airport could recoup up to $1.8 million of the cost if the canopy is completed before the end of 2027, when a solar incentive available under the federal Inflation Reduction Act is set to expire.

Veregy indicated the airport, through the power generated by the panels, could annually see its electric bill reduced by between $75,000 and $130,000 while racking up as much as $37,000 worth of state Solar Renewable Energy Credits that could be sold to a utility.

It could take between eight and 16 years for the authority to see a return on the solar investment, according to Veregy, but developers of such solar arrays have indicates they have an expected lifespan of 30 years or more.

Veregy suggested the airport could see annual revenue from the sheltered parking spaces increase by up to $150,000 — if the fee is hiked. Monzo said and change in the parking fee would require a separate vote by the authority.

Terminal visitors who aren’t leaving their vehicles overnight can park in the spaces for free.

Headquartered in Phoenix, Ariz., Veregy has operations in 15 states that unite nine regional firms offering engineering, energy and sustainable building services, according to its website.

Veregy didn’t immediately respond Tuesday to a request for comment about its operations in Pennsylvania.

Authority member Ed Kilkeary questioned whether the solar panels might create glare that could impact flight operations at the airport.

According to Monzo, the company indicated that shouldn’t be a concern with the latest generation of solar technology it uses.

“They feel they’ve got that under control,” he said. “they feel new system is muted enough that it wouldn’t be a problem.”

State Rep. Eric Davanzo, of the 58th District, attended the authority’s meeting at Rostraver Airport and cautioned about the problems that could occur if a solar array isn’t properly decommissioned at the end of its life.

“We’re seeing these solar panels last 25 to 30 years,” he said. “Who’s responsible for the cleanup? These suppliers can go bankrupt or move on.”

According to Monzo, Veregy indicated it is able to sell decommissioned panels to a third party and could post a bond to cover the cleanup costs.

Monzo said the solar proposal should be researched further, with reviews by the authority’s property committee and solicitor.