John F. Kennedy Worldwide Airport, the busiest airport for worldwide visitors in North America, at all times appears to be reinventing itself. It opened in 1948 as New York Worldwide Airport, though it was usually referred to then as Idlewild. The airport was supposed because the world’s largest and best, with “no confusion and no congestion.”
As airport visitors grew, so did the necessity for bigger and improved amenities. In 1954, architect Wallace Harrison designed a plan that gave main airways their very own terminals. The consequence was referred to as Terminal Metropolis: 5 airways had their particular person terminals, three airways shared a sixth terminal, and international airways used the worldwide arrivals terminal.
Since then, there have been a number of modifications and reconfigurations. Now JFK is present process a $19-billion redevelopment mission that, amongst a number of new terminals, consists of the two.4-million square-foot, 23-gate terminal dubbed the New Terminal One, which would be the largest at JFK—greater than twice the dimensions of the present Terminal 1, which opened in 1998.
The New Terminal One could have what its creators have mentioned is the biggest photo voltaic array at any US airport, which can energy a fleet of electrical autos used on the terminal each landside and airside. Building of the huge array, consisting of greater than 13,000 photo voltaic panels on the terminal’s roof, started in 2024.
As Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Chairman Kevin O’Toole mentioned in asserting plans for the photo voltaic array, “Guests from world wide will probably be energized from the second they enter the New Terminal One at JFK.”
Photographs by Jonathan Spira
It gained’t solely be the passengers who’re energized. The New Terminal One’s photo voltaic array will help roughly 50% of the terminal’s vitality necessities—an quantity of vitality that would energy greater than 3,500 common US properties. It should even be a blended system in order that, at any level, the electrical gadgets that hold issues shifting at a busy aerodrome will probably be operating on 50% clear vitality.
The 6.63 megawatts (MW) of photo voltaic vitality will probably be a part of a 12 MW microgrid. Positioned in 4 clusters {of electrical} era infrastructure strategically positioned across the new terminal to create a single sensible, resilient vitality system, this microgrid can even embrace 3.84 MW of gas cells and 1.5 MW/3.34 MWh of battery vitality storage to steadiness electrical demand and enhance energy high quality. The system can function independently from or whereas linked to the principle energy grid.
Advantages of electrical floor help autos
The microgrid will provide the facility to cost the numerous forms of electrical autos distinctive to airports.
Airports make use of an unlimited array of autos giant and small of their operations. Some function airside (after safety), and a few landside, however their mission is vital to individuals (and baggage) shifting. There are numerous operations that happen behind the scenes (which passengers not often see), together with upkeep, baggage dealing with and plane motion.
Many airport autos are fairly seen to passengers, together with baggage carts, baggage tugs, pushback autos, passenger shuttles and conveyor belt loaders. What passengers don’t usually see embrace the autos transporting baggage to storage operations in warehouses, these utilized by cleansing companies, refrigerated vans for transporting meals and meal trays, and autos that deal with recycling and waste administration.
Because the transfer from diesel- or LP-powered autos to electrical autos takes place at airports, it’s vital to remember the fact that ICE-powered autos convert 20% to 30% of their gas into propulsion, whereas EVs convert 80% to 90%.
Case research: Electrical buses substitute diesel bus fleet at JFK
The Port Authority took a large leap into electrification 4 years in the past when it changed quite a few ICE buses that deliver passengers to the terminal with the driverless light-rail JFK AirTrain, which makes use of electrical energy. Even after the launch of the JFK AirTrain, the Port Authority nonetheless had various diesel coach buses.
After a number of years of planning, the Port Authority changed its inter-terminal diesel-powered bus fleet in 2019 not solely at JFK but in addition at LaGuardia and Newark Liberty airports, with 36 battery-operated Proterra Catalyst E2 Electrical shuttle buses.
By taking the ICE-powered buses—which had consumed about 240,000 gallons of diesel gas annually—out of service at JFK, the company mentioned it decreased its greenhouse gasoline emissions by roughly 40,000 tons every year. Additionally, the 40-foot buses eradicated the emissions of roughly 2,000 kilos (907 kg) of nitrous oxide and 150 kilos of particulate matter yearly that might in any other case have spewed into native residential neighborhoods within the borough of Queens in New York Metropolis, the place the aerodrome is positioned.
Every bus can journey roughly 230 miles on a cost, and it takes 4 hours to completely recharge the bus.
Case research: Early electrical tugs designed particularly for GM
In 2006, GM got here to Eagle Tugs with a mission to standardize its tow tractor (tugger) fleet throughout all its crops worldwide. Eagle designed the RTT sequence A/C electrical line of tow tractors with intensive enter from GM operators, in addition to security and manufacturing engineers.
The RTTs supply alternative charging that permits the tuggers to deal with three shifts of operation with out having to exchange batteries, they’re ergonomically appropriate (being the one tuggers to supply operators stand-up and sit-down operation) and so they ship a 1,000-hour preventative upkeep schedule versus the 200-hour preventative upkeep schedule of different tow tractors.
In 2009, Eagle introduced its experience in designing and manufacturing A/C electrical tow tractors to the aviation market.
“With Eagle Electrical Tow Tractors, you possibly can tow and push something from individuals trams to rocket launch platforms effectively, reliably and safely,” the corporate mentioned.
Electrification on the New Terminal One
Airports function 24/7, and they’re powerful environments for tools that is still outside in rain, snow, sub-zero temperatures and different inclement circumstances. Accordingly, the much less seemingly it’s {that a} pushback/tow tractor will fail to start out or carry out, the higher it’s for all involved, from passengers to rampers to pilots to air-traffic controllers. EVs, given their fewer shifting elements and minimal upkeep in comparison with the options, are subsequently preferrred for airport environments.
Airside operations have trusted inner combustion-powered autos for many years, though that’s slowly altering. On the tarmac, using EVs resembling tugs, baggage carts and passenger shuttles is gaining acceptance, and JFK’s New Terminal One—with a purpose to meet its sustainability targets—is aiming to exchange all such autos in use on the present Terminal 1 at a speedy tempo.
Tim Castaldy, a Senior Electrical Designer at Nevada-based PK Electrical, examined the impression of EVs on airport floor transportation in a current weblog submit, and took the time to supply real-life illustrations of the next points that have been put forth to him in an interview masking his work with Denver Worldwide Airport, an electrification shopper.
Well being points – Ramp staff and others who work airside are continuously uncovered to poisonous emissions, and plenty of face well being points in consequence, Castaldy mentioned.
Value-benefit ratio – Whereas electrical airside autos are noticeably dearer than conventional-powered ones, over the lifetime of a car, the fee financial savings accrued from decrease upkeep prices in addition to the decrease price of electrical energy versus diesel or gasoline have been verifiable.
Noise air pollution – EVs are a lot quieter than their non-electric counterparts and reduce the impression of noise air pollution on the well being of airport staff. The transfer to telecommuting within the first years of the pandemic led to the disclosure of various well being points from non-airport staff with residences close to airports, so it isn’t exhausting to think about the well being impression to airport staff themselves.
Effectivity – Since EVs have considerably extra low-end torque, they are perfect for towing plane and extra effectively transferring heavy masses, Castaldy underscored.
Chilly climate operation – Electrical airside autos have been discovered to be extra dependable in chilly climate than their counterparts, Castaldy mentioned. “Chilly climate reliability (is a robust justification for) EV tugs,” he mentioned. “The ICE tugs can have problem beginning in chilly climate, which isn’t the case with the EVs.”
How the electrons will get to the New Terminal One’s EVs
The contractor for the microgrid, AlphaStruxure, is financing the mission via an Power as a Service contract, primarily a pay-for-performance, off-balance-sheet financing resolution, which can permit the Port Authority to implement vitality effectivity initiatives with zero upfront capital expenditure. Over the lifetime of the contract, AlphaStruxure will probably be accountable not just for the development, but in addition the operation and upkeep of the microgrid.
Will the bottom companies EVs be operating solely on photo voltaic vitality at sure junctures? The reply is a powerful, “it’s attainable nevertheless it relies upon,” based on Michelle Charello, VP of Advertising and marketing at AlphaStruxure. “At this stage, AlphaStruxure and the New Terminal One can’t pinpoint the precise contribution from the microgrid as a consequence of the truth that the microgrid will present general electrical energy to the terminal and autos, assembly demand for masses as much as its manufacturing capability. Since we can’t direct electrons to particular masses, the microgrid will provide no matter demand exists, restricted to its accessible output.”
Nonetheless, given the legislation of variable constants and proportions, it’s seemingly that on uncommon—or maybe not so uncommon—events, some EVs will obtain 100% photo voltaic vitality.
