OKC’s Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center will soon let more sunshine in to save on energy costs

The FAA Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center here in Oklahoma City will be basking in the sunlight and enjoying the benefits of sustainable energy with a new solar panel farm.

Early last month, the FAA announced that the Center would soon be the recipient of its largest solar panel project to date. The solar panels – nearly 3,900 of them in all – would be installed on 6.65 acres located inside the Center’s property next to Will Rogers World Airport. Not only will the clean energy generated from the solar panels save taxpayer’s money, but it also satisfies President Biden’s goal for federal buildings to be clean and sustainable.

“We were looking at a way to use renewable clean power to offset energy costs because we support many mission-critical functions for the FAA and the National Airspace System,” said Center Director Michelle Coppedge. “This project is a great opportunity for us.”

According to a FAA news release, the solar panels are expected to generate 2,600 megawatt hours annually, enough to power 260 homes.

“When looking at overall energy costs for our facility, there is over 3.3 million square feet of industrial, laboratory and administrative space. While this doesn’t totally offset our energy, it is a great start. The solar panels will offset about 4% of the energy consumption at the Center,” Coppedge said, adding that the Center has an opportunity to expand the project with two other phases, which will offset up to 25% to 30% total energy usage. All the electricity produced by the solar array will be directly fed into the Center’s electrical system.

With the Aeronautical Center essentially co-located at Will Rogers World Airport, a lot of forethought and studies were factored into the decision. To erect the solar panels on the property, glare studies had to be completed to identify the best orientation for the panels to not interfere with Will Rogers flight operations.

The FAA will celebrate the groundbreaking on the solar array in early October with completion of the project expected the latter part of 2023.

With more than 6,000 employees, the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center is the largest Department of Transportation facility outside of Washington, D.C. The Center is home to the FAA Logistics Center and the FAA Academy, where air traffic controllers from across the U.S. receive extensive training, as well as the Civil Aerospace Medical Institute. The Center also supports a diverse customer base, including 35 federal agencies in addition to the FAA.