The Grand Junction Regional Airport is going solar. The airport is going to be completely powered nothing but the sun.

I spoke with Ben Peck, the Facilities Manager at Grand Junction Airport, about the amazingly bright news. GJT has signed a solar subscription with Microgrid Energy for the next twenty years.

Ben told me that Grand Junction Regional Airport started looking at implementing solar energy last year. He said they consume a fair amount of energy at the airport and wanted to help offset the cost.

GJT loves the idea of using renewable energy and Ben hope that this is the first step to use more of it. There are lots of benefits to going solar. Such as:

  • Grand Junction Regional Airport using solar energy is like taking 7,000 cars off the road.

. The switch to using solar energy is projected to save the airport over a million dollars.

Ben Peck told me that airports are gravitating toward solar energy. Denver INternational airport has a handful of solar panels and solar garden on site. GJT will receive their solar energy from solar gardens here in Mesa County. Although Grand Junction Airport wasn't inspired by DIA, they were inspired by Mother Nature.

Ben said that solar works here because we have really great weather. If we were in a cloud covered region, it might be harder. Or it might not make sense.

According to Ben, solar powered planes probably won't be quite the next step for them. But I had to ask anyway. I'm happy to see GJT go solar and I hope that more business and individuals can do the same.

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