March 13, 2025
Farnborough Airport
THE STATS
• 1.745 kWp system
• 1.6 GWh of clean energy annually
• Saving 4,708 tonnes of CO2e over 25 years
• Payback 4.4 years
• ROI 573%
• 25% of annual building demand met
THE PROBLEM
"Rooftop solar seemed like the solution,[to our energy needs]however, the weight of conventional panels and the iconic curves on our infrastructure meant that it was a real challenge. "
Rob Marsden
CFO Farnborough Airport
THE SOLUTION
• A lightweight solar system consisting of over 4,000 lightweight panels providing 25% of the airports annual energy demand.
• Installed across five buildings: The Terminal, The Control Tower, Hangars 1 & 2 and the Aviator Hotel
• Low glint and glare from panels, essential for air traffic.
• Designed to be aesthetically sympathetic to the iconic airport architecture.
• No penetration of roofs needed during installation.
• Stringent, airport health and safety procedures adhered to during installation.
• No disruption to airport operations during installation.
THE OUTCOME
In it's first year the system has been shown to be generating over 10% more energy than predicted, putting Farnborough Airport on course for its bold target of achieving carbon neutrality by 2030. In total the PV installation is expected to generate over 36 GWh of energy in its lifetime and offset more than 5,000 tonnes of CO2e in that time.
Farnborough Airport’s ambitions for renewables are expressed by the Group’s CEO, Simon Geere: “In our efforts to be a sustainability showcase for airports around the world, we are always looking for new ways to supply and create sustainable energy sources – the new solar installation will enable us to reduce our controllable emissions as set out in our Net Zero Roadmap, in which we have committed to be Net Zero by 2030 or sooner.”
The project is indicative of the immense opportunity afforded the aviation sector in terms of the ability to leverage its real estate as a power generator in order to significantly reduce electricity costs and, in turn, emissions and overall carbon footprint.
The solar installation aligns with a recent government bill, which encourages the extensive deployment of rooftop solar on domestic industrial and commercial property to make effective use of available surfaces as a priority.
“Rooftop solar is crucial for decarbonising the built environment, but its application has often been constrained by the structural limitations of many commercial buildings. Put simply, traditional solar panels are too heavy for many rooftops. Our lightweight solar innovation addresses this issue, enabling large-scale, cost-effective solar deployment across nearly all large commercial buildings and sites. We are proud to have worked with Farnborough Airport to ensure the future supply of renewable energy, supporting the airport’s progressive net zero emissions journey. We encourage other airports to seize the opportunity to benefit from our solar energy installations and advance their own sustainability initiatives.”
Jo Parker-Swift
solivus ceo
Related Projects
What they say
Solivus provided a complete solution. From engineering design right through to turning the system on. A really seamless installation that will save us hundreds of thousands of pounds over the coming years.
RAY PAYNE
CEO Northamptonshire Country Cricket Club
In line with our ambition to become a sustainability showcase for airports around the world, we’re proud to have partnered with lightweight solar technology pioneers, Solivus, to install one of the largest rooftop solar projects in the region.
SIMON GEERE
CEO Farnborough Airport
Rooftop solar seemed like the solution however, the weight of it [conventional solar panels] and the iconic curves on our infrastructure meant that it was a real challenge. Fortunately, Solivus had the answer.
ROB MARSDEN
CFO Farnborough Airport
We were impressed by Solivus and their innovative, lightweight systems, which can be fitted to the roof of our warehouse; space we previously thought was unusable. With Astute’s focus on energy independence and net zero focus, we’re looking forward to reaping both environmental and sustainability benefits over the next five years and beyond.
MARK SHANLEY
Sales & Marketing Director at Astute Electronics
There are 1,000s of buildings with roof space like ours that you can't use for any other purpose. This gives us commercial benefit, as well as reducing our carbon footprint so it’s worth considering.
JULIA CHAPMAN
CEO at Northampton Saints
It’s [modular cabin lightweight solar and battery system] been a success. As you can see, it’s powering the whole building and the [diesel] generator has hardly been in use. It’s something we’re looking forward to rolling out to future projects.
MATT COOPER
Modular Accommodation Manager Balfour Beatty
WHO WE WORK WITH
We work with some of the world’s largest companies: energy providers, sports stadium owners, private airports - all of which have the same goal, to decarbonise and save money. We are helping them achieve this with our innovative lightweight solar solutions.
ACCREDITATIONS
