Iowa City Airport holds a ribbon-cutting ceremony to commemorate its new solar array

Iowa City, Iowa – The Iowa City Airport’s new solar array will soon be operational after a year of construction.

With its 300 solar panels, the array will assist in powering various airport operations and amenities. These include the Terminal building’s lights as well as that of the runway and taxiway.
The device will essentially cut the airport’s electricity expenditure in half once it is powered on.

According to Michael Tharp, manager of the Iowa City Airport, “it serves dual purposes for everybody, it helps protect the environment, it helps the airport with our utility bills and our expenses here.” “It’s a fantastic piece for the community overall.”

The array was estimated to have cost about $750,000. Ninety percent of the project was sponsored by the Federal Aviation Administration. The lifespan of these panels is 20 years.

“We are incredibly grateful to our partners who have assisted us with both the design and construction of this,” Tharp stated.

The ribbon cutting for today will take place in the Iowa City Airport terminal at 10 a.m. The array will be turned on formally in the upcoming weeks.

A second phase of this project is now being discussed, but Tharp stated that federal financing would be necessary for that to happen. Powering additional buildings on the airport property would be part of the possible second phase.