Nehr says, “If it can offer some cost savings along with resiliency, it’s a good option for airports.”. “That [outage] was exactly what we don’t want to happen to us,” Woodrow recalls. Each unit is divided into three 55-ft-long pieces that vary in size but average around 10 ft wide. Williamsport airport to continue commercial air service, thanks to COVID-19 relief bill. When assembled, the system creates a combined unit that is about 20 ft wide, 30 ft tall and 55 ft long. After the 20-year term, the airport has the option to sign a new agreement with Peoples, bring in a different owner to operate the grid or buy the grid itself. Tom Woodrow, vice president of engineering at the airport, says the idea to create a microgrid was first pitched by a private developer in 2017. Because the two facilities have the capacity to deliver more power than the airport currently needs, an asset manager will be tasked with selling back unused power to Duquesne Light. That allowed the microgrid team to make the connection without the added challenge and expense of having to dig under or around existing runways, a taxiway and buildings. Rapid COVID-19 tests will soon be available at Orlando International Airport. The Marcellus natural gas supply is abundant in western Pennsylvania, and the airport currently leases well sites on its property to private entities. YORK, Pa. (WHTM) -- Governor Wolf visited York's Family First Health Thursday to discuss the progress the state has made with the COVID-19 vaccine. A critical part of the project was connecting the microgrid to the airport’s two substations. As the airport team was preparing public advertising documents to explore the concept under its procurement requirements in December 2017, Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International suffered a crippling 11-hour power outage that forced the cancellation of nearly 1,400 flights and cost its air carriers more than $100 million in losses. The enclosures also include isolation pads to reduce vibration and noise, so no additional mitigation measures were required. The Pennsylvania Convention Center's exceptional staff manages nearly 250 events a year, ranging from internationally-attended conventions to regional company retreats. LLI Engineering leads the project’s design efforts; PJ Dick is the general contractor. Two of the site’s advantages are that it offers access to the open conduit and is roughly 400 ft away from an existing natural gas main. ... Pennsylvania, Delaware and West Virginia by Marylanders is exempt from this testing requirement. Check with the IRS tracker now, Mom overturns wrongful convictions, catches true killer in daughter's murder, AccuWeather: Sunny and windy, enhanced fire danger today, Another 45 Philly schools to open Monday for Pre-K to 2nd grade students, Oscars 2021: Nominations to be announced Monday, Black Doctor's COVID-19 Consortium passes 25,000 vaccine doses distributed, Crash closes NB lanes of I-476 in Radnor Twp. We also offer a "Park Before You Fly" option at booking with a comfortable night stay and hassle free parking all included in one great rate. The team conducted numerous studies for factors such as lighting, glare, thermal uplift from the generator stacks, noise, emissions and other environmental considerations. As reported in PIT’s Blue Sky News, should people choose to travel the COVID-19 testing can help them do so confidently as well as comply with various states’ testing orders, including Pennsylvania. All Rights Reserved. In addition, more than 9,000 solar panels will be installed on an eight-acre site on airport property that could produce about 3.5 megawatts. On 10 February, a Delta Air Lines Boeing 717 (registered N998AT) operated domestic flight DL2231 between Pittsburgh and Atlanta, United States. By closing this message or continuing to use our site, you agree to the use of cookies. The aircraft carried 77 passengers and crew members. <ilayer src="https://industry-jobs.enr.com/api/regionalcareercenter/?&searchregion=all&jobpostings=3&layout=4 " width="300" height="150"scrolling="no"></ilayer> Copyright ©2021. It is expected to deliver 9,390 panels on eight acres when completed this summer. White says that is the project’s most complex portion. White says a transformer is also required at the midfield station. Williamsport Regional Airport will lose its lone commercial flight to and from Philadelphia, The crews used a 400-ton crane to pick the module pieces. Construction is underway for what officials say is a first-of-its-kind electrical microgrid at the airport, which—when completed this summer—will be capable of providing power redundancy for its facilities. When officials at Pittsburgh International Airport considered ways to make its facilities more resilient, they found the answer right under their feet—and over their heads. As part of its terminal modernization plan, the airport also decided to upgrade its switchgear at the midfield terminal. Installation of the solar portion of the project started in January. The team originally had proposed enclosing the generators in a building, but White says the enclosures for the modules are robust enough to remain outdoors. Early morning light in the sky around Philly area from SpaceX launch, Waiting for your $1,400? Bruce Buckley is a freelance writer and photographer based in the Washington, D.C., area. After returning from travel, you are required to self-quarantine for at least 10 days, or until you receive your test results. Home » Microgrid Aims to Propel Pennsylvania Airport. The microgrid at the Pittsburgh International Airport draws power from several sources, including solar, natural gas and the traditional electrical grid. The airport’s current peak demand is about 14 megawatts, so the airport will be able to use the onsite generation facilities as its primary power source, marking the first time a microgrid has been used to power an entire airport, according to the project team. I want to hear from you. As the team worked through more detailed planning, several other serendipitous factors fell into place, says Jamie White, president of LLI Engineering. In 2018, the airport signed a deal with Peoples Natural Gas, which agreed to design, build, finance, operate and maintain the microgrid. “If we have a total outage [at the plant], you physically change the breaker settings through the Kirk Key interlock system and then that is fed by the Duquesne system,” White adds. Smaller microgrids are in place at JFK International  Airport and Detroit Metro Airport. “Because we were so far from the midfield terminal and we were restricted by the existing conduits in between, we decided to transmit our electricity to the midfield at 13.8kv, where the airport is 4,160v,” he says. White says, “The problem is the hangar substation is fed from a different Duquesne Light substation from one feeding the airport, so they are on different frequencies.”. Top Design Firms For the plant itself, the team chose to use five Jenbacher natural gas engine modules, each with a 4.3-megawatt capacity. After arrival at a port in New Jersey, each unit required six trucks—three for each of the main pieces and three to carry other required components. Pennsylvania Health Department Senior Adviser Lindsey Mauldin will host a virtual briefing Wednesday afternoon to provide a COVID-19 vaccine update in the commonwealth. By visiting this website, certain cookies have already been set, which you may delete and block. “With that change out of the gear, we had to reengineer how to connect to that system,” he says. Woodrow says that could save the airport $500,000 in the first year. Watch >>>>> 'It was a shock': Plane slides off runway just before taking off from Pennsylvania airport… Tell me how we can improve. By visiting this website, certain cookies have already been set, which you may delete and block. You must have JavaScript enabled to enjoy a limited number of articles over the next 30 days. Lehigh Valley International Airport started hosting COVID-19 testing Monday, offering rapid test results for people who want to see if they’re carrying either the virus or its antibodies. Pennsylvania Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine issued an order Tuesday that outlined new rules for travelers and strengthened the state’s existing mask mandate to combat the spread of COVID … The solution was to install a Kirk Key interlock system that keeps the power sources separated but allows for a manual connection from one to the other, if needed. 45h ago. You can’t really quantify that.”. Design Firms Had Healthy Outlook, Prior To Pandemic, Click Here to Complete ENR MidAtlantic's Top Design Firms Survey, Top Contractors COVID-19 Updates From BWI Marshall Airport. Just before departure from Pittsburgh airport, however, the aircraft skidded off a taxiway. With the plant nearly complete, the team at press time was shifting its attention to connecting it to the airport. The main component of the microgrid is an energy plant composed of five natural gas-fired generators capable of producing 21 megawatts of electricity. That’s when the opportunity to build power supply resiliency into its facilities with an independent microgrid became a primary impetus for the project. “The value of the lights not going out is priceless. “You can chalk that up to planning on the airport’s part,” Nehr says. Regional Specialty Firms Adjusting to COVID-19 on the Fly Facing A New Normal Builders Take Stock Of An Altered Outlook, Click Here to Complete ENR MidAtlantic's Top Contractors Survey, Top Specialty Contractors “When we bring that over, we have to transform down.”. “If it wasn’t for their forethought to create extra conduit, we couldn’t do this.”. For the deal to make financial sense, many factors had to line up just right, says Jeff Nehr, Peoples vice president of business development. All Rights Reserved BNP Media. Visit our updated, This website requires certain cookies to work and uses other cookies to help you have the best experience. For foundations, crews installed 90 geopiers to support a concrete mat. Under the 20-year deal, the airport will purchase power generated by the microgrid from Peoples at a below-market rate. Crews began sitework in July 2020. The original plan was to connect to both the airport’s midfield substation and hangar substation, which are currently fed by power utility Duquesne Light. Other team members include CNX Resources—which leases the gas wells on the property and will help supply the future plant—and IMG Energy Solutions, which leads development of the solar component with contractor EIS Solar. Following pictures appeared on social media: A Delta airplane still off the taxiway […] Fortunately, when the airport was renovated in the 1990s, extra underground conduit was built into the system. for several hours, Italy prepares for Easter lockdown as COVID cases grow exponentially, Philadelphia Police Sgt. (WKMG) Airport executives say the location is to help provide a convenient testing opportunity for … While the value of its benefits may be priceless, the project comes with a price tag of around $30 million, Woodrow says. Although all under one agreement with the airport, the 3.5-megawatt solar facility will be built, operated and maintained by IMG Energy Solutions. One 5kV cable that ran under the site had to be relocated. Once they were at the airport, contractor PJ Dick was responsible for transporting them through the airport to the site. By closing this message or continuing to use our site, you agree to the use of cookies. PHOTO BY BETH HOLLERICH, COURTESY OF THE PITTSBURGH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Passengers flying out of Philadelphia International Airport can now get a COVID-19 test before departure. Copyright © 2021 WPVI-TV. PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Passengers flying out of Philadelphia International Airport can now get a COVID-19 test before departure. People traveling from PHL can now pay to get a COVID-19 test before takeoff. December 03, 2020 Jefferson Health opening COVID-19 testing center at Philadelphia International Airport Antigen and PCR diagnostics will be available to …