Hawke’s Bay Airport roof to get $450k solar upgrade; solar farm next to runway still on radar

A graphic of what the panels could look like on the airport when installed. Photo / HBAL

Work has started on a $450,000 project to install solar panels on the roof of Hawke’s Bay Airport.

A total of 615 solar panels will be installed on the terminal’s roof, and the project is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

“Currently electricity consumption in the terminal is 86% of our total electricity usage,” Hawke’s Bay Airport CEO Nick Flack said.

“With energy prices high, it makes sense to make the most of our significant roof area and Hawke’s Bay’s beautiful weather to reduce our costs.

“Our new system will go a long way to help us do that, as well as support our net zero carbon aspiration.”

The airport, on the outskirts of Napier, is hopeful savings from the solar panels will pay off the investment in the first five years.

The panels have a lifespan of about 30 years.

Ecoefficient, a Hawke’s Bay business, has won the contract to deliver the project and work got under way on Monday.

The project includes installing batteries, which can store energy.

“It’s not necessarily about storing to sell back to the grid, but rather taking electricity from the grid at times of the day when it is cheaper, storing it, and then using that stored energy at peak times when electricity is more expensive,” Flack said.

“Our system [will use] AI to predict the most cost effective energy source – grid, solar, battery – to optimise energy management.”

The solar panels will produce about 477,000 kWh per annum, equivalent to 44% of the airport’s annual terminal electricity demand.

Solar farm next to runway

Hawke’s Bay Airport has long proposed a solar farm to be built next to the runway.

An early proposal for the solar farm next to the runway. Photo / Supplied

To date, no resource consent application has been lodged for that project, despite the plans first being announced in 2019.

In July, a Hawke’s Bay Airport spokeswoman said the airport was making “good progress” toward lodging a consent application.

“Our plans have evolved somewhat based on making best use of the land area available, but we’re comfortable taking as much time as necessary to achieve the very best possible outcome,” she said, at the time.

The airport confirmed, this week, there was no further updates for that project.

The solar farm project has been listed under the airport’s “strategic priorities” in its 2025/26 statement of intent.

Gary Hamilton-Irvine is a Hawke’s Bay-based reporter who covers a range of news topics including business, councils, breaking news and cyclone recovery. He formerly worked at News Corp Australia.