Airports are centers of intensive activity that operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year and that require a constant and reliable supply of energy to maintain their operations. Its passengers and staff rely on the proper functioning of the takeoff and landing systems, check-in, baggage claim, and even a stop for a coffee.
If an airport experiences a power failure, then various inconveniences and problems can occur. This includes the temporary suspension of air operations, flight delays and cancellations, the impact on security due to the interruption of detection and control systems, inconvenience for passengers in terms of information and basic services, as well as the need to implement security measures. contingency, such as the use of emergency generators.
Intense movements
In Costa Rica, during the first semester of 2023, 1,338,303 visitors arrived in the country by air. Even the supply of airplane seats to the country will be greater; a total of 399,948 available seats are expected in July, and 376,426 in August. The estimates of the Costa Rican Tourism Institute is that it is expected to close the year 2023 with the arrival of between 2.3 million and 2.4 million tourists by air. In addition, in 2022, 934,320 Costa Rican departures abroad were registered, and the destinations chosen by region were Central America, North America and Europe.
“During peak seasons, when air traffic and demand for services increase, power supply may be compromised, which can affect airport safety and efficiency. To guarantee energy continuity during times of high demand, intelligent energy systems are required”, comments César Arteaga, business developer of Three-Phase UPS Systems and Air Conditioning at Schneider Electric.
Smart solution
A smart energy system is an automated solution that monitors and optimizes energy consumption in real time. These systems accompanied by equipment allow airports to adjust their energy demand as necessary, avoiding overloading the network and guaranteeing continuity of supply.
Advanced scanning technologies, high-tech access controls, baggage security, and security-related lighting all run on power and need to be ensured that everything runs smoothly. For example, lighting and air conditioning systems can be programmed to reduce their consumption during peak hours, when energy demand is highest.
“Smart energy systems can also provide valuable information on energy consumption in real time, allowing airports to make informed decisions about their consumption and optimize their energy efficiency. This through connectivity since the systems allow control, predictive maintenance and automation of processes to guarantee their continuity”, adds Arteaga.
For the operation of an airport, it is necessary to be very efficient, but also safety and the passenger experience. Good management of buildings, transportation systems, security systems and other critical processes at airports, from air traffic control to bag scanning, is paramount. These solutions enable greater operational efficiency and reduced downtime.
“For example, when there are intermittencies in the electrical network or even worse a fault, there must be protectors against transient surges for low and high voltage applications, including protectors for electrical circuits, protection for data and telecommunications lines, and protectors for systems of energy”, points out the business developer of Three-Phase UPS Systems and Air Conditioning at Schneider Electric.
In turn, there must be uninterruptible power systems (UPS) to protect critical equipment against power interruptions, including single-phase and three-phase systems, low and high power, and with different levels of redundancy. Schneider Electric offers different lines of UPS with powers and characteristics that adapt to the needs of airport equipment, such as: Easy UPS 3M and Galaxy VL, highly efficient and long-lasting to guarantee operation in any power interruption.
Also, it is advisable to have a good real-time energy monitoring and control system, for example, an energy management software allows remote monitoring and management of electrical and electronic equipment such as EcoStruxure for building management, IT, systems energy, equipment or machines, among others.
On the other hand, airports face the challenge of meeting carbon emission reduction standards. This can be achieved by renovating existing infrastructure to increase the energy efficiency of facilities such as lighting, building, power, and cooling systems. All this to help airports maintain their operation, but also reduce energy costs, improve energy efficiency and, with it, the whole planet.
As an example, Schneider Electric has supported several companies in solutions for energy management and currently, airports and airlines around the world, such as Air France, American Airlines British Airways, Newark Airport and Beijing International Airport, in China. They protect their technical platforms or passenger terminals against power-related downtime and security breaches with the company’s solutions.
“In short, the implementation of smart energy systems can help ensure energy continuity at airports during peak seasons. These automated solutions allow airports to adjust their energy consumption in real time, reducing overload on the network and guaranteeing continuity of supply. In addition, smart energy systems can also help airports to be more sustainable and efficient in their energy consumption”, concludes Cesar Arteaga.
