Contra Costa County Airports Commissions 1.1-Megawatt Rooftop Solar Array Across Buchanan Field Hangars

Contra Costa County Airports Division engineers and MCE clean-energy specialists energized a 1.1-megawatt commercial rooftop solar photovoltaic system on Friday morning across six municipal aircraft hangar buildings along Marsh Drive and Sally Ride Drive at Buchanan Field Airport (CCR) in Concord. Approved by the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors under the county's Zero-Net-Energy Facilities Directive, the installation utilizes 2,450 low-profile monocrystalline solar modules coated with specialized FAA-compliant anti-reflective textured glass. Federal Aviation Administration ocular hazard modeling verified that the matte-finish panels absorb light without producing specular glare toward pilots on final approach or air traffic controllers in the Buchanan Field tower.

Collectively, the hangar roofs will generate approximately 1.78 million kilowatt-hours of renewable electricity annually—enough to offset 100 percent of the municipal electricity load for the airport administration building, automated weather observation stations, LED taxiway and runway edge lighting, and the east ramp passenger terminal at 171 John Glenn Drive. Surplus daytime generation is exported to the local distribution grid under PG&E net-energy-metering aggregation, saving the Airport Enterprise Fund an estimated $310,000 per year in utility expenses.

Prior to mounting the racking rails, county roofing contractors applied cool-white elastomeric waterproof membranes across 95,000 square feet of corrugated steel hangar roofing, lowering interior summer hangar temperatures by up to 14 degrees Fahrenheit for aviation maintenance tenants. Electrical crews also pre-wired four 480-volt transformer stubs along the west ramp to support future electric ground-service tugs and hybrid aircraft chargers.

The $2.65 million capital project was financed through a low-interest California Energy Commission Energy Conservation Assistance Act loan that is fully repaid out of avoided utility bills with zero impact on county general funds. Residents can review airport sustainability metrics and monthly Airport Committee briefing packets on the Contra Costa County Airports Official Portal.