Naples Airport's 270-panel solar project nearly ready to power facilities

NAPLES, Fla. — Naples Airport is nearly finished with a solar project designed to help power its facilities while advancing the airport’s sustainability efforts.

The airport has completed the installation of 270 solar panels on the roof of its newly built warehouse storage building near the North Road Terminal and Fuel Farm, according to a press release.

Once the system is fully operational later this summer, it will have an approximately 100-kilowatt AC-generating capacity.

Airport leaders, project partners, elected officials and local dignitaries gathered in July to mark the substantial completion of construction.

"The cost savings by adding solar are substantial, but the environmental impacts are even greater," said Chris Rozansky, executive director for the Naples Airport Authority. "Naples Airport has been 'going green' for many years, and this solar installation is yet another example of how an airport can be good stewards to the environment while simultaneously making sound financial decisions."

The airport has also been pursuing other sustainability initiatives, including the introduction of cleaner-burning alternative fuels, converting many of its ground vehicles and equipment from gas to electric, and building a new water management system that filters water and removes impurities before runoff flows into the Gordon River and Naples Bay.

General contractor Owen-Ames-Kimball led construction of the new building, while PayOli Energy designed and installed the rooftop solar array.

"Partnering with Owen-Ames-Kimball on this landmark Naples Airport project highlights what can be achieved when construction and solar engineering align," said Juan David Payares, founder and CEO of PayOli Energy. "Delivering high-capacity, reliable, clean energy to critical municipal infrastructure requires an uncompromising commitment to quality."

Payares said the installation demonstrates how solar can enhance operational resiliency and advance sustainability across Southwest Florida for decades to come.