An investigation showed that solar farms create a glare that can be dangerous in aviation environments.
Solar power has become a fundamental driver in the world’s shift away from fossil fuels.
Globally, airports have some of the heaviest carbon footprints, which is why many are implementing solar installations.
However, an incident occurred in Manchester where the new solar canopy caused immense visual interference.
It raised the question: why did the arrays cause a disruptive glare?
How global aviation remains hard to abate
The first time on an airplane is quite a memorable experience, whether it was a domestic or international flight.
Commercial aviation officially began on January 1, 1914. The first route ever was from St. Petersburg to Tampa, Florida.
This service soon evolved from a luxury into a major global network.
There are between 44,000 and 50,000 registered airfields and airports worldwide.
In 2025, the Airports Council International recorded 9.8 billion passengers globally.
When compared to the total number of visitors to airports, experts project this number to nearly double.
These totals make it easy to understand that aviation accounts for approximately 2.5% of the world’s carbon emissions.
In fact, it is one of the most carbon-heavy sectors on the planet.
Presently, Scope 3 operational emissions remain challenging to offset.
For this reason, airports are pressured to decarbonize ground operations immediately as the first step toward sustainability.
Lowering airport carbon footprints with solar
The aviation industry uses a slightly different categorization approach for greenhouse gas emissions.
They are categorized into three scopes:
- Scope 1 covers direct emissions from airport-owned sources;
- Scope 2 covers indirect emissions from purchased heating and electricity;
- Scope 3 covers all other indirect emissions in the airport, such as flights and passenger travel.
Jet fuel combustion accounts for the majority of aviation’s carbon footprint, making Scope 3 highly challenging.
Sustainable aviation fuel production is still limited, and electric commercial flights are decades away from reality.
This leaves the Scope 1 and 2 footprints as the most feasible to zero out.
On-site solar energy at airports has become the ultimate solution for decarbonization.
However, the latest research shows that these aviation solar farms are causing hazardous glare.
An incident occurred at the Manchester airport, which prompted further investigation.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) conducted a study in 2015 to determine the degree of impact.
A solar farm’s glaring impact on flights
Pilots carry an immense weight of responsibility to ensure safety during flight routes.
Air traffic controllers are essential to ensure this safety.
In 2012, at the Manchester-Boston Regional Airport, the air control tower reported a blinding glare.
This was caused by Pennoni’s newly constructed 530-kW solar canopy on top of the airport parking garage.
Solar reflection hit the tower for 45 minutes each morning, causing severe visual impairment.
Neither the pilots nor the airlines reported seeing the glare from the air.
25% of the panels were covered with tarps for safety.
The FAA’s 2015 simulation study
General pilots were observed in a flight simulator.
They were exposed to simulated solar glare from different angles and at different durations during landing approaches.
It was found that the glare significantly impaired their vision.
The impairment was at its worst when the glare was straight ahead of the pilot.
This increases cognitive load, and makes reading important flight instruments difficult.
The canopy at the Manchester airport consists of 2,210 solar panels. The $3.5 million project would have saved $100,000 in electricity costs annually.
By covering 25% of the panels, the airport loses significantly on the investment.
Technicians evaluated long-term solutions. One of the suggestions includes changing the 20-degree tilt of the problematic panels.
Regardless of how the issue is resolved, it remains crucial to balance green energy shifts with precise safety engineering.
Anke Maree is a writer with a clear and engaging editorial style. Her work focuses on making complex topics accessible, informative, and relevant for readers across different areas of interest.
