Vehicle-Integrated Photovoltaic (VIPV) for Sustainable Airports: A Flexible Framework for Performance Assessment

Hamid Samadi, Guido Ala (), Miguel Centeno Brito, Giulia Marcon, Pietro Romano and Fabio Viola
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Hamid Samadi: Department of Engineering, University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy
Guido Ala: Department of Engineering, University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy
Miguel Centeno Brito: Institute of Dom Luiz (IDL), Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, 1749-016 Lisbon, Portugal
Giulia Marcon: Department of Engineering, University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy
Pietro Romano: Department of Engineering, University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy
Fabio Viola: Department of Engineering, University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 20, 1-19

Abstract: Airports are among the most energy-intensive infrastructures, and the decarbonization of ground operations is essential to achieving sustainable aviation goals. Vehicle-integrated photovoltaic (VIPV) offers a promising strategy to complement electrification by enabling on-board renewable generation. While previous studies have mainly focused on fixed PV installations such as rooftops or carports, the potential of VIPV in airports has largely been overlooked, and no structured methodology has been established to investigate it. This study addresses this gap by proposing a two-scenario framework for assessing VIPV performance. The first scenario, named the Generalized Approach, estimates annual energy production based on irradiance data, vehicle surface area, and driving-to-standby ratios. The second scenario, named the Data-Driven Approach, incorporates detailed GPS-based driving data to capture the dynamic effects of orientation, speed, and operating conditions. Applied to European and Middle Eastern airports, the framework showed that VIPV could cover 1700–5500 k m / y e a r for buses, 650–5000 k m / y e a r for minibuses, and 840–6180 k m / y e a r for luggage tractors, with avoided emissions strongly influenced by local grid intensity. Grid parity analysis indicated favorable conditions in sunny, high-cost electricity markets. The framework is transferable to other VIPV applications and provides a practical tool for evaluating their technical, environmental, and economic potential.

Keywords: vehicle-integrated photovoltaic (VIPV); airport ground vehicles; solar vehicles in airport (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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