Malaga / 2025-12-18 – Long-standing reluctance to install solar panels at airports —mainly driven by concerns that reflections could dazzle pilots or controllers— has been effectively challenged by a practical deployment in Spain. A project at Málaga–Costa del Sol Airport has certified photovoltaic integration without creating operational visual hazards, undermining a common operational argument against airport PV.
The hesitancy was not unfounded: glint and glare are recognized safety concerns in aviation and are addressed by operators and regulators such as Aena, ICAO and EASA. Any reflective surface near approach and departure paths must be assessed for potential visual interference with flight crews and air traffic control.
What makes the Málaga case noteworthy is the methodological approach. Media reports and recent coverage (Xataka, Europa Press, Cadena SER, La Opinión de Málaga) indicate the project combined three technical levers:
- Photometric glint/glare simulations using 3D solar modelling that incorporate solar trajectories, module geometry and flight approach corridors.
- Selection of low-reflectance PV technologies —modules with anti-reflective coatings and textured glass— and darker finishes to reduce specular reflections.
- Site and orientation design: mounting PV on terminal roofs and parking canopies, placing arrays away from primary approach axes, and configuring tilt and row spacing to avoid reflections into cockpit sightlines.
Operational verification and compatibility reports concluded there were no significant visual-safety impacts. That certification cleared the way for a phased PV rollout intended to supply a portion of the airport’s electrical demand and support ground operations.
Why does this matter beyond Málaga? First, it shows that the technical objections to airport PV were manageable through engineering solutions rather than being absolute barriers. Second, airports are high-energy consumers —lighting, HVAC, navigation aids and ground services— and are prime candidates for local generation, microgrids and resilience measures.
From a commercial and operational perspective, responsible PV integration offers clear advantages:
- Reduced electricity costs and exposure to volatile wholesale markets.
- Enhanced operational resilience through local generation and optional storage for peak shaving and backup.
- Lowered on-site carbon emissions, supporting environmental targets and certifications.
There are additional considerations. Málaga’s studies focused on visual safety, but airport projects must also assess impacts on wildlife, rooftop structural capacity, maintenance regimes and potential electromagnetic interactions with sensitive equipment. Standardizing study methodologies (software tools, glare-threshold metrics, in-situ validation protocols) will be crucial for replication without reinventing the wheel at every site.
Market implications: the Málaga example could catalyze a wave of airport PV projects, particularly in sun-rich regions. Scaling will depend not only on module deployment but on documenting and embedding glint/glare mitigation practices and adopting low-reflectance PV as a normative choice near flight operations.
Bottom line: the "glare" argument no longer serves as an absolute blocker. Málaga has demonstrated that rigorous analysis and appropriate technology choices enable safe photovoltaic integration at airports. For the energy transition, this opens an important new category of distributed generation and resilience for critical infrastructure.
Sources: Recent reporting by Xataka, Europa Press, Cadena SER and La Opinión de Málaga; public statements and technical descriptions from the Málaga airport project (December 2025).
