MBS airport approves change orders as award-winning solar project nears finish

The MBS International Airport Commission on Thursday approved two construction change orders totaling $140,387 as it nears completion of a solar project that has been recognized as Michigan’s Airport Project of the Year.

The amended contract between MBS and its energy services contractor, Veregy, LLC, reflected the need to address safety concerns, operational needs and systems functionality that arose during construction.

These change orders involved improvements to the rental car parking lot solar canopy during Phase 1 and upgrades to solar and electric vehicle infrastructure as part of Phase 2 of the transformational project.

In the overall scheme of things, Airport Director James Canders said the increased costs are not terribly high for a $9.3 million project.

“It provided necessary improvements such as snow and ice protection for pedestrians, separate metering for the EV chargers so the airport isn’t billed for rental car usage,” he noted. “It also gives us upgraded Level 1 EV chargers with point-of-sale capability and cord retractors for revenue collection and safety.”

Another part of the Phase 2 upgrades was the repair and replacement of a falling catch basin near the airport’s administration building that was causing standing water.

“With various rebates associated with the project, the airport will remain cost neutral for these upgrades,” Canders said.

MBS’s landmark solar energy conversions saw the airfield earlier this year not only honored by MDOT for its Energy Project of the Year, but also as recipient of its Commercial Airport of the Year.

Both awards, MBS officials said, reflect the airport’s commitment to improving services for both ground and air transportation as the aviation industry moves into a new era defined by sustainability, including electric aircraft.

“We are only waiting on the installation of the last EV chargers later this month to be done with construction,” Canders said. “The arrays were capable of producing power last December. We are just waiting on Consumers to turn them on permanently.”