Passengers flying in and out of Boston Logan International Airport take note: you are passing through one of the most energy-efficient airports in the United States.

Logan Airport is now using a 200 kW solar energy system which is expected to save roughly 3,500 barrels of oil each year. The 1,000 solar panels offset 5 percent of the total energy use of the Terminal B garage where they’re installed on structural steel “trees”. The same Terminal B garage is also the first airport garage to be lit by LED bulbs. To see real-time how many kilowatt-hours of solar power the array is generating, check out the installer Broadway Electric’s real-time tracking system. And according to Boston’s local Channel 7 news, Logan installed last month the “largest solar panel of any public building in Massachusetts”–when we figure out exactly how big this solar panel is, we’ll be sure to let you know…

The upgrades are part of more than $1 billion in spending that Massport, the airport’s operating authority, has allocated for some 379 projects as part of the facility’s 2010-2014 capital improvement plan. The budget places strong emphasis on energy conservation, green building and renewable energy:

Massport’s capital plan also includes investments that promote sustainability and a cleaner environment. The Terminal B Garage project includes the installation of photovoltaic solar panels on the garage roof and the replacement of existing lighting with Light Emitting Diode (LED) lights in the garage, roadway and walkway. The Consolidated Rental Car Facility will be designed to meet LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver certification standards by the Green Building Council. Improvements to the Civil Air Terminal building at L.G. Hanscom Field will also include a 57,000 kilowatt hour per year solar array.

The airport is also equipped with 20 wind turbines that make the most of the facility’s up-drafted air. Logan International’s solar trend setting ways are no coincidence, as Massachusetts has been targeting public facilities to implement renewable energy strategies.

Read more about solar airports across the country.