U.S. hubs become defenders of the earth
Major airports are leading the way in eco-friendly terminal use and design
March 22, 2011
Jane's Airport Review
San Francisco International's (SFO's) renovated USD383 million Terminal 2 (T2) looks set to become the first airport terminal building in the US to win the coveted Gold Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification when it opens in April.
The 640,000 ft 2 (59,500 m 2 ) building was once the airport's international terminal, but from 14 April 2011 will become the new domestic, 14-gate hub for low-cost carrier Virgin America.
Capable of handling 5.5 million passengers a year, T2 will feature several energy-saving and waste-reducing features such as efficient, low-energy lighting and air-conditioning systems. SFO and the project's lead architect (Gensler) have also made a concerted effort throughout the terminal to persuade travelers to lead more environmentally sustainable lives.
The State of California is committed to reducing its carbon footprint by 20 per cent by 2020. It has some of the greenest building codes in the US -state guidelines require all new public building to gain Silver LEED certification, for instance. Yet according to Steven Hergert, a member of Gensler's aviation practice team, the reason why all the key stakeholders believed they could exceed this tough minimum level and aspire to Gold certification was that every party was committed to pursuing the green agenda from the outset.
"Because airports are energy-intensive places with so many moving parts, we originally had lower expectations about what we thought we would be able to achieve," Hergert explains. "But the client, design and construction team kept looking for more ways to exceed our goals and reduce our energy consumption.
"We were able to go for Gold because the airport was interested in pursuing every opportunity to reduce energy use .... The big story at SFO is really about looking for every opportunity to make better decisions for the environment and having a client and contractor willing to go for it."
Ray Quesada, SFO project manager for the T2 redevelopment programme, reveals that almost 99 per cent of the demolition material during the construction was recycled. SFO has calculated that this reduced the global warming impact of the new terminal by a one-time amount of around 12,300 tonnes of CO 2 .
"We kept all of the structural elements [of the old terminal]," he explains. "We only demolished the non-structural elements. We provided a new exterior skin and all new electrical, mechanical and plumbing systems, but the columns, beams and the roof structure are being reused. New structural elements were required for the 10 per cent of extra floor space we have added. Other than that, we utilized the old structure."
San Francisco Bay's famously temperate micro-climate means that many buildings in the city do not have air conditioning. However, Quesada explains that the additional heat and pollutants created by jet fuel emissions at SFO necessitated the installation of an efficient, low-energy Genesis air filtration system.
"The Genesis system uses ultra-violet light as a filtration system for a lot of the organic material [in the outside air]," he adds. "It actually uses a lot less energy than the traditional carbon-filter systems, where the filters have to be replaced regularly and where more energy is required to push the air through the filter."
In addition, traditional airport ventilation systems tend to use a lot of energy, pushing large volumes of cooled air from the roof down below to where it is needed at floor level. However, T2 will use a displacement ventilation system, which will supply conditioned cool air at floor level, which will then rise towards the roof as it warms. "By distributing the air down at floor level you are not trying to condition the entire space," explains Quesada, who estimates the new system will use 20 per cent less energy than traditional systems.
Eco-friendly features
Another eco-friendly feature at T2 is the dual-plumbing system. The building's toilets and urinals are to use a stand-alone plumbing system, which will be supplied with water reclaimed from the airport's on-site water treatment plant. Preconditioned air and 400 Hz power supply will also be supplied to aircraft at all 14 of T2's gates, reducing jet fuel consumption by aircraft by around 1.4 million gallons a year, according to SFO, and lowering CO 2 emissions by approximately 15,000 tonnes.
SFO forecasts further savings through the abundant use of natural light in the form of skylights and clerestories throughout the terminal, as well as energy-efficient lighting. The airport believes these two measures will reduce electrical energy consumption by 2.9 gigawatt hours per year.
SFO is also determined that T2's 30,000 ft 2 of commercial space is as environmentally sustainable as possible. Food and beverage concessionaires will be required to use biodegradable tableware; they must also separate all food service waste materials for transport for off-airport composting. They will also be urged to buy local and organic food products wherever possible.
The airport hopes to draw the travelling public's attention to its efforts to reduce the airport's carbon footprint and to highlight the small things passengers can do themselves to lead more environmentally sustainable lives, such as refilling their plastic bottle when travelling rather than buying a new one.
Hergert says: "As you are dashing to your gate to board a plane at SFO you have the opportunity to refill a water bottle at a Hydration Station. That's not unique. We have always had that opportunity at public water fountains. What's different at SFO is that the Hydration Stations are front and centre, and while you are using them, you notice the text that reads: 'Americans use 2,500,000 plastic bottles every hour!' That's enough to fill the cargo area of 1.5 Boeing 747-400 planes.' You'll encounter signage at the sinks in the restrooms and at the baggage claim. There's also a detailed display in the baggage area that maps out how SFO aims to achieve its goal of [becoming] zero-carbon by 2020 .... The intent is to help people see that achieving zero carbon isn't something the airport does by itself, it involves everyone who passes through the terminal or works there."
While none of the environmentally friendly features installed at T2 is unique to SFO (and some green technologies such as wind power were not adopted), Gold LEED certification will nonetheless be an unmatched achievement and testament to the airport's commitment to do its bit for green issues.
Green parking
Denver International Airport's (DIA's) new privately owned Canopy Airport Parking facility is the US' only airport car park to have gained Gold LEED certification. Opened to the public in late November last year, the 4,200-space car park provides only about 7 per cent of the airport's car parking, but the owners of the 46-acre site - US car parking giant Propark America and eco-investment firm Greenscape Capital - believe its broad array of green technologies will set the benchmark for sustainable airport car parking for years to come.
Serving the huge and sparsely populated state of Colorado, DIA and its passengers are particularly dependent on its car parking. With around 60,000 public and private parking spaces in total, DIA has one of the largest provisions of car parking of any airport in the world.
Among the eco-friendly features in operation at Canopy Airport Parking are a 9.6 kW wind turbine farm; solar panels generating 16.9 kW, and a 300-ft deep bore hole to supply a geothermal heating system. Recycled materials such as steel and asphalt were used in the car park's construction. Its fleet of buses uses a variety of different green fuels, including compressed natural gas and biodiesel. Finally, the facility offers drivers of plug-in hybrid cars and electric vehicles the opportunity to recharge them for free.
According to an independent report by local consultant engineering firm Architectural Energy Corp, Canopy Airport Parking will have 70 per cent lower running costs versus a traditional airport car park with none of these green features installed.
Commenting on Canopy Airport Parking's early performance at DIA, marketing manager Karl Kelman says: "Airport parking, and off-airport parking with a focus on business travelers in particular, is a habit business. We have anticipated that it will take at least one year to achieve normal occupancy levels. However, we did achieve occupancy levels approaching 50 per cent for the Christmas 2010 holiday.
He adds that Propark and Greenscape hope to open similar car parks at other US airports in the future.
Another company applying a green theme to airport services is Airport Plazas. These are service stations containing all or any of the following elements: fast food restaurant; dry cleaning; pet hotel; 7-11 store; auto repair/towing; petrol station; and compressed natural gas (CNG) fuelling station. The first plaza opened at Newark Liberty International in September 2010; company spokesman Brian Noble tells Jane's that Cincinnati, New York JFK, Tulsa and Fort Myers "are at the final stages of architecture and engineering to submit to the local county and airport authorities". Noble hopes that construction at Cincinnati and New York JFK will begin in May, with Tulsa and Fort Myers following in August.
"At Newark we are pushing heavily the CNG and biodiesel as our alternative fuel to service fleet and individual cars. We used environmental friendly materials during construction," Noble remarks. "The second stage [of the project] at Newark is installing solar panels on the canopy to power 28 per cent of our Plaza."
Depending on the area, the company offers E85 or CNG and possibly even electric charging stations in the future. Whenever possible, Airport Plazas says it also includes design elements such as LED lighting and solar panel canopies.
However, the company acknowledges that the adoption of alternative-fuelled vehicles has "always been a 'chicken and egg' dilemma". Investors are available but they tend to be concerned about the availability of fuel. Airport Plazas is partnered with CNG providers such as Clean Energy, which aggressively markets the product to local companies by promoting the cost and environmental benefits of CNG.
Asked which alternative fuel is best suited to the North American market, Noble is unambiguous: "CNG - all others are wasteful or counter-productive because they cause other commodity prices to go up."
Airports that are not planning major infrastructure improvements can still make adjustments with environmental sustainability in mind. Portland International in Oregon and Orlando International in Florida, for example, have made strides in recycling.
Specifically in the case of Portland International, 'green' airport officials have come up with a novel way of collecting all those liquids now banned from crossing Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints.
Meanwhile, across the country, those scraps of uneaten food, peanut bags and soiled napkins tossed into airline rubbish bags by passengers on arriving international flights might not seem like a public health menace, but the refuse get treated like that at Orlando International.
In August 2006 a plot was uncovered in the UK in which terrorists planned to smuggle liquid bombs aboard international flights bound for the US. For the first time, the Transport Security Administration (TSA) was faced with a novel threat: liquid explosives that resemble non-threat liquids on current x-ray systems. Following extensive research, it developed the current 3-1-1 policy: 3.4 oz (100 ml) liquid containers, inside a one-quart clear, plastic zip-top bag and one bag per passenger.
This meant no more hauling your unfinished coffee, canned soft drinks, water bottles or mouthwash with you on the aircraft. The TSA rule is not just inconvenient for passengers: it's also inconvenient for the environment.
After the ban on carry-on beverages was put in place, many airports saw a big rise in their checkpoint waste. At Seattle's Sea-Tac International, for example, the weight of their rubbish went up by 25 per cent. Even at an airport the size of Portland International (with only 183,168 commercial flight operations and 13.2 million passengers in 2010, making it the 32nd busiest US airport), an estimated 90 tonnes of liquid was being dumped at security checkpoints when the TSA edict went into effect in 2006.
Trash costs cash
Stan Jones has been the aviation environmental compliance manager at Portland since 2002. He has watched the amount of airport rubbish pile up since liquids were prohibited and has done something about it. "There's been a big change at Portland International in respect to what's going into our trash receptacles, not just at the TSA checkpoints, but at the food courts as well," Jones tells Jane's .
Passengers were putting half-filled and nearly full plastic drink bottles, aluminum soft drink cans, paper and polystyrene cups into the rubbish bins creating a lot of wet garbage. This wasn't just an environmental problem; it was costing the airport money, up to USD100 a day in extra dump fees. The discarded drinks were also costing money on the staffing side. Janitors struggled with overflowing wet bins and extra workers had to be hired to empty the receptacles more often.
"Every gallon of liquid going into the garbage creates eight pounds of sodden trash. We're paying USD106 to haul each tonne of our trash to the landfill. So by reducing the weight of our trash, by removing the liquids, the airport saves money. And within a year, USD30,000 in labor costs were also scored," Jones says.
At the end of 2008 Portland placed wheeled 30-gallon (1-litre) stainless steel collection bins at dump stations just before the two TSA security checkpoints that handle Concourses A/B/C and Concourses D/E. Empty beverage containers go into nearby recycle bins, but the public is encouraged to keep and refill their water bottles at water fountains beyond security. At least once a day, the liquid collection bins are wheeled off, measured and drained into mop sinks by janitors, with the liquid flowing into the sewer system, instead of being hauled to the landfill.
But changing people's habits can be difficult, especially when they're running for a flight and many travelers still toss full bottles, cans and cups into the bins. As a result, Jones is collecting only about 30 per cent of the 90 tonnes of liquid barred at the security checkpoints. "We'd like to get all the liquids out of the trash, but we're still happy to collect one-third of the stuff .... It doesn't sound like a lot to other people, but I'm really very pleased with what we are accomplishing," Jones says.
Portland is working with other airports looking to set up similar systems, including Mineta San Jose International, where dump stations now exist.
Recycling at Portland goes beyond the TSA checkpoints. Drain sinks are installed at the food court, where patrons can dump their unfinished drinks. The airport also collects four tonnes of food scraps each week, including coffee grounds and uneaten food from its restaurants, which is composted.
Food for thought
US Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulations strictly forbid uninspected foods from slipping into the country in order to protect crops and livestock from diseases and pests that might be brought in by an aircraft coming in from another country. As a result, US airports with international service, including Orlando International, must ensure that incoming foreign rubbish is either incinerated or sterilised.
Joe Bagosy, Orlando International's director of operations, tells Jane's that this includes all food scraps, galley refuse, food wrappers and unserved meals removed from aircraft by airline cleaning crews and caterers.
That is no small feat at Orlando, where a record 3.2 million passengers arrived or left on international flights in 2010. Foreign garbage is a sticky issue at the airport, which in 2010 cleared 1.8 million lb (816,466 tonnes) of rubbish from the 158 flights that came in each week. The airport paid 26.75 cents per lb to dispose of the foreign rubbish, equivalent to USD482,000 last year.
The Orlando system works as follows: the foreign rubbish is removed from aircraft in distinctive red plastic bags that go into sealed bins placed in leak-proof carts and towed to the airport's International Regulated Garbage Facility. The refuse is weighed and loaded onto tractor-trailers operated by Stericycle, a private company that specialises in disposal of hospital waste. The trash is hauled either to a sterilising plant or a medical waste incinerator.
Orlando used to have its own autoclave where the material was sterilised, says Bagosy, but concluded it was cheaper to pay Stericycle to get rid of the trash, as Orlando's hospitals also decided. "The system works well. USDA conducts inspections constantly. We pass with flying colours every time," he says.
