by Brianna Crandall — March 7, 2011—The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) broke ground February 24 on a landmark renovation of the San Ysidro Land Port of Entry, the nation’s busiest border crossing. The modernization and expansion of the facility is planned to make it the first net-zero border crossing in the country, meaning it will create as much energy as it uses. The renovation will also reduce wait times at the border and boost the local economy.
The San Ysidro renovation is planned to incorporate innovative green features such as solar panels, solar thermal hot water, a geothermal heat exchange system, and ultra-low flow fixtures that would make it the first net-zero energy land port of entry in the country. The water-saving features will also reduce water consumption by 12 million gallons per year. The project is targeted to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.
Approximately 90,000 people cross the San Ysidro Land Port of Entry daily. GSA says the renovation is needed to accommodate the ever-increasing vehicle and pedestrian traffic crossing the border, and that the project will transform the port of entry to not only meet operational needs to secure the border, but also to provide a needed improvement to the experience that visitors, families, and friends have when they come to the United States.
