by Shane Henson — December 10, 2012—Travelers taking flights out of Vermont’s Burlington International Airport may enjoy spending some of their waiting time learning about the airport’s many energy efficiency initiatives undertaken with community partners, through its new interactive sustainability installations, located in the second-floor atrium and both terminals of the airport.
The installations were designed around the theme “What does green look like?” and engage airport visitors by highlighting the steps that the airport has taken to achieve a remarkable reduction in energy usage, even while undergoing recent expansion projects. According to airport officials, recent efficiency projects have collectively reduced electricity usage at the airport by 20 percent over the last three years.
“We are focused every day on making smart choices about our energy use and impact on the environment,” said Airport Director Gene Richards III. “So it is exciting to highlight those efforts, and put them front and center for everyone who passes through the facility.”
Taken together, energy efficiency improvements such as a facility-wide lighting upgrade and a redesign of the airport’s heating and cooling systems are generating savings of $260,000 per year, say airport officials. In addition to these projects, the airport has also completed several other sustainability initiatives in recent years. These have included the use of biofuels in fleet vehicles, the installation of a green roof, and the implementation of a unique process to biodegrade aircraft de-icing liquid. An effort is also currently in the works to bring locally sourced food to the airport.
Airport officials note that the successes are the result of a strong and continuing partnership between Burlington International Airport, Efficiency Vermont, Burlington Electric Department, Vermont Gas, and a number of Vermont firms that performed the energy efficiency upgrades.
