Green Energy Taking Off at Airports
With the Federal Aviation Administration requiring all airports to prepare master plans for green initiatives, some of those efforts are starting to come to fruition. These initiatives are meant to make strides towards putting green programs and services in place that positively impact environmental and socio-economic conditions.
Earlier this week, the General Aviation Facility at Vermont’s Burlington International Airport installed an on-site wind turbine, the first such facility in the U.S. according to a press release.
The 100 kilowatt wind turbine is in addition to two other green items recently installed, including a new 25 kilowatt solar electric system and a solar thermal hot water system. The solar system consists of 150 210-watt solar panels on the roof of the office building. These solutions are expected to offset about $14,600 in energy costs a year, or enough to power about 40 area homes, according to the press release.
"We're proud to be on the leading edge of energy efficiency, corporate responsibility and environmental stewardship, in our region and in the aviation industry," said Christopher Hill, president of Heritage Aviation, the company that did the installation. "The Clean Energy Development Fund (CEDF), with their funding and Alteris Renewables, with their sophisticated engineering capabilities, helped make this renewable system possible."
In addition to the renewable energy aspects, Heritage Aviation is installing a rainwater collection and reuse system, as well as one of the largest green roofs in the New England area.
Burlington International isn't the only airport looking at green solutions.
At San Diego County Regional Airport, authorities are looking at ways to reduce emissions, according to reports by Signs on San Diego. The outlet reported that the airport will launch a series of efforts next year to slash greenhouse-gas emissions from aircraft, shuttle buses and other vehicles.
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