Burlington International Airport unveils new sustainability installation

Burlington, VT

Mayor Miro Weinberger and Vermont Transportation Secretary Brian Searles appeared with the leadership of Burlington International Airport, Efficiency Vermont, and the Burlington Electric Department today to unveil a new interactive sustainability installation at the airport. They also highlighted the success of recent efficiency projects which have collectively reduced electricity usage at the airport by 20% over the last three years.

“What the Airport has achieved is very impressive,” said Mayor Weinberger. “These investments in energy efficiency are already generating savings for taxpayers - and the new interactive displays throughout the airport will showcase Burlington as a dynamic, forward-thinking, and sustainable city to all our visitors.”

Secretary Searles agreed: “These 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 who performed the energy efficiency upgrades. That kind of collaboration is an engine for economic growth, and a real win for our state. I am very excited to see what more can be accomplished at the airport in the years to come.”

The new installation, on the theme “What does Green look like?” is optimized for smart phones and is designed to 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. “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. 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.

“We know that the benefits of energy efficiency can be felt – not only in reduced energy bills – but also through a better quality of light and cleaner, healthier air. This project is designed to make those benefits much more visible,” said Jim Merriam, Director of Efficiency Vermont. “We are really pleased to have partnered with Burlington Airport and the Burlington Electric Department in pulling together such a creative effort.”

Barb Grimes, General Manager of the Burlington Electric Department, noted that the effort at the airport is helping further the utility’s broader energy goals: “Our customers have long told us that they value energy efficiency and sustainability. From the beginning, these projects at the airport have enabled us to do some great work, as well as deepen our partnership with Efficiency Vermont, in order to meet those priorities.”

The sustainability installations are located in the second floor atrium and both terminals of Burlington International Airport. For more information, please visit www.efficiencyvermont.com/btv.

About Efficiency Vermont

As the nation’s first Energy Efficiency Utility, Efficiency Vermont has helped Vermont avoid over 13.2 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions and has received the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR program Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence award for the last eight consecutive years. Efficiency Vermont works with partners to help our state transition to more affordable, low carbon energy use through education, incentives, and support for our clean energy workforce. Learn more at www.efficiencyvermont.com.

Efficiency Vermont Press Contact
Matthew Smith
Phone: (802) 540-7662
[email protected]