All the eco-conscious bells and whistles that earned
Oakland County International Airport a
LEED Gold certification are also saving the county money by running at about half the utility costs prior to energy-focused rebuild.
According to Oakland County the new airport operates at 44 percent greater efficiency. From October 2011 through March 2012 the average cost of utilities dropped from 49 cents per square foot to 27.5 cents per square foot.
Features such as wind and solar electricity generators, a solar hot water heater, geothermal heating and cooling, fluorescent and LED lighting and, one of the more obvious for passengers, a living wall of tropical plants that clean the indoor air.
“These are real savings,” Oakland County executive L. Brooks Patterson says in a statement announcing the utility cost analysis. “The energy efficient technology is part of the wow factor business and general aviation travelers encounter when they use the new terminal as their gateway to the region.”
“The airport has a great impact on southeast Michigan,” says Oakland County Director of Central Services J. David VanderVeen. He oversees the airport - the second busiest in Michigan. The airport, which is located in Waterford, underwent a $7.5 million update last August. Airport user fees and federal and state grants covered the cost.
“Nearly every Fortune 500 company flies through here in the course of a year and it has a $175 million impact on the region,” he says.
Source: Bill Mullan, media and communications officer, Oakland County
Writer: Kim North Shine
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