The Midfield Terminal at Indianapolis International (IND) has earned Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification from the U.S. Green Building Council – the first airport in the United States to earn LEED certification for an entire terminal campus.
The certification applies to the terminal, concourses, Ground Transportation Center and parking garage, more than 1.2. million sq. ft.
To qualify for certification, LEED recognizes design in energy efficiency, recycling, indoor environmental quality, water efficiency, sustainable site development and innovations.
The airport says costs associated with pursuing LEED certification will pay for themselves through substantially reduced aircraft fuel usage and cuts in terminal campus energy and water use.
“On today’s third anniversary of the Midfield Terminal opening, we are reminded of the decadeslong foresight and strategic planning that were required to create the award-winning, internationally recognized airport we now enjoy,” says John D. Clark III, executive director and CEO of the Indianapolis Airport Authority. “I congratulate our team for achieving a milestone that recognizes our board’s vision and commitment to making sustainability a part of that process and for helping to create a facility that will serve the Central Indiana region for many years to come.
“Practicing sound sustainability processes helps us improve the quality of life in our
community while becoming more competitive,” he continues. “We are grateful to receive LEED certification but mindful that it is one example of our ongoing commitment to create the airport system of choice through sustainable innovations that increase the value we bring to our employees, our customers, our business partners, and our neighbors.”
“Buildings are a prime example of how human systems integrate with natural systems,”
says Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair of U.S. Green Building Council. “The Midfield Terminal project efficiently uses our natural resources and makes an immediate, positive impact on our planet, which will tremendously benefit future generations to come.”
In addition to the LEED certification process, IAA has undertaken several sustainability initiatives including relighting projects in the parking garage and at the Indianapolis Maintenance Center that produce combined yearly savings of more than $250,000 and annually reduce CO2 emissions by 5,233 metric tons.
The authority also has announced plans to develop one of the largest airport-based solar farms in the country. It is expected to produce more than 15 million kilowatt hours of power – enough to meet the electrical energy needs of more than 1,200 average American homes for a year – and will prevent approximately 10,700 tons of CO2 from being released into the environment annually. The solar farm is slated to be finished mid-2012.
Read about IND’s John Clark, ARN’s 2011 Director of the Year in the small airports division. Click Here to get your copy!
