National Academies Press: OpenBook

Prototype Airport Sustainability Rating System—Characteristics, Viability, and Implementation Options (2014)

Chapter: Appendix D - Airport Sustainability Activities User Guide Excerpts

« Previous: Appendix C - Preliminary User Guide Annotated Outline
Page 116
Suggested Citation:"Appendix D - Airport Sustainability Activities User Guide Excerpts ." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2014. Prototype Airport Sustainability Rating System—Characteristics, Viability, and Implementation Options. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/22233.
×
Page 116
Page 117
Suggested Citation:"Appendix D - Airport Sustainability Activities User Guide Excerpts ." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2014. Prototype Airport Sustainability Rating System—Characteristics, Viability, and Implementation Options. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/22233.
×
Page 117
Page 118
Suggested Citation:"Appendix D - Airport Sustainability Activities User Guide Excerpts ." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2014. Prototype Airport Sustainability Rating System—Characteristics, Viability, and Implementation Options. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/22233.
×
Page 118
Page 119
Suggested Citation:"Appendix D - Airport Sustainability Activities User Guide Excerpts ." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2014. Prototype Airport Sustainability Rating System—Characteristics, Viability, and Implementation Options. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/22233.
×
Page 119
Page 120
Suggested Citation:"Appendix D - Airport Sustainability Activities User Guide Excerpts ." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2014. Prototype Airport Sustainability Rating System—Characteristics, Viability, and Implementation Options. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/22233.
×
Page 120
Page 121
Suggested Citation:"Appendix D - Airport Sustainability Activities User Guide Excerpts ." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2014. Prototype Airport Sustainability Rating System—Characteristics, Viability, and Implementation Options. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/22233.
×
Page 121
Page 122
Suggested Citation:"Appendix D - Airport Sustainability Activities User Guide Excerpts ." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2014. Prototype Airport Sustainability Rating System—Characteristics, Viability, and Implementation Options. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/22233.
×
Page 122
Page 123
Suggested Citation:"Appendix D - Airport Sustainability Activities User Guide Excerpts ." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2014. Prototype Airport Sustainability Rating System—Characteristics, Viability, and Implementation Options. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/22233.
×
Page 123
Page 124
Suggested Citation:"Appendix D - Airport Sustainability Activities User Guide Excerpts ." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2014. Prototype Airport Sustainability Rating System—Characteristics, Viability, and Implementation Options. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/22233.
×
Page 124
Page 125
Suggested Citation:"Appendix D - Airport Sustainability Activities User Guide Excerpts ." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2014. Prototype Airport Sustainability Rating System—Characteristics, Viability, and Implementation Options. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/22233.
×
Page 125
Page 126
Suggested Citation:"Appendix D - Airport Sustainability Activities User Guide Excerpts ." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2014. Prototype Airport Sustainability Rating System—Characteristics, Viability, and Implementation Options. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/22233.
×
Page 126
Page 127
Suggested Citation:"Appendix D - Airport Sustainability Activities User Guide Excerpts ." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2014. Prototype Airport Sustainability Rating System—Characteristics, Viability, and Implementation Options. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/22233.
×
Page 127
Page 128
Suggested Citation:"Appendix D - Airport Sustainability Activities User Guide Excerpts ." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2014. Prototype Airport Sustainability Rating System—Characteristics, Viability, and Implementation Options. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/22233.
×
Page 128
Page 129
Suggested Citation:"Appendix D - Airport Sustainability Activities User Guide Excerpts ." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2014. Prototype Airport Sustainability Rating System—Characteristics, Viability, and Implementation Options. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/22233.
×
Page 129
Page 130
Suggested Citation:"Appendix D - Airport Sustainability Activities User Guide Excerpts ." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2014. Prototype Airport Sustainability Rating System—Characteristics, Viability, and Implementation Options. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/22233.
×
Page 130
Page 131
Suggested Citation:"Appendix D - Airport Sustainability Activities User Guide Excerpts ." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2014. Prototype Airport Sustainability Rating System—Characteristics, Viability, and Implementation Options. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/22233.
×
Page 131
Page 132
Suggested Citation:"Appendix D - Airport Sustainability Activities User Guide Excerpts ." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2014. Prototype Airport Sustainability Rating System—Characteristics, Viability, and Implementation Options. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/22233.
×
Page 132
Page 133
Suggested Citation:"Appendix D - Airport Sustainability Activities User Guide Excerpts ." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2014. Prototype Airport Sustainability Rating System—Characteristics, Viability, and Implementation Options. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/22233.
×
Page 133
Page 134
Suggested Citation:"Appendix D - Airport Sustainability Activities User Guide Excerpts ." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2014. Prototype Airport Sustainability Rating System—Characteristics, Viability, and Implementation Options. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/22233.
×
Page 134
Page 135
Suggested Citation:"Appendix D - Airport Sustainability Activities User Guide Excerpts ." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2014. Prototype Airport Sustainability Rating System—Characteristics, Viability, and Implementation Options. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/22233.
×
Page 135
Page 136
Suggested Citation:"Appendix D - Airport Sustainability Activities User Guide Excerpts ." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2014. Prototype Airport Sustainability Rating System—Characteristics, Viability, and Implementation Options. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/22233.
×
Page 136

Below is the uncorrected machine-read text of this chapter, intended to provide our own search engines and external engines with highly rich, chapter-representative searchable text of each book. Because it is UNCORRECTED material, please consider the following text as a useful but insufficient proxy for the authoritative book pages.

D-1 A P P E N D I X D Airport Sustainability Activities— User Guide Excerpts

Airport Sustainability Activities—User Guide Excerpts D-3 1 Waste & Water Waste Diversion METRIC: Percent of total annual waste diverted from the landfill or incinerator through recycling, reuse, refurbishing, selling, donating, and composting. PURPOSE Waste Diversion optimizes the use of airport materials beyond their first functional lifespan by avoiding landfilling and incineration. DEFINITION Waste diversion is defined as the percent of total annual solid waste redirected from the landfill or incinerator through recycling, reuse, refurbishment, sale, donation, composting, or other means. This Activity is concerned with non-hazardous, municipal solid waste at airports, which includes, but is not limited to, mixed paper and cardboard, food scraps, kitchen grease, metals, glass, plastics, landscape waste, wood, tires, appliances, batteries, recordable media, and electronics. The Activity considers all waste sources where the airport is responsible for disposal, to include, but not limited to, terminals, administrative offices, airfields, maintenance hangars, cargo hangars, and aircraft flight kitchens (if disposal of deplaned waste is the responsibility of the airport). Handling of construction and demolition, aircraft lavatory, or chemical wastes are covered under activities within the Design & Materials and Human Well-Being Sustainability Categories. The Activity does not include waste with regulated or special disposal requirements, such as international deplaned waste, deicing fluids, or hazardous waste. RELATED ACTIVITIES WW 2 – WASTE REDUCTION DM 3 – CONSTRUCTION WASTE DIVERSION HW 4 – CHEMICALS & HAZARDOUS MATERIALS EC 6 – OTHER INDIRECT GHG EMISSION REDUCTIONS PERFORMANCE LEVELS Four points are available across the performance levels. Each threshold represents an increasing diversion rate, or the percent of annual solid airport waste diverted from the landfill or incinerator. Performance Level Take Off Ascend Cruise Soar Threshold 30% 45% 60% 75% Points 1 2 3 4 See the DOCUMENTATION section to determine how to calculate the diversion rate. WW 3 Level Take Off Ascend Cruise Soar Points 1 2 3 4 OE S N SAMPLE SAMPLE

D-4 Prototype Airport Sustainability Rating System—Characteristics, Viability, and Implementation Options 2 WW 3 – Waste Diversion PERFORMANCE RECOMMENDATIONS The table below includes recommended actions from across airport infrastructure, operations, and management that can assist in improving waste diversion and achieving higher performance thresholds. The list is suggestive and not exhaustive, and airports have the flexibility to determine how they will achieve performance through these activities and others. Infrastructure Operations Management Increase the availability of collection bins for the sorting of waste – landfill, paper, recyclables, and compost – in all areas with human presence, including terminals, office space, airfield maintenance hangars, cargo hangars, etc. Install proper signage to inform customers about waste sorting. Co-locate recycling receptacles with trash receptacles. Identify collection and staging areas for useable materials available for reuse, sale, or donation. Incorporate waste diversion in all levels of employee training. Maintain a waste reduction, reuse, and recycling program for durable goods, including office equipment, appliances, audiovisual equipment, and furniture. Implement an inventory system to facilitate the reuse or redistribution of chemicals, cleaning supplies, paint, or other supplies. Identify and procure materials for composting or other means of organics management. Work with a local non-profit or government agency to facilitate the reuse of furniture, office supplies, and other materials. Work with vendor to create an electronics reuse program that can generate revenue for airport and extend life of computers, monitors and related equipment. Conduct a waste audit to determine the percentage of potentially recyclable waste that is going to a landfill/incinerator. Explore, implement, and expand recycling and composting pick-up options with local waste management vendors. Work with the waste hauler or service provider to collect and analyze information on the amounts and types of waste generated to understand better waste production patterns. Establish a Waste Diversion Plan to outline airport-wide goals and strategies. Analyze the economic benefits on the local community—in terms of employment, sales, and tax revenue—due to increased recycling when assessing various waste diversion options. Negotiate with waste disposal contractors and tenants with the aim of encouraging recovery of separated waste materials by having cost reflect the degree of separation at the tenant source.

Airport Sustainability Activities—User Guide Excerpts D-5 3 WW 3 – Waste Diversion DOCUMENTATION Tracking waste diversion requires regular audits to assess the waste stream across the airport. It is important to capture as many disposal means as possible, including the landfill, incinerator, recycling, reuse, refurbishment, donation, resale, and composting. The following calculation should be used to determine the percent of total annual waste diverted from the landfill or incinerator through alternative disposal methods Where: A = Total amount of waste diverted (tons) in the performance year—most recent year for which data are available. B = Total waste generation (tons) in the performance year—most recent year for which data are available. The following weight data in tons is required for the performance year: Materials sent to landfill Materials incinerated Materials recycled Materials reused Materials refurbished Materials resold Materials donated Materials composted Volume measurements can be converted to weight using the conversion factors provided in the Appendix. Additional documentation should be collected for internal and external verification, if applicable, including: A summary narrative outlining the types of waste and volumes diverted. A brief description of the factors that contributed to the diversion rate (e.g., programs, policies, etc.) Copies of contract with vendor or other documentation of collection service. References that may assist in documenting, measuring, or estimating waste diversion include: U.S. EPA’s guide to Developing and Implement and Airport Recycling Program: http://www.epa.gov/wastes/conserve/tools/rogo/documents/airport-recycling-guide.pdf. FAA Synthesis Document on Recycling, Reuse, and Waste Reduction at Airports: http://www.faa.gov/airports/resources/publications/reports/environmental/media/RecyclingSynthesis201 3.pdf Percent of Total Annual Waste Diverted Recycling + Rescue + Refurbishment + Resale + Donation + Composting Land�ill + Incinerator + Recycling + Rescue + Refurbishment + Resale + Donation + Composting = A B x 100

D-6 Prototype Airport Sustainability Rating System—Characteristics, Viability, and Implementation Options 4 WW 3 – Waste Diversion FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS Airports should take a holistic approach when assessing the financial viability of waste management options for improving performance under the Waste Diversion Activity. The higher costs of one component of an integrated waste management system, such as recordable media (e.g. CD-ROMs and diskettes) recycling, can be offset by another component, such as cardboard and paper recycling, resulting in overall cost savings and a higher diversion rate. In addition, airports should consider the indirect economic benefits of Waste Diversion, as recycling waste may yield a greater economic benefit than landfilling it. Local sorting and sales of the constituent materials can contribute more than landfilling/incinerating waste at a distant off-site location, thus supporting local employment, manufacturing, and tax revenues. Airports can calculate the economic costs and benefits associated with integrated waste management by obtaining individual municipal solid waste (MSW) waste-stream costs when there are separate rates. For example, recycling mixed paper material generally costs less than standard waste hauling fees and in some circumstances can actually produce revenue. Third party electronic support service firms often pay for usable equipment that may no longer be useful to an airport. Recycling other types of waste (e.g. co-mingled glass, plastic, and metals) may cost more than standard landfill or incinerator rates. Waste streams recycling and reuse cost savings can offset the cost premiums associated with other types of recycling services. Example Table to Demonstrate Concept Waste Stream Est. Annual Cost Est. Annual Revenue Mixed Paper $ #,### $ #,### Electronics $ #,### $ #,### It may be necessary to modify existing custodial service contracts or make special arrangements to obtain waste stream data. Metrics should be aligned so that waste is measured by either weight (e.g., tonnage) or volume (e.g., cubic yards). The financial considerations associated with integrated waste management necessitate detailed analysis of comprehensive waste material data than limiting review to just the overall airport recycling rates. SAMPLE

Airport Sustainability Activities—User Guide Excerpts D-7 1 Energy & Climate Climate Change Adaptation METRIC: Performance is gauged by the number of Performance Actions achieved PURPOSE Climate Change Adaptation promotes an airport’s long-term viability by increasing the resiliency of airport operations and infrastructure to climate change impacts. DEFINITION Climate Change Adaptation increases an airport’s resiliency to episodic events and longer term meteorological and environmental shifts, thereby avoiding service interruptions in air service and ground transportation. Depending on the location of the airport, climate change impacts may include changes in temperature, precipitation levels, storm frequency, and storm severity; thawing permafrost; sea level rise; habitat impacts; and changes in wildlife. Performance is evaluated by the degree to which an airport has developed and implemented a plan to assess climate vulnerability and increase resiliency. This Activity includes all infrastructure and assets within the airport site including, but not limited to, terminal and administrative buildings; parking lots and structures; HVAC systems; energy and water provision for buildings; roadways and transportation infrastructure; storm water management systems; airfield and navigational aid infrastructure; runways, taxiways, and aprons; turf areas; wetlands; wildlife areas; and shorelines. RELATED ACTIVITIES EC 4 – TERMINAL BUILDING GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSION REDUCTIONS EC 5 – OVERALL AIRPORT GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSION REDUCTIONS EC 6 – OTHER INDIRECT GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSION REDUCTIONS WW 1 – POTABLE WATER CONSERVATION EP 2 – AIRPORT FINANCIAL VIABILITY EP 3 – RISK MANAGEMENT EL 4 – INTEGRATED SUSTAINABILITY MANAGEMENT NR 1 – LANDSCAPE & GROUNDS NR 2 – WILDLIFE & HABITAT PROTECTION NR 3 – PERVIOUS SURFACE NR 4 – AIRSIDE STORMWATER QUALITY NR 6 – HEAT ISLAND REDUCTION DM 1 – SUSTAINABLE DESIGN & OPERATION EC 7 Level Take Off Ascend Cruise SoarPoints 1 2 3 4 O E S N SAMPLE

D-8 Prototype Airport Sustainability Rating System—Characteristics, Viability, and Implementation Options 2 EC 7 – Climate Change Adaptation PERFORMANCE LEVELS Four points are available based on the level of performance assessed by the number of Performance Actions taken by the airport. The Actions indicate the degree to which the airport has developed and implemented a plan for climate vulnerability assessment and adaptation. This approach can be integrated into the airport’s existing operations by incorporating climate factors into ongoing planning, design, and management decisions through an adaptive management approach. Performance Levels reflect steps within the adaptive management approach, with the Soar Performance Level indicating that the airport has a fully deployed adaptive management approach, is implementing assessment and adaptation actions, and is monitoring their performance. Therefore, credit for each level must be earned before a higher tier can be achieved—i.e., Ascend, Cruise, and Soar levels requires that the previous Performance Level has also been achieved. As an example, Ascend Performance requires that all requirements for the Take-Off Performance Level have also been achieved. Performance Level Take Off Ascend Cruise Soar Threshold 2 Assess Actions 2 Prioritize Actions 3 Implement Actions 1 Monitor and Evaluate Action Points 1 2 3 4 See the DOCUMENTATION section to determine what information should be recorded to address climate change adaptation. Conduct Impact,Vulnerabilityand Risk Assessments Identify and Prioritize AdaptationOptions Implement AdaptationActions Monitor and Evaluate SAMPLE Adaptive Management Approach

Airport Sustainability Activities—User Guide Excerpts D-9 3 EC 7 – Climate Change Adaptation PERFORMANCE RECOMMENDATIONS The table below includes recommended actions from across airport infrastructure, operations, and management that support climate change adaptation and achieving higher performance thresholds. The list is suggestive and not exhaustive, and airports have the flexibility to determine how they achieve performance through these activities and others. Assess Management Inventory infrastructure and identify critical assets (existing and planned) that may be vulnerable to climate change stressors. Inventory airport operations and services and identify activities (existing and planned) that may be vulnerable to climate change stressors. Determine potential climate impacts under local or regional climate change scenarios. Assess vulnerability of assets, operations, and services under climate change scenarios. Assess the direct and indirect economic impacts due to climate change on the airport and local community as part of a Climate Change Impact Assessment. Prioritize Management Prioritize vulnerable assets that require adaptation measures. Prioritize vulnerable operations and services that require adaptation measures. Develop a Climate Change Adaptation Plan that identifies vulnerable assets, operations, and services; articulate adaptation priorities; and define organizational roles and responsibilities for implementation. Engage in a regional Climate Change Adaptation Plan with state agencies, municipalities, and institutions. Develop protocols and procedures for increased incidence of severe weather events, such as what to do in the event of a flood for airports vulnerable to such events. Implement Infrastructure Protect and harden structures through design and construction to reduce exposure (e.g., levee construction) or increase the resilience of infrastructure (e.g., reinforcing traffic control towers; elevating roadways). Relocate assets to less vulnerable locations. Operations Increase frequency of maintenance and repair and operational improvements to accommodate growing climate stresses. Review and reinforce operation of access roads, inter-modal on-ground connectivity, and communications infrastructure with regard to climate vulnerability. Increase redundancy by developing alternative ways to maintain service in the event of disruption (e.g., back-up runways and access roads, alternative power sources). Monitor and Evaluate Management Develop and implement a system for ongoing monitoring and evaluation of airport-specific impacts based on regional climate model predictions. Evaluate airport resilience and the effectiveness of current adaptation actions on annual basis. Incorporate findings from monitoring into the climate adaptation planning. Develop a plan for business continuity after a disruption due to climate -related impacts

D-10 Prototype Airport Sustainability Rating System—Characteristics, Viability, and Implementation Options 4 EC 7 – Climate Change Adaptation FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS Airports are likely to realize economic benefits by increasing the resilience of their operations and infrastructure to climate change—though the benefits may vary by location and may depend on the airport’s vulnerabilities to climate change. The economic benefits of climate adaptation investments are not always immediate and they may vary by location depending on the airport’s likelihood of experiencing short-term hazards—such as a severe weather event—or long-term changes in conditions—such as more frequent seasonal flooding or rising sea levels. Airports that have improved their resilience to climate change impacts are more likely to avoid or mitigate damages to infrastructure and will incur fewer repair and reconstruction costs. Additionally, airports that have operational practices in place to respond to events are more likely to avoid loss of revenue caused by service disruptions. Airports can estimate the economic impacts resulting from climate adaptation with cost-benefit analysis (CBA) techniques. CBA methodologies specific to adaptation have been derived and proven to be effective decision- support tools for the planning and development of organizations. Steps in a climate adaptation CBA include identifying potential adaptation options, establishing a baseline of events, and quantifying the aggregate costs and benefits over specific time periods. Example Table to Demonstrate Concept Status Quo Minimum Action Do Something - Managed Adaptively Level of Effort (1%) Level of Effort (2%) Level of Effort (3%) Level of Effort (4%) Total present value of costs $,#,### $,#,### $,#,### $,#,### $,#,### $,#,### Total present value of benefits $,#,### $,#,### $,#,### $,#,### $,#,### $,#,### NPV $,#,### $,#,### $,#,### $,#,### $,#,### $,#,### Benefit-cost Ratio # # # # # # CBA for adaptation strategies allow for comparison of many different categories of benefits or costs into a single, monetized value. However, airports should consider the social, nontangible benefits that arise from climate adaptation strategies which may not be measured or expressed in monetary terms in the CBA. Additionally, the costs and benefits need to be discounted to properly calculate their present value. SAMPLE

Airport Sustainability Activities—User Guide Excerpts D-11 5 EC 7 – Climate Change Adaptation DOCUMENTATION Airports should fully document all actions taken to address climate change adaptation and be able to provide descriptions for the following: Regional and local climate scenarios Inventories of airport operations, services, and assets Vulnerability assessment reports and maps of airport operations, services, and assets Infrastructure upgrades Operational adaptation measures Written policies Updated planning documents References that may assist in addressing climate change adaptation and planning include: The U.S. Department of Transportation FHWA Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment Pilot Program: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/climate_change/adaptation/ongoing_and_current_research/vulne rability_assessment_pilots/index.cfm The ACRP Synthesis S11-02-06, Airport Climate Change Adaptation and Preparedness The ACRP Report 02-40 (pending), Climate Change Risk Assessment and Adaptation Planning at Airports

D-12 Prototype Airport Sustainability Rating System—Characteristics, Viability, and Implementation Options 1 Energy & Climate Terminal Building Energy Use METRIC: Percent reduction of building energy use intensity per square foot (BTU/ft2) from a baseline. PURPOSE Terminal Building Energy Use promotes the efficient use of energy in terminal and administrative building spaces to reduce operating expenses and minimize resource consumption without impacting airport critical functions. DEFINITION Terminal buildings are defined as airport space for passenger support, baggage processing and pick-up, concession retail and restaurants, and administration functions. Energy use intensity is defined as total annual building energy consumption per square foot of building space. Efficiency performance is evaluated as a percent reduction from an airport-determined baseline energy intensity. Building energy includes direct consumption of fuels, e.g., for water heating and space conditioning, as well as energy consumption generated offsite—such as purchased electricity and steam. This activity includes total energy consumption within all terminal and administrative building spaces that support airport ground operations. Energy end-uses include, but are not limited to: lighting; refrigeration; equipment use (e.g., service counters, baggage systems, checkpoints); boilers; steam generation; heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC); people movers, data centers, jet bridges, building controls; and backup energy supply systems. The energy and building area footprint omits airside functions and infrastructure, which are covered by Activity EC 2 – Overall Airport Energy Use. Mobile energy associated with ground access vehicles and airport fleet is addressed by Activity TR 1 – Fleet Vehicle Fuel Economy. RELATED ACTIVITIES EC 2 – OVERALL AIRPORT ENERGY USE EC 4 – TERMINAL BUILDING GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSION REDUCTIONS EC 5 – OVERALL AIRPORT GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSION REDUCTIONS TR 1 – FLEET VEHICLES PERFORMANCE LEVELS Ten points are available based on the level of performance. Performance Level Take Off Ascend Cruise Soar Threshold 30% 45% 60% 75% Points 2 4 7 10 See the DOCUMENTATION section to determine how to calculate the percent reduction of building energy use intensity. EC 1 Level Take Off Ascend Cruise Soar Points 2 4 7 10 O E S N SAMPLE SAMPLE

Airport Sustainability Activities—User Guide Excerpts D-13 2 EC 1 – Terminal Building Energy Use PERFORMANCE RECOMMENDATIONS The table below includes recommended actions from across airport infrastructure, operations, and management that can assist in decreasing terminal building energy use and achieving higher performance thresholds. The list is suggestive and not exhaustive, and airports have the flexibility to determine how they will achieve performance through these activities and others. Infrastructure Operations Management Design and upgrade buildings with energy efficient features, including lighting and HVAC systems. Take greater advantage of daylight in terminal design and upgrading. Install more efficient or alternative sources of energy, such as combined heat and power, ground-source heat pumps, or solar thermal. Utilize thermal energy storage systems to optimize energy use of air conditioning systems. Purchase and install ENERGY STAR rated appliances and computers. Enhance escalators with energy efficient technology. Install, upgrade, or improve building automation systems. Optimize thermal performance of data center spaces with cold/hot air containment. Prioritize use of energy- efficient equipment within procurement policy. Use aggressive temperature setbacks, lighting controls, and building automation. Optimize occupancy and use of buildings and equipment. Perform energy audit to identify and evaluate “energy hot spots”. Commission existing buildings to improve their operations and maintenance for optimal performance. Provide “real-time” building energy performance dashboards to promote occupant behavioral changes. Implement an Energy Management Plan to outline airport-wide goals and strategies for reducing energy consumption. Develop an employee education campaign for energy and electricity efficiency. Incorporate lifecycle energy consumption and cost analyses into asset management, construction, and operations decision- making, in addition to infrastructure upgrades. Utilize alternative financing options for large-scale energy upgrades—e.g., Energy Savings Performance Contract (ESPC) and Utility Energy Service Contracts (UESC). Designate a dedicated Energy Manager responsible for managing airport energy projects and tracking performance.

D-14 Prototype Airport Sustainability Rating System—Characteristics, Viability, and Implementation Options 3 EC 1 – Terminal Building Energy Use DOCUMENTATION Calculating total terminal building energy use intensity requires both the total quantity of electricity consumed and the total quantity of purchased building fuels. Establishing an appropriate baseline requires a least one full year of consecutive energy consumption data and the gross square footage of all terminal and administrative building space for that year. Energy consumption from other airport features—such as runway lights, hangar facilities, and traffic control towers—are not included in this calculation. An airport should choose a year in which it is confident in the energy and square footage data in order to compare energy efficiency measures. Airports already employing significant energy reduction strategies may use a recent past year to recognize previous achievement from their respective baseline. The most basic method of collecting energy data is through electricity utility and building fuel invoices that track purchases of energy. However, utility meters that measure electricity consumption and may often cover large and non-uniform areas, capturing consumption of more than (or less than) the target terminal building space. If this is the case, a correction calculation must be used to estimate the fraction of electricity consumption that can be assigned to just terminal or administrative building space. To avoid such estimation, a better approach is to sub- meter individual buildings and spaces to get a more accurate measurement of electricity consumption. Building fuel energy—e.g., fuel oil, natural gas, diesel—can also be estimated through the purchasing invoices, under the assumption that all fuel purchased in a given year was consumed. Consumption data must be converted to the common unit of British Thermal Units (Btu, which can be done using the table of conversion factors in million Btu (MMBtu) below for both electricity and building fuels. The associated energy content of different types of building fuels can be found in Appendix XX. Energy Unit MMBtu Equivalent 1 kWh 0.003412 1 MWh 3.412 1 Therm 0.1 1 kBtu 0.001 1 ton-hour 0.012 1 MJ 0.000948 The following calculation should be used to determine the percent change in terminal building energy use intensity from the baseline year. −( ) = Where: Baseline energy intensity value = the baseline energy consumption value divided by the square footage from the baseline year. Compare the calculated percent reduction to the thresholds in the Performance Target sections. Points are earned for the highest level where the calculated reduction exceeds the percentage threshold.

Airport Sustainability Activities—User Guide Excerpts D-15 4 EC 1 – Terminal Building Energy Use FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS Energy conservation and efficiency practices in existing buildings provide airports with low/no-cost options for reducing the energy use intensity of airport buildings. Energy conservation—such as turning lights off in favor of natural lighting—is the most cost-effective means for reducing energy consumption because the action typically requires no capital cost. Energy efficiency measures—such as using more efficient lighting or heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) equipment—typically pay for themselves as the dollars saved through reduced energy consumption offset the capital and maintenance costs associated with installing and maintain the equipment. The payback period for energy efficiency measures may vary from a few months to several years depending on the capital costs of purchasing the equipment as well as the labor and material costs associated with its maintenance and upkeep. Reducing energy use intensity has also shown to produce less tangible benefits, such as improved worker performance and reduced environmental pollution, as energy efficiency drives emission and pollution reductions that reduce an airport’s environmental impacts footprint. Estimating payback periods of an energy efficiency project is a simple way airports can evaluate and prioritize implementation of projects. The payback period—the length of time required for an investment to recover its costs in terms of profits or savings—can be calculated by the initial cost of the project and resulting net savings per year. Efficiency measures have varying payback periods and lifetime savings, making them cost-effective in the short and medium term. Example Table to Demonstrate Concept EE Practice Initial Investment Est. Net Annual Savings Est. Payback Est. Lifetime Savings HVAC Systems $#,### $#,### ## Years $#,### Building Automation $#,### $#,### ## Years $#,### Employee Campaign $#,### $#,### ## Years $#,### SAMPLE

D-16 Prototype Airport Sustainability Rating System—Characteristics, Viability, and Implementation Options 1 Human Well-Being Airport Noise Compatibility METRIC: Performance is gauged by the number of Performance Actions achieved PURPOSE Airport Noise Compatibility promotes compatibility between airports and surrounding communities by minimizing noise from aircraft operations and construction activities. DEFINITION Airport Noise Compatibility is defined as airport noise exposure on surrounding communities and the effort to reduce noise exposure on incompatible land uses. Thresholds for noise compatibility around airports have been defined by the FAR Part 150 Airport Noise Compatibility Planning Program. For example, the FAA currently defines Day Night Average Sound Level (DNL) 65 dB as the threshold of noise incompatibility with residential land uses. Airport-related noise is typically a great concern to surrounding communities. It largely derives from aircraft operations, but it can also come from non-aircraft sources, such as airport construction. This activity includes the development of acoustical control measures to reduce ambient noise levels for nearby affected communities. Through FAR Part 150, the FAA provides financial assistance to airports that develop noise exposure maps and noise compatibility programs. This documentation is submitted to the FAA for review and approval. Financial assistance supports the assessment of noise impacts as well as the implementation of noise- reduction measures. For landside development, including construction-related noise, acoustical controls should be planned for in the early phases of project development. These measures are typically outlined in construction noise abatement plans. This activity also includes noise monitoring, which generally involves the installation of listening stations at sensitive sites and a mechanism to log, track, and respond to community noise complaints. Data acquired through a noise- monitoring program allows an airport to better understand how its aircraft operations are affecting surrounding communities. RELATED ACTIVITIES EL 2 – PUBLIC OUTREACH PERFORMANCE LEVELS A total of 4 points are available based on the number of Performance Actions taken to address the sustainability activity objective. The actions are designed to help airports meet FAA requirements for land use compatibility and encourage best practices implementation to address common community concerns. Performance Level Basic Improved Enhanced Superior Threshold 2 Actions 4 Actions 6 Actions 8 Actions Points 1 2 3 4 See the DOCUMENTATION section to determine how to document actions related to airport noise. HW 1 Level Take Off Ascend Cruise Soar Points 1 2 3 4 SAMPLE O E S N SAMPLE

Airport Sustainability Activities—User Guide Excerpts D-17 2 HW 1 – Airport Noise Compatibility PERFORMANCE RECOMMENDATIONS The table below includes recommended actions from across airport infrastructure, operations, and management that can assist in improving airport noise and achieving higher performance thresholds. The list is suggestive and not exhaustive, and airports have the flexibility to determine how they will achieve performance through these activities and others. Infrastructure Operations Management Install physical noise barriers between the airport property and adjacent properties, such as berms and walls. Install run-up areas to shield start-up ground noise from aircraft. Utilize noise soundproofing and building design features for existing eligible residential properties and provide new construction design recommendations for new developments. Evaluate noise impacts in the planning for airside infrastructure, including runway adjustments, taxing lanes, hangars, etc. Develop a noise exposure map and identify incompatible land use areas, and publish maps available on public website. (Basic Prerequisite) Identify and utilize flight paths during off-peak hours, and over landscape features, to minimize noise impacts. Adapt landside planning to evaluate noise impacts for the design, construction, and operation of landside (non- aircraft) mobile and stationary sources. Implement a noise abatement plan that includes best practices for lowering noise levels such as a “Fly Quiet” program. Establish a noise complaint resolution process that actively engages neighboring properties and airport visitors, tracks reported complaints with airport responses, and provide this info publically. Establish a noise working group that includes airlines and meets at least on quarterly basis. Regularly review and update noise maps and plans at least every 5 years (Superior Prerequisite). Implement a rebate incentive program for low-sound- classified Stage 4 designated aircraft and usage of alternatives to aircraft engine powered taxing. Assess the indirect economic impacts due to airport noise from, for example, residential and commercial displacement.

D-18 Prototype Airport Sustainability Rating System—Characteristics, Viability, and Implementation Options 3 HW 1 – Airport Noise Compatibility FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS Reducing airport-related noise impacts can enhance the quality of life for airport patrons and nearby residents, and increase community receptivity to future airport projects. Certain noise abatement practices for aircraft can reduce fuel burn and related emissions, shorten flight durations, and improve ground management of aircraft. However, variation in flight paths may increase noise complaints with operational changes. Changes in airspace management with air traffic control modernization may exacerbate community relations in the short run as residents see aircraft over different areas with increased traffic volumes. In addition, airports should consider the capital investments required for changes to aircraft operations and the related runway usages changes or noise abatement infrastructure necessary. DOCUMENTATION Airports should fully document all actions taken to address airport noise compatibility and be able to provide descriptions for the following: Assessment reports and maps Infrastructure upgrades Written policies Updated planning documents Web resources for communities and other stakeholders References to adopt best practices for airport noise compatibility include: The Federal Code of Regulations Title 14: Aeronautics and Space, Part 150: Airport Noise Compatibility Planning provides guidance on the proper method for developing and submitting a noise exposure map, identifying incompatible land use areas, and planning to reduce the effects of noise. The Los Angeles World Airports- Sustainable Airport Planning, Design, and Construction Guidelines 5.0 and the Chicago Department of Aviation Sustainable Airport Manual 2.1 provide guidance on suitable noise levels for different areas of the airport terminal and property . The Los Angeles World Airports- Sustainable Airport Planning, Design, and Construction Guidelines 5.0 and the Chicago Department of Aviation Sustainable Airport Manual 2.1 suggest infrastructure improvements for addressing airport noise. The San Francisco International Airport Fly Quiet Program http://f lysfo.proofic.net.s3.amazonaws.com/pdf/about/SFOFlyQuietProgram.pdf NoiseQuest Project guidance sponsored by the FAA, NASA and Transport Canada http://www.noisequest.psu.edu/

Airport Sustainability Activities—User Guide Excerpts D-19 1 Human Well-Being Labor Relations METRIC: Average percent annual employee retention rate across all labor categories. PURPOSE Labor Relations promotes the retention of airport personnel through reasonable compensation and benefits, along with their fair treatment. DEFINITION Labor Relations is defined as the constructive interaction between airport management and personnel that establishes mutually agreed upon productivity goals while maintaining a reasonable quality of life for workers. Reasonable compensation includes the provision of fair/living wages. Fair/living wages allow employees to maintain a decent standard of living that meets the basic needs of themselves and their families. Fair/living wages exceed national legislated requirements, such as the minimum wage and worker’s comp. Benefits are compensations an organization provides to its employees that are in addition to normal wages. Benefits include regular contributions (e.g., retirement funding, health insurance) or other forms of support (e.g., daycare, wellness programs, transportation assistance, onsite amenities). Fair treatment of employees includes the incorporation of anti-discrimination and equal opportunity policies. It also includes the open and transparent interaction between airport management and personnel for the purposes of inclusivity and accountability. This activity increases the likelihood of employee retention and minimizes the risk of labor unrest that can disrupt airport operations and threaten airport security. Employee retention protects the investments an airport has made in the collective knowledge base and skill sets of its employees. RELATED ACTIVITIES EP 1 – SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE FINANCIAL INVESTMENT HW 6 – EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT HW 8 – DIVERSITY & OPPORTUNITY HW 9 – OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY EL 1 – AIRPORT-WIDE STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT PERFORMANCE LEVELS Four points are available based on the level of performance. Performance Level Take Off Ascend Cruise Soar Threshold 30% 45% 60% 75% Points 1 2 3 4 See the DOCUMENTATION section to determine how to calculate average percent annual employee retention rate. HW 7 Level Take Off Ascend Cruise SoarPoints 1 2 3 4 SAMPLE SAMPLE O E S N

D-20 Prototype Airport Sustainability Rating System—Characteristics, Viability, and Implementation Options 2 HW 7 – Labor Relations PERFORMANCE RECOMMENDATIONS The table below includes recommended actions from across airport infrastructure, operations, and management that can enhance labor relations and achieve higher performance thresholds. The list is suggestive and not exhaustive, and airports have the flexibility to determine how they achieve performance through these activities and others. Infrastructure Provide an on-site child care facility for employees, partner with a local facility, and/or provide subsidies or financial support to help meet the child care needs of employees. Support transportation assistance programs for commuting employees such as airport sponsored vanpools. Establish on-site private nursing and pumping spaces for mothers of infants and toddlers. Create a plan to maximize employee and tenant access to daylight and day-lit spaces. Operations Establish an airport volunteer “green team” with an annual budget and official standing. Maintain a publically available and updated list of chemicals utilized at the airport, locations of usage, and their material safety data sheets (MSDS) information. Establish an airport stakeholder written policy on the usage of products with volatile organic compounds including paints, perfumes, colognes and other potential impact sources for chemically sensitive individuals. Offer employees the opportunity to donate their home materials to a local non-profit, school or government agency. Management Guarantee a living wage across all labor categories based on local costs of living, in addition to a meaningful raise system. Provide health insurance for some portion of employees who work less than the state or federal threshold whereby insurance is mandatory, or provide live support for individuals to navigate new healthcare exchange options. Conduct regular employee satisfaction surveys and implement a mechanism to resolve prevalent or severe issues raised by the evaluation. Facilitate collective bargaining representation for all unionized airport employees aimed at reaching agreements on labor issues—e.g., benefits, wages, hours, training, health and safety, overtime, and grievances. Provide an employee assistance or wellness program that offers counseling, referral, well-being and financial services to employees. Coordinate with programs linking welfare-to-work recipients and unemployed and underemployed city residents to airport jobs. Assess the economic return (resulting from fewer days of sick leave, less truancy and turn-over) of employee benefits and engagement programs, such as alternative work schedules, leave transfer programs, on-site child care, educational program, etc.

Airport Sustainability Activities—User Guide Excerpts D-21 3 HW 7 – Labor Relations DOCUMENTATION Tracking Airport Employee Retention Rate requires a yearly audit across all labor categories of the percent of airport employees that remain employed with the airport. The following calculation should be used to determine the airport employee retention rate for the performance year. Where: A = Total number of airport employees at the beginning of the performance year . B = Number of employees that leave employment during the performance year. The following data is required for the performance year: Total number of airport employees across all labor categories Number of employees that leave employment, either through employ er or self-termination. Additional documentation should be collected for internal and external verification, if applicable, including: A summary narrative outlining the employee retention rate. A brief description programs and policies in place to address employee retention. Copies of employee contracts or other documentation of collective bargaining, promotion and wage schedules, benefit packages, and other employee incentives . = −

D-22 Prototype Airport Sustainability Rating System—Characteristics, Viability, and Implementation Options 4 HW 7 – Labor Relations FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS Airports should evaluate the risks and benefits of providing tools and resources for increasing employee engagement. Studies find disengaged employees take more sick days, produce lower quality work, are less productive, and generate poor sales. Moreover, disengaged employees are more likely to quit, causing the airport to incur costs from recruiting, hiring, training, loss of company knowledge, disruption of customer service, lost sales, and negative company-wide morale. All impacts combined, it may cost up to 40-50% of the salary for each employee lost. Investing in employee engagement tools can mitigate these negative impacts by enhancing quality of life during and outside of work. Studies find firms with high employee satisfaction also exhibit greater levels of productivity and efficiency. Companies with satisfied, engaged employees can often yield 10% higher productivity rate than those who are disengaged. In addition, optimizing labor relations enables airports to attract and recruit talented candidates. Understanding how much turnover costs can help an airport decide how much to invest into programs that reduce turnover. Airports can estimate these costs by tracking the annual turnover rate of employees (by labor class and average salary) while considering an average cost of turnover as a percent of salary (e.g. 40%). Example Table to Demonstrate Concept Labor Class # of Employees Average Salary Annual Turnover Rate Turnover Cost as a percent of salary Total Cost of Turnover 1 ### $#,### ##% ##% $#,### 2 ### $#,### ##% ##% $#,### Estimating the cost of turnover, and in turn the savings from reduced turnover, can help an airport gauge the return of investment of various employee benefit and engagement programs. Fair and responsible compensation also creates an indirect regional economic benefit by increasing money available to spend on the regional economy. SAMPLE

Next: Appendix E - Sustainability Activity Definitions and Performance Metrics »
Prototype Airport Sustainability Rating System—Characteristics, Viability, and Implementation Options Get This Book
×
 Prototype Airport Sustainability Rating System—Characteristics, Viability, and Implementation Options
MyNAP members save 10% online.
Login or Register to save!
Download Free PDF

TRB’s Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) Report 119: Prototype Airport Sustainability Rating System—Characteristics, Viability, and Implementation Options identifies the features of an airport sustainability rating system, identifies options for implementing the rating system and a certification program, and evaluates the viability of their implementation and adoption.

READ FREE ONLINE

  1. ×

    Welcome to OpenBook!

    You're looking at OpenBook, NAP.edu's online reading room since 1999. Based on feedback from you, our users, we've made some improvements that make it easier than ever to read thousands of publications on our website.

    Do you want to take a quick tour of the OpenBook's features?

    No Thanks Take a Tour »
  2. ×

    Show this book's table of contents, where you can jump to any chapter by name.

    « Back Next »
  3. ×

    ...or use these buttons to go back to the previous chapter or skip to the next one.

    « Back Next »
  4. ×

    Jump up to the previous page or down to the next one. Also, you can type in a page number and press Enter to go directly to that page in the book.

    « Back Next »
  5. ×

    To search the entire text of this book, type in your search term here and press Enter.

    « Back Next »
  6. ×

    Share a link to this book page on your preferred social network or via email.

    « Back Next »
  7. ×

    View our suggested citation for this chapter.

    « Back Next »
  8. ×

    Ready to take your reading offline? Click here to buy this book in print or download it as a free PDF, if available.

    « Back Next »
Stay Connected!