The San Francisco Airport has created a five-year strategic plan to achieve the goals of zero net energy, carbon neutrality and zero waste-to-landfill. The airport created a ZERO (Zero Energy and Resilient Outcomes) Committee, which advises the Project Management Office’s allocation of its $100 million Zero Net Energy Capital Fund. The ZERO Committee also ensures adherence with SFO’s zero net energy guidelines, sustainable planning design and construction guidelines and the LEED Campus Master Site Certification Program, administered by Anthony Bernheim of T1 Partners.
“Chief Development Officer Geoff Neumayr explained, ‘We have a 5,000-acre campus with an asset portfolio of over 14.5 million square feet, across nearly 70 buildings that currently consume 440GWh of energy each year. If we can get to zero, what’s stopping others?’ ”
“Despite being one of the fastest-growing airports in the United States, serving 53 million passengers each year, SFO curtailed emissions by 33 percent from a 1990 baseline and cut water use by 12 percent and natural gas by 5 percent over the last three years. Conserving these resources saves the airport an estimated $650,000 in annual utility costs.”
To realize its goal of becoming a zero net energy campus, the airport is setting energy use intensity (EUI) targets as contract obligations for all capital projects. These projects report proposed energy conservation measures and renewable energy potential throughout each delivery phase to the airport’s newly formed ZERO (Zero Energy and Resilient Outcomes) Committee, which advises the Project Management Office’s allocation of its $100 million Zero Net Energy Capital Fund. The ZERO Committee also ensures adherence with SFO’s zero net energy guidelines, sustainable planning design and construction guidelines and the LEED Campus Master Site Certification Program, administered by Anthony Bernheim of T1 Partners.
Airport projects meet aggressive EUI targets through innovative design strategies and advanced technologies. While existing airport terminals operate at about 170–180 EUI kBtu/sq. ft./year, the new SFO Terminal 1, led by Project Managers Suzanne Culin and Kristen Allen, is aiming for an operational EUI of 50–60 kBtu/sq. ft./year, using a range of strategies including displacement ventilation, radiant heating and cooling systems, dynamic glazing, regenerative elevators, heat recovery readiness and a high-efficiency baggage handling system.
The project is also creating safe, healthy and comfortable environments for passengers and nearly 40,000 SFO employees, contractors and consultants. Building materials, products and systems are selected based on LEED materials and indoor environmental quality credit requirements and modeled through a triple-bottom line sustainability performance and measurement tool.
The ZERO Committee is also tracking project learning to redeploy on future projects. For example, the airport commissioned a study of its first zero net energy-ready building when its actual energy consumption was higher than predicted through the design phase energy model. Consultant MKThink installed sensors to analyze how occupant behavior, weather, plug loads, building envelope, thermal set points and lighting control systems could be adjusted to yield efficiency outcomes to bring the facility closer to its zero energy target.
To engage with SFO’s journey to zero and its broader sustainability work, check out the airport’s first crowd-sourced video contest, “Green Screen,” or email Erin Cooke, SFO’s Sustainability Director.