Optimizing Airport Building Energy Use for Sustainability, Energy Resilience, and Cost Savings

What is it about?

This research seeks to optimize energy usage in buildings, particularly critical infrastructure like airports, for increased sustainability, energy resiliency, and cost savings. It highlights the fact that buildings are a principal source of greenhouse gas emissions, even greater than the aviation sector, and emphasizes decarbonization to counter climate change. The study investigates how to balance energy demand from HVAC, electric vehicles, and other general operations with energy supply from the main grid and Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) such as solar panels, batteries, and generators. Using simulation tools from Siemens and US national labs, this work analyzes different scenarios of energy usage and identifies the most cost-effective and efficient combination of energy usage. The case study of the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport demonstrates how integrating renewable energy can increase sustainability while ensuring uninterrupted supply of power during power outages. The study provides a decision model to optimize energy sources for optimizing building performance, reducing carbon footprints, and minimizing monetary losses.

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Photo by Noah Buscher on Unsplash

Photo by Noah Buscher on Unsplash

Why is it important?

This research is crucial as it addresses the increasing need for sustainable and resilient building energy systems, which have been largely overlooked despite being notable contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. While the aviation sector is frequently scrutinized for its environmental impact, commercial buildings account for a significantly larger share of emissions, nearly 17.5% globally. The decarbonization of buildings is not just an environmental necessity but a strategic move towards reducing long-term energy consumption and utilization of fossil fuels. This study provides a roadmap to integrate cleaner forms of energy into critical infrastructure, ensuring reduced carbon intensity without undermining the efficiency of operations. Beyond environmental concerns, energy resilience is a pressing issue for buildings that provide essential services, such as airports and hospitals. A single power outage can be disastrous, disrupting thousands of passengers, causing delays in flights, and costing millions of dollars. The 2017 Atlanta Airport blackout, which lasted 11 hours and caused an estimated $50 million loss to a major airline serves as a grim reminder of the risks posed by unstable power systems. This work focuses on determining ways of augmenting energy security through the integration of grid electricity, renewable energy, and storage systems in such a way that these disruptions are minimized or even avoided. Finally, the findings of this research are not limited to airports alone. The strategies developed can be extended to other high-energy-consumption buildings such as hospitals, data centers, and office buildings. With the world shifting towards net-zero emissions, this piece of research work serves as an implementation guide for policymakers, engineers, and building managers who are keen to implement sustainable energy strategies. By addressing both environmental impact and energy resilience, it paves the way for a future in which buildings are not just consumers of energy but also energy-efficient and self-sustaining.

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