LAX's Central Utility Plant Wins "Innovation Award" From Los Angeles Better Building Challenge

For Immediate Release
March 29, 2018

Contact:
Frederick Badlissi
(424) 646-5260

AECOM Sr. Vice President Dan McKelvie (left) and Climate Resolve's Executive Director Jonathan Parfrey (right) join LAWA's Environmental Affairs Officer Carolyn Lin (second from left), Environmental Specialist Marjorie Phan (center), and Deputy Executive Director for Facilities and Maintenance Utilities Group Michael Christensen (second from right) for the presentation of LABBC's "Walk the Walk" award.

(Los Angeles, CA) The Los Angeles Better Buildings Challenge (LABBC) recently awarded its “Walk the Walk” Innovation Award in recognition of Los Angeles International Airport’s (LAX) Central Utility Plant (CUP). The CUP uses co-generation technology to generate electricity, heating and cooling for the airport’s terminals from natural gas. The “Walk the Walk” award recognizes Los Angeles World Airports’ (LAWA) efforts to increase the CUP’s efficiency through strategic improvements to the facility’s infrastructure that have resulted in a savings of 1.6 million kilowatt hours annually and increased HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) efficiency improvements. LAWA officials received the award from LABBC staff during the group’s fourth annual Innovation Awards luncheon on Monday.

“The Central Utility Plant is a unique part not only of LAX, but of the sustainability landscape of the City of Los Angeles, so we’re thrilled and honored that the LABBC recognizes it as an example to follow,” said Michael Christensen, LAWA Deputy Executive Director for the Facilities Maintenance and Utilities Group. “The CUP is one of many initiatives that helps LAWA maintain its leadership role in sustainable aviation, and is an important piece in achieving the goals set forth by the City of Los Angeles in its ‘Sustainable City pLAn.’”

"Projects like LAWA’s are crucial examples of what’s possible – they serve as a model for others to follow,” said David Hodgins, Executive Director, L.A. Better Buildings Challenge. “Airports throughout the country should be looking to LAWA as they plan to modernize their infrastructure."

Other award recipients include the Museum for Contemporary Art (MoCA) for reducing electricity consumption, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center for implementing a groundwater reuse system, and Brookfield Properties' work on implementing Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) principles in water and electricity conservation across nine million square feet of office space holdings.

The modern Central Utility Plant, which came 100 percent-online in September 2015, is a co-generation facility that uses natural gas to produce electricity for LAX’s terminals. This new facility replaces an older facility that operated for over 50 years on the LAX campus.

Today’s facility continues to embrace co-generation technology with more efficient, modern turbines that generate more power with less gas. These new turbines work with chillers and heaters to provide for LAX’s HVAC needs by providing cooling and heating throughout the airport. Overall, the CUP’s operation reduces airport energy use by over 6 million kilowatt hours and greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 4,900 tons annually – a reduction equivalent of removing 1,000 cars from the road.

The CUP was also certified “Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design – Gold” by the U.S. Green Building Council in 2015.

The CUP is not open to the general public, but can be viewed briefly as part of the “LAWA – Leading the Way for the Environment” video, which was debuted last week. It can be seen here.

The Los Angeles Better Buildings Challenge is part of the national Better Buildings Challenge competition, which is overseen by the U.S. Department of Energy. The LABCC’s Innovation Awards recognize innovative and compelling efficiency projects that raise the bar of a given industry, which are meant to serve as examples of what’s possible in green and sustainable design. With over 100 million square feet of buildings participating, LABBC is one of the largest sustainability initiatives in the world.

About Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) is the City of Los Angeles department that owns and operates Los Angeles International (LAX) and Van Nuys (VNY) general aviation airports, as well as aviation-related property in Palmdale. Both play an integral role in helping to meet the Southern California regional demand for passenger, cargo and general aviation service. Both airports make a distinct contribution to the strength of the system as it provides a high level of safety, security and service for its customers, communities and stakeholders.

More information can be found at www.flyLAX.com. As a covered entity under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City of Los Angeles does not discriminate on the basis of disability and, upon request, will provide reasonable accommodation to ensure equal access to its programs, services, and activities. Alternative formats in large print, braille, audio, and other forms (if possible) will be provided upon request.