Oakland Ca Airport

Oakland International Airport gets more modern, environmentally friendly

First, there's the futuristic-looking glass entryway. Then there's the red carpet that welcomes businesspeople and dignitaries. And then there are the twirling wind turbines that bring it all to life.

It sounds more like a California movie studio than an airport terminal. But the new Oakland County International Airport terminal and administrative offices in Waterford defy the conventional.

"We want people to see a professional, modern community when they land at this airport," said David VanderVeen, central services director for Oakland County. "We want to leave an impression."

The impression so far, 17 days before the new building is dedicated, is an energy-efficient facility with the special touches that ensure everyone knows they're in an airport.

It's not there yet, but a 1940s-era Pitt Special biplane will hang from the ceiling and a display case will feature model airplanes and all of the awards and historical documents associated with the airport -- including the first license for the airport, signed in 1929.

A living wall, designed and maintained by Planterra of West Bloomfield, will grace a wall with ferns, mosses, orchids, bromeliads, ficus vines and spider plants that will help with air purification.

But not quite so visible are the amenities that make the $5.8-million renovation a model of energy efficiency.

Solar panels on the roof and three Windspire wind turbines quickly rotate to generate electricity. And a geothermal bed 7 feet underground helps make the heating and cooling systems more efficient.

Rainwater from the roof will be recycled into rain gardens, and all the lighting is LED or energy-efficient fluorescent. Several telecommuting offices in the building will allow flyers to have teleconferences at the airport without having to deal with road traffic.

"We anticipate at least a 15% savings on energy costs," VanderVeen said. "And if you're going to renovate, why not do it with something that's going to conserve energy?"

The county hopes the terminal is granted the coveted gold Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.

The terminal also includes an expanded U.S. Customs office, which will give officers the ability to process up to 70 foreign visitors to the country; a mini-station of the Waterford Police Department, and a conference room with a catering kitchen that can be used for meetings, parties, political visits, even weddings.

Oakland Airport first Northern CA airport to install generation ...

Coulumb Technologies' ChargePoint charging stations were unveiled this week at the Oakland Airport with city of Oakland representatives Council President Larry Reid and Senior Policy Advisor for Economic Development Drew Lisac; Port of Oakland Director of Aviation Deborah Ale Flint; Coulomb Founder and CTO Richard Lowenthal; and a testimonial by a Bay Area EV driver and OAK customer.  

The ChargePoint Network expansion into Oakland International Airport brings EV drivers easy-to-use unique charging services including the ability to: check real-time status and location of unoccupied charging stations, reserve a charging station, track and report greenhouse gas and gasoline savings and receive charging status notifications by SMS, email or smart phone (iPhone and Blackberry) applications. Coulomb's ChargePoint Network is open to all drivers of plug-in vehicles and all manufacturers of electric vehicle charging stations. 

ChargePoint stations are located in OAK's Premier Lot, located directly opposite the terminals. There is no additional fee for EV charging. Parking rates are priced competitively at $3 per 30 minutes for up to 5 hours, and $36 for 5 to 24 hours.

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