In an effort to become more energy efficient, the Valley International Airport in Harlingen, Texas, is completing a six-year, $12 million renovation. New flooring is one of the more visible changes at the airport as the culmination of six years of phased projects comes to a conclusion, according to The Monitor.
Restrooms have been modernized, with new pipes replacing the old iron pipes. Walls have been repainted, a new generator was added, and new chillers, fan coil units, a new HVAC system and a new cooling tower have been installed, as were LED lights inside and outside.
The modernization of the electrical grid and the efficiencies produced by the new cooling system have dropped the average monthly power bill from about $35,000 to $20,000, a more than 40-percent savings.
“All these projects, we planned them over a period of six years … with a mix of funds — AIP (federal Airport Improvement Program) grant money, PFC (passenger facility charge) and some local funds that were included,” says Bryan Wren, assistant director of aviation. “We were able to do this and save this over six years so that we wouldn’t take on any debt, and we did it the right way financially, the fiduciarily responsible way, so we were able to fund these projects and not take on a penny of debt.”
Work crews are climbing on large white roof panels that form a dome over the terminal’s atrium, removing the old, yellowed panels and replacing them with new and lighter ones. The old ones are not just sun-faded, they had been damaged by hail.
Ryan Berlin is managing editor of Facility Maintenance Decisions.
