The article “From Use of Green Materials to Renewable Energy: Green Airports are the Future of Air Travel”, written by Swamini (2022), details how the increase in fuel prices and trade disputes have caused the airlines to be compelled to reduce their flight schedules and in some cases, discontinue entire routes. As a result, airfares went up and airports and aircraft became more congested. It is challenging for airports and airlines to concentrate on their green initiatives because of these issues. Building a green airport, though, might advance the cause. A green airport makes environmental sustainability a top priority and works to reduce its environmental effects while operating. Green airports often undertake many actions and activities aimed at curbing energy usage, mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, conserving water, and safeguarding natural habitats. One remarkable example is the Jewel Changi Airport in Singapore. The article “Focus on Jewel Changing for Sustainability: The Ultimate Guide”, written by De Guia (2023), describes Jewel Changi as an airport that incorporates several unique key features that set it apart in terms of environmental sustainability with its energy-efficient yet innovative designs, natural ventilation and daylighting, sustainable and eco-friendly materials, water management, and biodiversity. Thus, given the effectiveness of green building technology, when innovating newer and progressing green airports, engineers should take a look at the design aspects and unique features of Singapore Changi Airport.
One of the most distinctive features of this airport is its indoor greenery. According to De Guia (2023), there are thousands of trees, plants, and bushes illustrating a lush indoor garden known as the “Forest Valley”. Additionally, there is a centralized cooling system that uses the Forest Valley and the world’s tallest indoor waterfall, the Rain Vortex’s cool water to reduce the building's overall temperature. About extremely clever water savings, built-in sensors detect enough rainwater to cause the waterfall to cease using water when it starts to rain (Zach, 2022). Furthermore, all that rainwater is stored in enormous basement tanks during heavy downpours. This waterfall will then utilize this rainwater harvesting system to collect up a desirable amount of stormwater runoff for irrigation and toilet flushing. Hence, by saving lots of water and keeping the air cool inside, there’s less need to use a lot of air conditioning reducing its carbon footprint which makes it an impressive green airport that others should follow.
Another unique feature of JewelChangi Airport is the double-skin facade that optimizes daylight and reduces solar heat gain. The façade is made up of almost 9,000 unique, high-performance architectural glass panels. The glass was chosen because it minimizes heat gain, is energy-efficient, and transmits daylight—all qualities that are crucial considering the tropical climate (Shi Ping, 2019). It integrates energy-saving design elements and technologies to reduce energy usage. This involves using motion sensors to maximize lighting use, energy-efficient lighting systems, and high-performance glass to minimize heat gain (De Guia, 2023).
Despite the many benefits that Jewel Changing Airport has to offer, being a green airport has certain possible disadvantages or difficulties. One would be the maintenance costs. The article “Greener flights will cost more, says industry”(2023) BBC, describes how having or building a green airport may eventually become more expensive to maintain sustainable systems and green infrastructure. Rainwater harvesting systems, energy-efficient technologies, and vegetation may require specific knowledge and resources for routine maintenance and upkeep. According to Gorman (2023), sustainable aviation fuel (Saf) is generated from sustainable resources, like agricultural waste, and has a 70% lower carbon footprint than conventional jet fuel. Adding on, airline costs will increase due to the cost of utilizing carbon offsetting programs to achieve net zero. This will prove a huge issue in the airline industry until the gap in price between Saf and traditional jet fuel is closed.
In conclusion, Jewel Changi Airport is a prime example of a green airport with distinctive characteristics that prioritize sustainability and improve the visitor experience. Despite the cons, it still displays best practices in energy-saving technologies, zero-waste objectives, green areas, recycling, biodiversity, and sustainable building, materials, and education thus, creating a world-class destination that benefits the people and the planet.
References:
BBC. (2023, 17 April). Greener flights will cost more, says industry.
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-65295258
Krees. (2023, 25 September). Focus on Jewel Changi for Sustainability: The Ultimate Guide.
https://billionbricks.org/updates/focus-on-jewel-changi-for-sustainability-the-ultimate-guide
*OpenAI. (2024). ChatGPT (3.5) [Large language model].
Shi Ping. (2019, 15 August). The Architecture And Design of Jewel Changi Airport
No comments:
Post a Comment