06-02-2025
Sustainably Speaking: Appleton International Airport's terminal expansion
APPLETON, Wis. (WFRV) – Appleton International Airport has had a long history of incorporating eco-friendly initiatives around the airport. Still, the largest project of them all is in the final stages of its completion.
The airport's sustainable journey began back in 2005 when officials opted to go with low-flow faucets and fixtures. It did not stop there, as in 2011, solar panels were installed on the main original terminal building.
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'Outagamie County Regional Airport' as it was once called, was one of ten across the country selected to be a part of what is called the 'Sustainable Airport Master Plan' in 2012. This initial pilot program included major U.S. airports like Denver International Airport, Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport.
Until this point, Appleton International Airport has completed 85% of its 2012 Sustainable Master Plan, which includes reducing energy consumption by seventy percent and producing fifty percent of the building's energy needs from on-site sources.
As part of this phase, the terminal expansion will add four more gates and incorporate a variety of eco-friendly initiatives that Appleton International Airport Director Abe Weber says fall in line with the airport's mission.
'Our goal is to be a good steward of the community and we want to take as little as we possibly can and give back where we can,' says Weber. 'The sustainable initiatives that are going into this terminal build a better terminal for all our community to enjoy with consuming as little resources as possible.'
The first visual feature at the airport is the large walls with windows to harvest daylight and reduce lighting consumption. The roof is also slanted to the south, so part of the next phase will be equipping the expanded terminal's roof with solar panels. The terminal will also incorporate some natural vegetation and an eco-friendly source of heating and cooling.
'Plus we will have plantings throughout that's a partnership local with a memorial florist, really bringing in that biophilic design to help reduce stress and anxiety,' explains Weber. 'We also have a very highly efficient heating and cooling system, which is a chilled beam stratification system. Not only does it move the air very efficiently, but it aids in guest comfort.'
Weber says that once a grant can be acquired, they are well equipped to convert to a geothermal heating and cooling system.
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Finally, the airport will use glue-laminated timbers and wood decking. Weber says that this product is much more sustainable than steel and brings with it extra warmth and feel throughout the terminal.
Weber added that the airport will see seventy flights in and out of the airport on the peak days during the 2025 NFL Draft, and the plan is for this new terminal to be operational by then to accompany the increase in traffic.
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