Airport's car rental facility honored for green features

By DAILY SOUND STAFF — Feb. 4, 2010

A new facility that services rental cars at the Santa Barbara Municipal Airport has achieved gold certification in environmental design through the Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design program.

The rental car facility on Hollister Avenue features a 10,000 square-foot service building, car wash bays, fueling stations and secure storage for more than 300 vehicles. Its “green” features include energy- and water-efficient design, solar panels, green building materials and solid waste reduction technology.

The facility represents the first gold-certified building constructed by the city of Santa Barbara, and is one of 129 buildings in the state to receive similar certifications.

Since it begin operations in October, the facility has avoided the creation of roughly 60,000 pounds of carbon dioxide through the use of renewable energy sources. At least 75 percent of the building’s energy is provided by a 195-kilowatt solar array with 816 panels.

In addition, 95 percent of construction waste associated with the project was recycled or reused. City officials said the environmentally friendly design has resulted in a 97 percent savings in energy costs compared to traditional designs.

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