Dive Brief:
- JM Electrical has completed its installation of a building management system at Boston Logan International Airport as part of the airport’s modernization effort in Terminal E.
- The BMS at Terminal E will monitor and control building services, including HVAC, lighting and plumbing systems, and help to streamline operations, improve occupant comfort and optimize energy use, JM Electrical said in a news release this month.
- The Boston-based electrical contractor said the building management system would not only ensure that Terminal E’s systems operate “seamlessly,” but also contribute to the airport terminal’s sustainability and efficiency goals.
Dive Insight:
Airports consume large amounts of power. In the face of electrification efforts, power demand is expected to nearly double from 2023 levels by 2030, according to a case study of two other U.S. airports conducted by Enterprise Mobility, Xcel Energy and Jacobs. However, airports have not necessarily been able to achieve energy savings due to legacy building management systems that have not been able to fully utilize sensor data, with existing systems being disparate and disconnected, according to a blog post on L&T Technology Services.
Boston Logan’s Terminal E modernization project intends to respond to sustainability and energy efficiency needs, with the building now operating displacement ventilation systems, electrochromic view glass, water-efficient fixtures and waste management systems.
Spanning 390,000 square feet of new and shared space, the project involved adding four aircraft gate piers, 16 new ticket counters and enhanced baggage processing facilities, with amenities that include a modern hold room, lounge spaces, a pet relief area and a mothers’ room, according to the Massachusetts Port Authority, which owns and manages the airport. The $33 million project has been partly funded by an Airport Terminal Program grant from the Federal Aviation Administration.
Massport’s sustainability goals involve reaching net-zero emissions by 2031 across facilities it owns as well as equipment and purchased electricity. In its Roadmap to Net Zero plan, measures to achieve these goals involve improving energy efficiency in buildings through design standards and operational controls as well as generating on-site renewable energy and making off-site renewable energy purchases. Other measures include acquiring renewable energy credits and carbon offsets for fossil fuel sources that cannot be reduced, electrified or switched to renewable energy in the near term.
Completing the building management system at Boston Logan’s Terminal E “marks a significant achievement in the enhancement of international travel infrastructure in the Greater Boston Area,” JM Electrical said in the release.
The airport opened the renovated Terminal E in late 2023 with a new glass building, alongside electrification stations and advanced interior and exterior building systems aimed at minimizing the facility’s carbon footprint, according to AECOM, which served as a prime consultant and architect for the expansion effort.
JM Electrical said it “played a pivotal role” in the expansive new building and the terminal’s overall renovation in collaboration with Automated Logic Contracting.
