Flying high with a lower lighting billby David Rogers
If you’ve been to Palm Beach International Airport lately, you may have noticed a change in the arrivals/departures area.
The airport has replaced hundreds of 174-watt metal halide lights (and some compact fluorescent lights) with LED lights. In addition to increasing visibility in the drop off/pickup area, the swap will reduce PBIA’s electricity bill by $38,372 a year and its maintenance costs by at least $5,000, according to terminal maintenance supervisor Tom Galassi. The lights were purchased from BetaLED.
Galassi says this improvement is just the beginning. He is looking into buying LED fixtures to illuminate Concourse exteriors, roadway signs, baggage handling and the parking garages.
Although light-emitting diode lights have a higher initial cost, they produce significant savings over time because of their energy efficiency and long life. Using far less electricity that other types of lights results in a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.