March 19, 2014—The facilities managers of Terminal 1 at San Francisco International Airport in California wanted to give the high-volume concourse a modern and forward-thinking look as part of ongoing sustainable renovations at the airport, so they chose Omega Pacific Electrical Supply to supply MaxLite light-emitting diode (LED) lighting products to brighten the area, reduce energy consumption, and lower maintenance costs.
The terminal, which serves AirTran, Alaska Airlines, Delta, Frontier, Southwest and US Airways, had illumination issues caused by aging four-tube linear fluorescent troffers, according to MaxLite. The check-in stations were not properly lit and had poor illumination on work surfaces where agents process paperwork. Additionally, the overall terminal looked dim and muted.
From November 2011 through October 2012, Omega Pacific, an electrical and lighting supplier in San Francisco, replaced 500 four-lamp 32-watt T8 fluorescent lamps with 350 of MaxLite’s 2′ x 2′ 45-watt Direct Lit LED Flat Panels and 150 of the 1′ x 4′ models by the Transportation Security Authority (TSA) and throughout the long concourse, reportedly reducing energy consumption by 65 percent.
The new energy-efficient LED fixtures transformed Terminal 1 of the county-owned airport and increased the overall light output and uniformity, says Omega Pacific. Company president Todd Lewis commented, “This was one of the first terminals in the United States that made the switch to SSL, and it turned out to be a fantastic decision.” Lewis noted that the airport’s owners, as well as travelers, have commented on the quality of lighting and the terminal’s new “fresh and crisp” look.
Additionally, the airport will save on costly maintenance of up to $100 per hour during less busy off-peak hours for replacing fluorescent lamps within the ceiling troffers. The DesignLights Consortium-qualified LED retrofit fixtures are expected to save the airport over two million kWh of energy and $79,000 in energy and maintenance costs throughout the 50,000-hour L70-rated life of the fixtures.
