HIGHFILL : Airport seeking ways to reduce energy use
Posted on Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Turning off streetlights leading to Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport is part of an effort to save energy and cash.
Every other streetlight on the road leading to the airport has been disconnected for a little more than a week, said Kelly Johnson, airport director. The streetlights are 130-140 feet apart.
The move is part of energy conservation at the airport, which also includes spending $ 5, 600 on a study of other ways to cut energy consumption, Johnson said.
While there is an ongoing search for ways to save money, turning off the lights isn’t indicative of hard times, Johnson said.
“It’s not because we can’t pay the light bill,” she said. “We’re OK so far — they’ll send me home first.”
Airport staff members have been talking in earnest about reducing the streetlights for five or six months. The decision was made about a month ago, Johnson said. She didn’t have an estimate on what the airport expects to save.
None of the lights in parking areas has been shut off, Johnson said.
Turning off unneeded lights isn’t a new practice at the airport. Electrical systems in the terminal are controlled by com- puter, which shuts off certain applications, such as escalators, after peak times, Johnson said.
Runway lights also are programmed to shut off after the control tower closes, Johnson said. After the tower closes, pilots can remotely operate the lights by radio signal. The lights shut off after 15 minutes.
The road to the airport purposely was designed with too many streetlights, said Scott Van Laningham, the airport’s chief executive officer.
“Ultimately, that was designed to be a four-lane highway — to double it,” Van Laningham said. “Our thinking at the time was, when you did that you’d move every other light to the other side. We’ve all said, almost from the day we opened, ‘ man that’s a lot of lights. ’”
The airport is looking to reduce its environmental impact, Van Laningham said. It also is trying to do everything possible to keep overhead down to limit the strain on tenants, he said.
To that end, the airport hired GA Engineers Inc. to conduct an energy audit, Van Laningham said. The street light decision wasn’t a result of that study, but is in the same vein.
Airports across the country are looking at different ways of harnessing natural energy, Van Laningham said. Some have solar panels, and others harness wind power, which he said may be viable at the regional airport. Greg Anderson, owner of GA Engineers, said that his company will have spent about 100 hours on the audit, which involves surveying the entire airport operation. Demand for such audits has increased as energy costs have risen, Anderson said. Schools and hospitals used to be the primary customers of energy audits because of federal grants, he said. Many changes, such as switching to more efficient light bulbs, are unnoticed by the general public, Anderson said. Cutting back on streetlights hasn’t had a significant impact on those that drive the road frequently. “We haven’t noticed it at all,” said Joe Washington, owner of NWA Taxi and Hotel Executive Transportation.
To contact this reporter: awallworth@arkansasonline. com
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