Solar powered runway lights

[Steve]

Opens a lot of possibilities, imho...

http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/92932649.html

The $130,000 LED Solar Test Program is scheduled to start next week at False River Regional Airport, Louisiana Department of Transportation officials announced.

The old lighting system uses 164, 45-watt light bulbs, Taylor said. By comparison, the solar-powered system uses 800 watts of power in totality across all 164 fixtures, he said.

Taylor said those numbers could mean a 90 percent plus reduction in energy consumption at the airport.

Each of the 164 lights in the new system, called inset lights, is about the size of a small dinner plate arranged to lie flat on the ground, he said.
In case of a power failure, Taylor said the airport has a “triple redundancy” plan in place where the system will automatically switch to traditional electrical power and then diesel generator power if necessary. The light fixtures are made of stamped aluminum and can withstand the weight of a jet on top of them, he said.

Taylor predicted the new inset lights, which cost $500 each, will last 50 years to 100 years. That’s in comparison to the old, elevated lights, which retail at $200 each, and have to be changed every 10 to 15 years.

 

[Let'sgoflying!]

Unfortunately the lights will only work in bright daylight due to their reliance on a photocell for power.
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[rottydaddy]

Unfortunately the lights will only work in bright daylight due to their reliance on a photocell for power.
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Methinks there will be some sort of power storage going on there...

we'll see how much they save supplementing with solar, but those inset lights sound like a vast improvement in and of themselves.

 

[Trapper John]

we'll see how much they save supplementing with solar, but those inset lights sound like a vast improvement in and of themselves.

With the new lights, burning them 12 hours a day for a full year, they'll consume 3,500 KWh. If they are paying $0.12/KWh, that's about $420/year to the power company.

The old system would use 32,300 KWh, or about $3,800/yr, which comes close to supporting their claimed 90% energy savings.

Without knowing how much of the total project cost is wrapped up in the solar panel(s), batteries and associated components, it's hard to tell whether that's better than just sending the power company a $35 check each month...

 

[weilke]

Methinks there will be some sort of power storage going on there...

we'll see how much they save supplementing with solar, but those inset lights sound like a vast improvement in and of themselves.

Sounds like a great idea for a remote strip that doesn't have electricity.

Solar, in the hands of public entities never 'saves' money, it consumes it.

LED runway lights will be a great improvement in that they reduce the manpower required for maintenance, if they are flush-mounted with the runway, it will even make mowing and plowing easier.

 

[Steve]

Tv news report and video on the installation

http://www.wbrz.com/news/local-airport-goes-green-with-solar-panels/

 

[Joe B]

Without knowing how much of the total project cost is wrapped up in the solar panel(s), batteries and associated components, ...

Eyeballing it that looks like $50,000 worth of solar, batteries, and controls. Probably more since it was a govt. contract.

 

[Amelia]

We installed solar taxiway lights at EDE- each bright blue light is topped with a 6x6" or so photovoltaic cell, and has a battery sufficient to provide lighting for several cloudy days. It's a lovely system-- works just great. Don't know how much it cost, but we sho do look like big-city-international at night, all lit up.

 

[jsstevens]

How does battery life effect total cost of ownership, I wonder? Batteries are not forever, that's one of the things about hybrid vehicles that scares me off. I tend to keep cars 10+ years.

John

 

[Joe B]

Deep cycle lead-acid batteries were 12% of the cost of the solar gear I installed last year (power for an off-grid cabin). I don't know how long they'll last. The deep-cycle batteries on my boat last for about 6 years & they aren't hooked up to a charger every day like the solar ones.

Silly question: how does an airplane guy talk about a bunch of solar-related hardware without calling it a "solar system"? ("Hey everybody. Want to see the planets I've installed in my back yard?" )