Lighting upgrades to save base money

  • Published
  • By Argen Duncan
  • Nucleus writer
KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. --  The 58th Special Operations Wing maintenance hangars and the west side of Kirtland Air Force Base are getting upgrades that will improve quality of lighting and save hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.

The Department of Defense Energy Conservation Investment Program has earmarked $1.3 million to install energy-efficient LED lights in place of the fluorescent lights in the SOW's three aircraft maintenance hangars and the metal halide lights in parking lots and on streets on the west side of the base.

Base Energy Manager Susan Gregory said the upgrades would save about $300,000 a year in energy and maintenance costs in the 58th and about $60,000 each year on street and parking-lot lights. The base's east side already has LED parking-lot and street lights.

Gregory said the new LED lights in the hangars would be brighter.

"In the aircraft maintenance hangers, it's really critical that these guys can see what they're doing for their safety and the safety of the aircraft," she said.

Plus, the LED lights will be more reliable and have a 10-year warranty.

"The current fixtures are high-maintenance, and it takes a lot to replace them," Gregory said.

Airmen have to move the aircraft and get a lift to change burnt-out bulbs.

The new street and parking-lot lights will cast a whiter light.

"It's better for security," Gregory said. "It's easier for Security Forces to identify people, with less shadow."

LED lights also allow the eye to more accurately distinguish colors after dark, making it easier to get correct descriptions of people or vehicles and find them if necessary.

Gregory said the design would be done this year and contractors would do the work next year after a competitive bid process. The exact timeline depends on when the approved money becomes available.

The Energy Conservation Investment Program gets $150 million for military energy projects every year, Gregory said. Of that amount, $40 million to $42 million goes to the Air Force.

This year, three Air Force bases in Japan and eight in the United States received money from the program.

In a separate project, 58th SOW civil engineer Jim McCall has developed a project to upgrade the ramp lighting outside the hangars. The work may give Kirtland a chance to participate in an evaluation of advanced LED lights inside and outside the hangars.