ROANOKE, Va. – A big project has paid off for the Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport.
On Monday, airport officials announced that their “Rehabilitate Airfield Signage and Lighting” project was selected as the 2022 Airports Council International – North America Environmental Achievement Award winner for the Environmental Improvement with Limited Resources Category.
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The multi-year project was completed in February 2022 and included the replacement of more than 900 fixtures, 200,000 feet of airfield electric cable, and 14 Constant Current Regulators with an LED-based system, ROA said.
Airport officials said the LED-based system will save the airport around $7,500 per year in utility costs at current electric rates, another $22,000 in materials, and another $15,000 in labor annually.
And not only will the system save the airport money, but it has reduced the airport’s energy consumption too.
Since the new system became operational, ROA officials said they’ve had a 40% reduction in the amount of electricity used by the airfield lighting system.
Officials said they’ve also had a 70% reduction in labor hours associated with maintenance.
ROA was given the award on Sept. 19, and officials said that judges were in awe of the project.
“Our panel of judges was particularly impressed with the scope of this project, and the commitment to sustainability shown by replacing the entire quartz-halogen electrical system in a single project,” said Kevin Burke, CEO and President of ACI-NA.
ROA officials said they feel they’ve successfully paved the way for the airport to continue to contribute to a greener, more sustainable future for the Western Virginia region.