The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the United States has conducted a test of solar-powered airfield lighting. The government agency responsible for regulating civil aviation in the country is studying alternatives to traditional lighting of runways, taxiways and signage at small airfields.
Many such facilities do not have lighting for nighttime operation. In this context, lighting infrastructure powered by solar sources becomes a viable and environmentally friendly alternative.
According to the agency, the implementation of this type of technology could also bring benefits to operational safety. On the other hand, the use of solar energy at airfields would reduce carbon emissions into the atmosphere and the costs of obtaining the energy.
The FAA is currently evaluating a solar lighting system at Penn Yan Regional Airport in the Finger Lakes region, State of New York. It plans to evaluate other analogous systems in Arizona starting next fall, and later in Washington and Oklahoma.
«The real benefit is safety for airports that could not otherwise afford a system like those at major airports», commented Ryan King of the FAA’s Airport Safety Research & Development section at the William J. Hughes Technical Center. «We would be providing general aviation a level of safety without any carbon footprint», he said.
Solar lighting system installed at Penn Yan Airport
Solar lighting systems were installed to demarcate the threshold, centreline and runway edge, as well as on taxiways, windsocks and wayfinding signage. All equipment is powered by its own solar panels and battery system. The FAA will collect performance data for one year.
At the end of the study period, the agency will determine the equipment’s compliance with the stipulated photometric requirements. The functionality and durability of the equipment in different weather conditions will be evaluated and a comparison between decentralized solar devices at small airfields and conventional systems at other terminals can be made.
King said the implementation of these systems would provide an additional benefit. Many of these small airfields are located in rural areas with little access to complex medical services. Better-equipped facilities would be an alternative in cases of medical emergencies. «There is also an equity piece to making these small airports more accessible to more flights and to more people», he concluded.
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