The U.S. Air Force selected patent pending induction streetlight fixtures in an effort to reduce energy costs at Eglin Air Force Base in Valparaiso, Florida. According to Eglin officials, both energy and maintenance savings were critical factors in the decision making process, and due to strict limitations on were LEDs can be used, the Air Force sought out an alternative solution that was equally efficient. EverLast induction cobra head streetlights were deemed more cost effective and found to produce better illumination than LED streetlights that are currently commercially available.
“The Department of Defense is the largest energy consumer in the United States,” stated Brandon Marken, Director of Commercial Sales at EverLast Lighting. “By selecting our technology, Eglin has reduced their lighting energy consumption by 50%. As more military bases utilize induction technology, the Defense Department will see a drastic reduction in spending on lighting expenses.”
In March of 2010, the Department of the Air Force released an Engineering Technical Letter (ETL) as guidance and criteria for specifying, designing and installing LED luminaries for interior and exterior applications at Air Force Installations. The ETL states that due to a slow ROI and inconsistent performance claims, LEDs are not permitted for interior or exterior lighting applications except when used for: exit signs, general signage, traffic signals, step lighting, or directional accents and other low level lighting applications.
Historically, the military has not been considered environmentalists or conservationists; however, in 2009, approximately 70 Eglin facility managers attended an energy audit training course to familiarize themselves with their facilities’ energy usage and to help them better identify problem areas and opportunities for energy efficiency upgrades. Lighting upgrades are being made as part of a base wide effort to make Eglin the Department of Defense’s leader in energy conservation and stewardship.
On February 16, another branch of the military committed to taking steps toward energy efficiency. “The Navy signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the University of California, Davis to collaborate on energy efficiency, next generation lighting systems.” Marken stated. “Their goal is to work with the California Lighting Technology Center (CLTC) and affiliates to install and demonstrate adaptive exterior lighting technologies at military facilities for improved safety and energy savings.” By working directly with renowned research partners and testing facilities, namely CLTC at UC Davis, EverLast brings next generation lighting solutions to the market.
What is now know as Eglin Air Force Base was established in 1931, when members of the Army Air Corps Tactical School saw the potential of the sparsley populated forested areas surrounding Valparaiso, Florida, and the vast expanse of the adjassent Gulf of Mexico. For more than 80 years and spanning six wars, Eglin has played a prominent role in airpower history.
EverLast fixtures have been selected for lighting upgrades at many other military and government locations throughout the country, including USAF in Whitman, MO; U.S. Navy in Pearl Harbor, HI; USCG in Clearwater, FL; USCG in Mobile, AL; U.S. Army at Fort Drum, NY and NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Tx.
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Source: Full Spectrum Solutions
