KAILUA-KONA — Three Big Island airport are slated for lighting improvements, the state Department of Transportation announced this week.
Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport, located at Keahole Point, is receiving light-emitting diode (LED) lamps and other lighting upgrades throughout the facility, DOT spokesman Tim Sakahara said via email.
Waimea-Kohala Airport is also receiving LED lighting and lighting upgrades in additional areas within the facility.
At Hilo International Airport, there will be lighting upgrades, including LEDs and other lighting improvements.
The Big Island improvements are part of the second phase of the state Department of Transportation’s Energy Savings Performance Contract with Johnson Controls to install high-efficiency lighting at 11 Hawaii airports, and solar photovoltaic systems at Honolulu International Airport.
Kona International Airport has already received solar photovoltaic panels in previous upgrades and is currently at capacity, Sakahara said.
According to the department, the second phase of the contract guarantees $65.5 million in energy savings through the replacement and retrofit of 47,747 existing florescent lamps to light-emitting diode (LED) lamps, the application of high-end trim to 8,256 LED fixtures (which customizes the light level for an area in order to prevent using more energy than is necessary), and the installation of 15,683 photovoltaic roof-mounted panels including parking lot canopy systems at the Honolulu International Airport capable of producing 5.3 megawatts of power.
The total guaranteed energy savings at Hawaii’s airports is more than $606 million over a 15-year period with the addition of the second phase, according to the department.
Construction to implement the second phase is scheduled to take place over the next 24 months and is financed by airport revenue, not taxpayer money. The construction will not impact flight schedules or operations at airports.