Air Force Picks Jackson Firm's Streetlights For Florida Base
The U.S. Air Force selected patent-pending induction streetlight fixtures from a Jackson company in an effort to reduce energy costs at Eglin Air Force Base in Valparaiso, Fla.
According to Eglin officials, both energy and maintenance savings were critical factors in the decision, and due to strict limitations on where LEDs can be used, the Air Force sought out an alternative system 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," said Brandon Marken, director of commercial sales at EverLast Lighting. "By selecting our technology, Eglin has reduced their lighting energy consumption by 50 percent. As more military bases utilize induction technology, the Defense Department will see a drastic reduction in spending on lighting."
In March of 2010, the Department of the Air Force released an Engineering Technical Letter as guidance and criteria for specifying, designing and installing LED luminaires for interior and exterior applications at Air Force installations. The ETL states that due to a slow return on investment 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 applicaitons.
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 Feb. 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-efficient, next-generation lighting systems," Marken said. "Their goal is to work with the California Lighting Technology Center and affiliates to install and demonstrate adaptive exterior lighting technologies at military facilities for improved safety and energy savings."
What is now known as Eglin Air Force Base was established in 1931 when members of the Army Air Corps Tactical School saw the potential of the sparsely populated forested areas surrounding Valparaiso, Fla., and the vast expanse of the adjacent Gulf of Mexico.
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, Hawaii; U.S. Coast Guard in Clearwater, Fla. and Mobile, Ala.; U.S. Army at Fort Drum, N.Y., and NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.
EverLast Lighting is a subsidiary of Full Spectrum Solutions, Inc. and has quickly grown into the leading manufacturer of energy efficient lighting solutions for roadway, parking structure, facility and area lighting applications.
For additional product information, visit www.everlastlight.com, call (888) 383-7578, or email info@everlastlight.com.
