Airports are technically complex, dense with electronics, and have a demanding set of rules with which to comply. Despite these challenges, Comlight was able to provide smart lighting to the apron zone at Haugesund Airport, Karmøy. Bjørn Olav Jensen, who studies at the technical college in Stavanger and works shifts at the airport, first heard of Comlight through school. When increasing energy efficiency became an important focus area, Bjørn Olav made his superiors aware that motion control might be a possible solution.
"The lights are dimmed down to the 20 percent level when there’s no activity on the apron. Considering that each of our pylons is pulling about 1500 watts at full effect, there’s an obvious decrease in power consumption," Bjørn Olav explains. The experience was such a positive one that motion detectors were installed at the airport car parking lot as well. "Cars are detected and registered when entering and the light levels are increased. There really is no need to light up areas with no people in them."
"Luggage handlers have certain rights that need to be considered when it comes to lighting, but on the apron, where planes are just parked, there is no reason to maintain full levels of lighting. Our meetings with the tower crews have revealed that the decreased level of bright lights has made their work easier," Jensen says.
The reason for choosing Comlight was primarily the system's ease of use, being "plug and play." Furthermore, the system's radar technology detect movement up to 40 meters from the pylon, all automatically.
"We could have chosen a solution with a control system which would have had to be maintained manually or developed further towards automation. With Comlight, we got a fully automated solution from day one," Jensen says.
