The facility managers of Terminal One at San Francisco International Airport in California wanted to give the high-volume concourse a modern and forward-thinking look. The terminal, which serves AirTran, Alaska Airlines, Delta, Frontier, Southwest and US Airways, had illumination issues caused by aging four-tube linear fluorescent troffers. The check-in stations were not properly lit and had poor illumination on work surfaces where agents process paperwork. The overall terminal looked dim and muted.

Terminal One at San Francisco International Airport in California. (MaxLite/LEDinside)

From November 2011 through October 2012, Omega Pacific, an electrical and lighting supplier in San Francisco, replaced 500 four-lamp 32-watt T8 fluorescent lamps with 350 of MaxLite’s 2’x2’ 45-watt Direct Lit LED Flat Panels and 150 of the 1’x4’ models by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints and throughout the long concourse, saving 65 percent in energy.

The new energy-efficient LED fixtures transformed Terminal 1 of the county-owned airport and increased the overall light output and uniformity. Lewis noted that the airport’s owners, as well as travelers, have commented on the quality of lighting and the terminal’s new fresh and crisp look.

Additionally, the airport will save on costly maintenance of up to $100 per hour for replacing fluorescent lamps within the ceiling troffers. The DesignLights  consortium®-qualified LED retrofit fixtures will save the airport over two million kWh of energy and US $79,000 in energy and maintenance costs throughout the 50,000-hour L70-rated life of the fixtures.