About 190 metal halide lights installed in 1985 on the exterior of the terminal will be replaced with energy-efficient light emitting diode (LED) lighting. Approximately 559 older T12 fluorescent lights inside the terminal will also be replaced with energy-efficient T8 lighting.
The exterior metal halide lamps will be replaced with LED units to reduce energy use by 80%. Maintenance cost will also be reduced as LED units have a useful life of five to seven times more than that of conventional lights. Installation of energy-efficient T8 lighting inside the terminal will also help in considerably reducing electricity consumption. The T8 fluorescent tubes, which are smaller than T12 tubes, can operate at a cooler temperature, reducing air-conditioning costs.
The lighting replacement project is funded by an $84,615 grant from the Iowa Office of Energy Independence, which has been accepted by the Cedar Rapids Airport Commission. The grant was part of a US Department of Energy (DOE) award to the Office of Energy Independence to pay for energy efficiency and renewable energy improvements for public sector, private sector, and non-profit facilities.
