An LED lighting system has been installed at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, in order to enhance light quality, improve efficiency and eliminate maintenance. The new system at the nation’s eighth-busiest airport replaces the high-pressure sodium lighting on more than 170 lighting poles near the airport’s gates. This allows workers on the ramp to see more clearly, and more significantly, reduces glare to pilots as they maneuver aircraft in and out of the airport. The changes are also projected to reduce energy consumption by up to 50 percent while still improving lighting levels and coverage in the affected areas.
Musco supplied the new fixtures. A key feature of the system is its ability to control light in a way that creates a setting virtually identical to daytime hours in the areas intended to be lit, without spilling light or creating glare above and around the airport—a crucial consideration for pilots, air traffic controllers and neighbors as the city continues expanding around McCarran.
The project is being partially funded by a $65,000 rebate from the Nevada Energy’s SureBet incentive program. The new system is backed by a 10-year parts and labor warranty, eliminating the need for the airport operator to handle or pay for any maintenance.