Vancouver International Airport Completes Largest Installation of Apron LED Lighting System in Canada

Vancouver International Airport (YVR) has installed of a new state-of-the-art LED lighting system to its airfield, leveraging incentives from BC Hydro. The new lighting system by Musco Lighting significantly reduces YVR’s power consumption, expands lighting coverage and increases safety for pilots, air traffic controllers and ground crews. This marks the first time an airport in North America is using an adaptive dimming system based upon gate usage.

“Our primary objective is to operate and maintain a safe, secure and sustainable airport. The new apron lighting system significantly reduces YVR’s energy consumption, while streamlining operations and improving safety with improved coverage, reduced glare and increased lighting levels. It’s a win-win situation,” said Don Ehrenholz, Vice President, Engineering, Vancouver Airport Authority. “We will continue to work collaboratively to find innovative ways to reduce energy consumption as we strive for environmental excellence.”  

The LED lighting was retrofitted onto YVR’s existing structures, gives a more uniform distribution and features patented glare control technology so that high-quality light is applied only where needed and darkness is preserved where light is not intended. This improves operational efficiency by eliminating glare.

Musco’s LED solution is designed as a complete system, with lighting, structural components like custom support brackets and electrical components engineered to work together. The system was factory aimed, wired and tested. This ensures better performance, long-term reliability and trouble free operation at YVR. The system is backed by a long-term warranty that covers parts and labor, guaranteeing no additional costs for the next 10 years.

“Every lighting project is unique. Lighting airports brings a number of additional considerations, and at an airport with the size and scope of YVR, the challenges are even more extensive. So this has been a milestone project, and the team at YVR has been outstanding to work with,” said Jeff Rogers, Vice President of Musco Lighting. “When you see the quality of light, the uniform distribution, the virtual elimination of glare and the cut off preserving darkness around YVR, it’s really impressive.”

The new apron lighting is adaptive based on gate usage, meaning that lighting levels will increase and decrease based on the gate schedule in order to save power when not in use. It is expected to save 715,000 kWhrs/year, which is the equivalent of powering 72 residential households per year.

BC Hydro provided incentives for the project through its Industrial Energy Manager program which YVR has participated in for over ten years.

“We applaud YVR for their continuous commitment to demonstrating leadership in strategic energy management through innovative and collaborative projects and partnerships, like our Industrial Energy Manager program,” said Janet Fraser, Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs at BC Hydro. “We are pleased that the incentives we provided have contributed to a successful project that will enable YVR to save energy, operate efficiently, and increase safety at its facility.”