Solar Runway Lighting and Reflective Signage installed at British Columbia Airport

09 Jan Solar Runway Lighting and Reflective Signage installed at British Columbia Airport

Synopsis

Solar Runway Lighting. Aviation Renewables was a awarded a contract for supply and installation of solar runway lighting, threshold lighting, turnpad lighting and retro-reflective airfield signs. The installation was conducted over two phases on a total of 8 nights. Being solar-powered, the lights require no trenching or cabling, and are easily activated as needed by the use of radio control.

Challenge

West Kootenay Regional Airport, in the interior mountains of British Columbia, has a challenging approach due to surrounding terrain. The airport can experience long periods of low cloud, which historically has impacted flight reliability. As a result, airport management has generated strategic initiatives to improve the approach minimums and conspicuity of the runway. As part of these initiatives, the addition of runway lighting was deemed essential to augment the existing approach lighting. In addition, the airport required a signage update in order to comply with new TP312 5th edition standards.

Solution

The airport released a competitive tender in the Spring of 2022, for supply and installation of runway edge lighting, threshold lighting, turnpad lighting and retro-reflective signage.

Aviation Renewables was subsequently awarded the contract, and work commenced immediately on the detail design and product selection.

Safety of operations is paramount in any construction activity, particularly construction activities that take place around active runways. For this reason, Aviation Renewables spent a great deal of time integrating the Site Safety Plan with the Plan of Construction Operations (PCO) that was created for the airport. This integration ensures that there is a clear understanding of the roles for all responsible persons involved in this project. During the PCO development, a determination was made that night work would be the safest option, enabling unfettered access to the runway edge. The separation of construction traffic and aircraft was accomplished by doing a full runway closure during night hours. Aviation Renewables trained all personnel and subcontractors involved in the construction on the unique challenges and procedures involved in airport work. These include site access, escort requirements, FOD control and grading specifications.

As Castlegar is located in a mountain valley, the selection of a solar lighting product that would operate through the dark winter months was essential. Using data from NASA databases, detailed modelling of charge states throughout the year was created and used to select the AV426 runway edge light as the best performing light capable of Medium Intensity MIRLs lighting levels. The AV426 uses 4x 5-watt panels to charge a 288Wh battery. The light is modeled to support a minimum daily use of 6 hours throughout the year. here.

As the airport has a single runway, it was imperative to maintain normal operations during the construction activity. The work was conducted during the overnight hours when the runway is normally closed. In addition, careful planning ensured that the work undertaken each night did not create hazards for the next day’s operations. These measures included: ensuring all open excavations were appropriately filled, graded and compacted each night; full FOD sweeps at the conclusion of each shift; and strict limits on vehicle traffic to ensure no mud or debris was tracked on runway and taxiway areas. The installation was conducted in two phases, on a total of 8 nights, including a layout survey and as-built survey.

View the complete Project Report and find more about Solar Runway Lighting here.