Cree LED lighting arrives at Munich Airport

15 Jan 2014

Collaboration with Ewo delivers energy-efficient illumination to apron, roadways.

LED lighting solutions developer Cree, Durham, NC, USA, is supplying its LED technology to power the apron and exterior lighting systems of Munich Airport, Germany (“FMG”), one of Europe’s largest international hubs, serving 38 million passengers per year.

Cree collaborated with Ewo, Cortaccia, Italy, a manufacturer of lighting systems designed for public areas, whose F32 flood lights are replacing high-pressure sodium lamps in Munich Airport’s high-mast systems. The F32 was designed to integrate into the existing apron lighting at Munich Airport, and each light is illuminated by up to 288 Cree XLamp XT-E LEDs.

Munich Airport had sought out LED technology to reduce the operating cost of its more than 13,000 outdoor lights. In addition to energy savings, the airport has set itself the goal of maintaining CO₂ emissions at their 2005 level – irrespective of future traffic growth.

The airport expects the new flood lights featuring Cree LEDs to consume at least 50 percent less energy than the previously-installed high-pressure sodium lamps, which would result in yearly electricity savings of 122,000 kilowatt-hours and approximately 70 tons of CO₂ on completion of phase one of the lighting overhaul.

Through longer-term replacement of its 3,000 apron floodlights and 10,200 exterior lights, the airport expects to save more than 5,000 tons of CO₂ annually. Cree says that by their use of energy- and cost-efficient LED technology, the brilliant white light emitted by the F32 floodlight gives a higher color rendering value to more accurately display colors and provide enhanced visibility compared to the old lamps.

The importance of airport lighting to the safe management of air traffic cannot be overstated. “Assuring the safety of our passengers, planes and their crew, airport staff and any other visitor is a priority at Munich Airport,” said Günther Sellmeier, planning and project manager for exterior lighting, engineering and facilities, at FMG.

Cree technology is providing lighting for more than just the apron: all implemented floodlights can be universally equipped with a variety of optical lenses and the Ewo Light Management System for additional flexibility, allowing the technology to be adapted to various different situations. One version has been designed especially for airport street lighting to ensure that surrounding roadways are also optimally lit.

About the Author

Matthew Peach is a contributing editor to optics.org.