Fort Knox, Ky. (April 27, 2017) The future is literally looking much brighter for Fort Knox.
The Army installation is on its way to completing its goal of becoming an "LED City."
Pat Walsh, the director of Fort Knox's Directorate of Public Works, said Fort Knox is declaring itself an LED City by replacing 3,500 street and parking lot lamps with LED lighting.
The conversion does not stop there.
"We are replacing existing lighting inside over 240 buildings with LED lighting," Walsh said. "This is most of our major facilities on post."
Typical office lighting can be recessed or high-bay lighting.
Robert Dyrdek, energy manager with DPW, said some buildings are occupied during the year for only a short period of time--mostly while cadets are at Fort Knox for training.
"As far as savings on that small amount of interior lights," Dyrdek said, "it amounts to more than $500,000 per year."
The installation has been using 4-foot long fluorescent tubes that have a life span of about three years on average. The LEDs come with 10-year guarantees. Dyrdek believes most of them will last as long as 15 to 20 years depending on the amount of usage.
"We will benefit in the future from not having to replace the lights three or four times in the same period that the LED lights will be operational," he said.
Interior LED lighting is estimated to cost $7.5 million, however, Fort Knox will get the savings annually.
Dyrdek explained, Clark Energy, the lighting contractor--through an Energy Savings Performance Contract--will pay the cost up front.
ESPCs allow federal agencies to conduct energy projects with little to no up-front capital costs.
The installation will make quarterly payments to Clark Energy over the next 22 years from the money saved.
By the summer of 2019, Walsh said, every nonfamily housing light in the Fort Knox cantonment area will be LED. The cantonment area includes those parts of the military installation that are comprised of dining facilities, clubs, gyms, Army classrooms, commercial retail buildings, schools, industrial sites, housing, as well as water and sewer facilities.
Much of the exterior building or ground-mounted security and decorative lighting will also be converted.
While housing units on post are not owned by the Army, Walsh said the privatized owner, Knox Hills, is also making efforts to install LED lighting in the homes.
The contract was recently awarded for the conversion of interior and exterior lights to LED lighting. More than 100,000 lamps will have been replaced by the time the project is completed.
Reduced energy costs and conservation are the two main reasons for the change. LED lighting is more efficient to sustain, reduces the amount of maintenance required and offers improved lighting.
LEDs are much more controllable than other types of lighting.
"Some of our street lighting will dim to 30 percent of rated wattage during low travel hours--between midnight and 5 a.m.--and still maintain acceptable lighting levels," Walsh explained.
Lighting in the larger parking areas on post will feature LED lights equipped with motion detectors keeping the lights off at night unless a vehicle or personnel enters the lot.
This is a huge energy savings benefit, he said. Lamps that are used less will last longer.
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