COLUMBUS, Ind.–A new study shared at Tuesday’s Board of Airport Commissioners meeting showed that Columbus Municipal Airport has dramatically cut its energy usage and costs. Purdue University student and summer intern Joe Knue presented his findings from the study that looked at energy trends between 2013 and 2017. In the four-year period, energy usage decreased by 35.1 percent, and the airport is spending $10,000 less per year on billable kilowatt hours.
The study’s purview included statistics related to usages and costs of the airport’s electrical vaults for airfield lighting and the terminal building have been decreased from approximately $38,000 to $27,000, during the period.
Gradually, the airport has converted to energy-efficient power sources while implementing energy-saving practices in airport operations. Both on the airfield and within the terminal building, a shift has been made since 2013 to convert lighting systems from incandescent bulbs to LED. The installation of an energy-efficient HVAC system in the terminal has also helped drive costs down. Additionally, the control tower now deactivates the airfield lights during periods of low activity overnight.