Total Annual Energy Savings:
$4K+Light Fixtures Across 3 Projects:
77The Backstory of Our Relationship With the Orange County Sheriff's Office
The Orange County Sheriff's Office contacted LED Lighting Supply seeking guidance on selecting the proper LED lighting type for an aircraft hangar storage area.
The Chief Tactical Flight Officer required consultative support on replacing a combination of 13 existing metal halide and fluorescent light fixtures with an updated LED system. The aircraft hangar struggled to achieve consistent illumination levels with the legacy lights in place.
The Challenge of the Aircraft Hangar Lighting at Orange County Sheriff's Office
Flight crews and aircraft mechanics were working under dim lighting conditions across a 75-by-100-foot bay at a 30-foot mounting height. The layout consisted of metal halide fixtures hung overhead, with fluorescent tube fixtures encompassing the perimeter. The aging light system no longer served the operation, and the facility needed a supplier with expertise who could recommend the proper lighting solution for precision work.
Operations in the hangar include inspecting airframes, servicing components, and completing daily maintenance duties. Uneven or dim light in this environment makes detail harder to see. This makes it complicated for the crew to spot a fluid leak, crack, or loose fastener during an inspection.
The hangar supports night operations, forcing the crews to preserve their night vision when moving between the lit bay and the flight line. The new lighting solution needed to account for a night mode feature, not just more uniform lighting during the day.
Daytime Operation With Our LED Solution Installed
Night-Vision Simulation With Our LED Solution and Green Film
Here's what dim, uneven lighting puts at risk in the hangar facility:
- Aircraft hairline cracks, weeping seals, chafed wiring, and backed-out fasteners are difficult to identify
- Aging light systems shift color and render poorly, impacting fluid identification and corrosion assessment
- Deep shadows in equipment-heavy areas, such as near the wings, rotor decks, and fuselage sections, pose worker safety risks
- Hoses, cords, tooling, and tie-downs on the floor are increasingly difficult to identify
The recommended light levels for aircraft storage and general hangar areas range from 30 to 50 foot candles (fc). That range set the target for our team while working toward building the lighting recommendation.
The Strategy and Solution of Our Custom Recommendation
LED Lighting Supply Product Specialist, Joe Hawkins, took the first call from the Chief and custom-tailored a recommendation to the existing mounting heights, light fixture output, and placement in the hangar.
The Chief provided images of the existing aircraft hangar lighting setup, allowing us to estimate the length of the current fluorescent light fixtures in place. We used our expertise to estimate the baseline wattage of the legacy lights based on the mounting heights. This helped match the new solution to the existing infrastructure and layout. After this assessment, LED Lighting Supply was able to provide the Orange County hangar with adjustable lumen output replacement options.
The recommendation included upgrading the existing metal halide fixtures to 100/120/150/200/240 watt adjustable UFO high-bay LED lights set to 240 watts. For the perimeter fluorescent lights, LED Lighting Supply suggested 12/15/18/24 watt 4-foot T8 tube lights set to 18 watts. In total, they purchased 75 lights for the aircraft hangar project.
We ensured a separately sourced green film could easily be slipped over the tube lights, achieving the night-vision simulation sought by the Sheriff’s Office. This allowed the crew to preserve night vision during nighttime operations. The customer anticipated excess light fixtures due to ordering bundles in abundance. The crew put those lights to work in a smaller neighboring hangar.
Installation Note: A licensed electrician should complete fixture replacement and any circuit changes in accordance with local codes. Our Product Specialists can confirm fixture selection and layout. Electrical work is best left to a qualified professional.
The Results of the LED Hangar Lighting Upgrade
The LED lighting upgrade provides a consistent light level across the open hangar space. Worker safety and operational productivity increase with the uniform light levels. The Chief has kept in touch with our team since the installation and shared the crews' feedback. "The reviews from the flight crews and mechanics have been amazing," he told us.
The difference showed up in the work itself. Crews reported that "the current lighting quality improves their ability to work on and inspect the aircraft and to perform the daily duties we do inside the two hangar bays," the Chief said. His summary focused more on the outcome. "The lighting increases the safety of our operation."
The T8 tubes ran on their own switch, which presented an option the old fluorescent lights didn’t. The Chief reported back after he placed a green film over the LEDs. "This gives our main hangar an amazing green glow at night," he said. "The green low-light benefits us at night, maintaining our 'night vision' and not having to adjust our eyes to darkness."
Video of Our T8 Tube Lights Installed With Green Film
The Orange County Sheriff's Office will see measurable energy savings within one year of the upgrade while improving visibility and safety across the bay.
Estimated Aircraft Hangar Savings and Payback From Choosing Our LED Lighting Solution
| Savings | Within 1 Year | Within 5 Years |
| Total Energy Savings | $4,165 | $20,825 |
| Maintenance Savings | $190 | $950 |
| Total Savings (Energy + Maintenance) | $4,355 | $21,775 |
Savings Note: Estimates are based on the local utility rate of $0.0804 per kWh for commercial and industrial buildings in Orlando, FL. The values are calculated by our LED savings calculator. Actual savings vary with baseline wattages, run hours, utility rate changes, and final fixture selection.
Additional Aircraft Hangar Project Photos
Orange County Sheriff's Office Aircraft Hangar | Completed Lighting Project Photos
Orange County Sheriff's Office Additional Aircraft Hangar Storage Space | Completed Lighting Project Photos
A Repeat Order Tells the Rest of the Story
The clearest measure of the project's success is that the Sheriff's Office returned for support on additional projects. After the first order, they utilized excess supply for a second neighboring hangar project. The third project included replacing mezzanine lighting with wattage-adjustable linear high bay lights. This project is the result of a trusting customer relationship that developed from the initial hangar project conversations. LED Lighting Supply provided the Orange County Sheriff's Office with 77 light fixtures across these two projects.
