The lighting in the A380 hangar at Frankfurt Airport is spot on. In one section of the building, Lufthansa Technik recently installed 24 high-performance LED floodlights on the ceiling – at a record-breaking height of 31 metres. Based on an annual usage of 6,000 hours, this modern light field alone will enable the company to save 88 megawatt-hours, and thus 40 tonnes of CO2, compared to the previous lighting system. That represents a 42 per cent improvement over conventional lighting. Put simply, this energy saving would be enough to supply the electricity needs of 17 four-person households for one year. The feasibility of equipping the entire hangar with 250 LED lamps, which would increase energy savings tenfold, is currently being investigated.
The potential for improving energy efficiency in the A380 hangar was unlocked by Lufthansa Technik. In 2013, as part of its energy-saving efforts, it tracked down the first LED floodlights in the lighting market that would be suitable for a ceiling height of 23 metres. A successful test phase in Hangar 12 soon led to the decision to fit the entire hangar with these floodlights, thus saving about 300 tonnes of CO2 and 484 megawatt-hours of electricity per year.
Resource efficiency is a key priority at Lufthansa Technik and at all the companies in the Lufthansa Group. Besides its ongoing commitment to lessen the environmental impact of its flight operations, the Group strives constantly to reduce its energy consumption, also on the ground. In February 2014, with a view to achieving further improvements, it initiated an internal energy forum, which will bring together experts from all areas of the Group to share their knowledge and best practices.