Solar Powered Helipad Lighting Adds 24/7 Convenience and Medical Access

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> ESPAÑOL (LATINOAMÉRICA) | Caso de Estudio
> PORTUGUÉS (BRASIL) | Estudo de Caso

Background

Santiago de Surco (Surco) is one of 43 districts in Lima, Perú. It is an area recognized for its open green space, natural beauty, and recreational areas. Its proximity to Lima’s financial district makes Surco an attractive area. But vehicle traffic and congested roadways are an ongoing problem for Surco and Lima’s 42 other districts.

A 2019 study of 416 cities in 57 countries identified Lima as one of the top seven most road-congested cities in the world. Demand for vehicle transportation is high but buses, micros and taxicabs are filled to capacity and lack regular maintenance. Pollution, noise, and traffic jams plague Lima.

Access to Lima’s large urban population prompted real estate company, Huanwil S.A. Real Estate, to build a new luxury office building project in Surco. The More Building consists of two, 24-level office towers, one of which features a rooftop helipad. The helipad was unlit and therefore restricted to daytime use.

Huanwil recognized the need to offer tenants premier building services and a more efficient use of their valuable time. Emergency, business and airport connections would help make The More Building a premium commercial building in Lima.

The Challenge

The existing rooftop helipad did not meet the power requirements for nighttime and low visibility helicopter flights. Adding necessary wired lighting would require extensive, costly electrical and construction work. The real estate developer required a helipad lighting solution that could be quickly, easily, and economically installed for current and future tenants, and comply with the project deadline.

The chosen lighting solution also had to:

• Include Pilot-Activated Lighting Control on-demand operation
• Meet Perú’s DGAC and ICAO requirements. This is to ensure photometric standards are met with certified frangibility for safety and reliability.

Solution

Avlite distributor, Groupo Caxtor, provided a full heliport lighting solution for The More Building. It included DC powered lights and control systems, including:

• 14 x Solar LED TLOF Perimeter Lights (AV-HL-RF-SOL) in Green
• 4 x Solar LED Floodlights (AV-FL-RF-SOL) in White
• 22 x Solar LED FATO Perimeter Lights (AV-HL-RF-SOL) in White
• 1 x L-806 Lighted Windcone with red L-810 Obstruction Light
• Pilot Activated Lighting Control (AV-PALC) 12VDC
• ICAO Helipad Beacon

Avlite’s FATO and TLOF perimeter lights (AV-HL-RF-SOL) are 2.4GHz, RF controlled solar lights. The chassis features an internal antenna with user-replaceable battery. The lights provide 50 hours of continuous operation at maximum intensity, with the ability to last to 150 hours at medium intensity. Remote operation and intensity adjustment are available with Avlite’s Pilot Activated Lighting Control (PALC). This allows the pilot to choose the correct intensity for local environmental conditions via the VHF transmit button.

They are compliant with ICAO’s Annex 14 Vol II requirements and the FAA’s EB No. 87 for Heliport Lighting. Optional NVG/IR modes make the AV-HL-RF-SOL a solid choice for military applications.

Avlite’s LED heliport floodlights (AV-HL-FL) were also installed in a DC solar configuration. Floodlights evenly distribute light to improve overall visibility and safety for the TLOF area. This helps pilots differentiate the helipad height from the surrounding terrain. An incorporated light hood helps eliminate glare and provides focus. The AV-HL-FL can easily be fit on several frangible mounts and is also available in solar and AC power configurations.

An L-806 Lighted Windcone was also added to Avlite’s helipad lighting solution. It indicates surface wind conditions and complies with ICAO and DGAC regulations for night operations. Like all Avlite helipad lighting, the windcone’s light is pilot activated for optimal control.

Outcome

With Groupo Caxtor’s installation of Avlite’s solar LED helipad lighting solution, Huanwil S.A. Real Estate has:

• Leased additional space to executive-level clients
• Increased travel convenience for existing tenants and their customers
• Avoided expensive engineering costs required to install AC powered helipad lighting
• Provided an energy and cost-efficient helipad lighting solution

The helipad on The More Building is currently the only helipad in eastern Lima and the only solar helipad with Pilot Activated Lighting Control that is ICAO and DGAC Perú compliant.

“Groupo Caxtor is proud to be part of the air connectivity and emergency response improvements for this project. As a recognized leader in solar lighting for heliports, we know Avlite delivers the highest quality lighting solutions to deliver cost savings for our customers and improves the safety of aviation.”

— Esteban Gallardo, Commercial Coordinator, Groupo Caxtor