Case Study — Aviation

BWI Airport Terminal Lighting Retrofit

Full terminal lighting modernization at BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport — 55% energy savings with 100% BABA/BAA compliance and zero downtime during installation.

Federal Compliance Meets 24/7 Airport Operations

BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport, managed by the Maryland Aviation Administration, serves over 27 million passengers annually. The terminal’s aging fluorescent infrastructure was driving up energy costs, requiring frequent lamp replacements, and falling behind modern illumination standards for passenger experience.

As a federally funded facility, every fixture and component had to meet strict Build America, Buy America (BABA) and Buy American Act (BAA) requirements — with full documentation chains. The retrofit had to be completed in phases with zero impact on flight operations, passenger flow, or gate availability.

Phased Retrofit with Full BABA Documentation

Clear-Vu executed a phased retrofit plan using Lamar LED’s BABA/BAA-compliant fixture portfolio — all manufactured in our 100,000 sq ft Central Islip, NY facility. Each phase was coordinated with airport operations to ensure zero disruption to gates, concourses, and parking structures.

  • Architectural LED fixtures (recessed, suspended, linear) across gate areas and concourses
  • Occu-Smart VOL GEN6 with Bluetooth occupancy sensing in parking structures for demand-based dimming
  • LLS Linear Lighting System for continuous architectural runs throughout concourse corridors
  • Full BABA/BAA documentation package for every fixture, driver, and component
  • Phased installation with off-hours execution — no gate closures, no concourse shutdowns
  • DLC-qualified fixtures maximizing utility rebate capture
100% BABA/BAA Compliant

Every fixture, LED driver, and component manufactured in our Central Islip, NY facility with full documentation chains. Clear-Vu provides complete BABA/BAA certification packages for federal, state, and municipal projects — from GSA facilities to airports to transit systems.

“The phased approach meant zero impact on our operations. Passengers didn’t even know a retrofit was happening — they just noticed the terminal looked better. The BABA documentation was airtight from day one.”

— Facilities Management, Maryland Aviation Administration

Immediate ROI, Zero Operational Disruption

The retrofit delivered measurable returns within the first quarter of completion. Energy consumption dropped 55% across retrofitted areas, translating to $1.2M in annual energy savings. Passenger experience scores improved in post-retrofit surveys, citing brighter, more consistent lighting in gate areas and concourses. The parking structure Occu-Smart deployment alone cut lighting energy in those zones by over 60% through occupancy-based dimming.

Project Results

55%
Energy Reduction
100%
BABA/BAA Compliant
Zero
Downtime During Install
$1.2M
Annual Energy Savings

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Our engineering team provides BABA/BAA-compliant lighting solutions, photometric layouts, and complete federal documentation packages for airport, aviation, and government facilities.