Pat Storey for the North County Times

CARLSBAD ---- McClellan-Palomar Airport began installing solar lighting this week to help ensure security in the event of power outage.

Three of the lights, mounted on 20-foot poles, were installed at the airport Thursday and an additional four could be in place soon.

The light poles have been planted in cement blocks, which can be picked up by a forklift and moved to areas around the facility that need more light, airport officials said.

"These lights are an advantage to us because we have three landfill areas at the airport," said Bill Polick, spokesperson for the county's airports. "We don't have to dig trenches to install them."

About 20 acres, nearly one-third of the airport's developed areas for support services and airplane storage, were built over trash dumps the county operated next to the airport's runway from about 1960 until 1978. Any trenching can cause methane gas to leak from the landfill.

Polick said another plus with solar lighting is that in the event of a power outage, the airport parking and hangar areas remain secure.

Peter Duchon, systems integrator for Oceanside-based ASAP Power, which distributes the solar systems, said each light costs between $5,000 and $6,000, including installation.

The high-intensity lamps are guaranteed for 5,000 hours and last about three years. Replacement cost for the lamps is about $200, he said. "But that is all offset by the energy savings," Duchon said. "Sunshine is free so it doesn't cost anything to run them."

Polick said the county will be considering the solar lights for its other airports. "This is a test and any time you have new technology that works, it's certainly something we would consider for our other facilities," he said.