Converting the Audrey Moore RECenter from sodium lights to LED lighting has reduced energy consumption by over 50% and cut maintenance to zero.
Constellation Lighting worked with the Fairfax Energy Department to significantly reduce operating costs of the RECenter achieved through the installation of low-energy, long-life LED technology across sports and leisure facilities.
Lighting a Sports Center
The Audrey Moore RECenter in Annandale is a public sports and leisure facility provided by Fairfax County Park Authority, Virginia. The center provides first-class sports facilities to the local community, including a gym, swimming pool and saunas, basketball, volleyball, handball courts and so much more. The Audrey Moore RECenter even has a pottery lab for Annandale residents to enjoy.
Until 2015, the RECenter used sodium lighting to provide illumination for sports games and exercise activities across the center.
Unreliable Sodium Lighting
Sodium lights, invented in the 1930’s, have a maximum expected lifespan of 24,000 hours operation. They are known for their yellow-tinged light color – an average 2000 Kelvin.
With sodium lights more susceptible to failure, the RECenter staff performed regular maintenance to replace failed sodium bulbs to keep sports lighting effective and even. Sodium lights also tend to flicker and have a short activation period when switched on – less than ideal for sports center lighting.
The 360-degree sodium bulb angle means light is spread widely in all directions, making an inefficient use of light energy to illuminate sports activities.
Bulb failure, combined with a reduction in efficiency as sodium lights age, caused the RECenter lighting to consume high volumes of energy and more staff maintenance hours.
How to Cut RECenter Operating Costs
Working with Fairfax Energy Department in 2015, Constellation converted all the sodium lighting at the Audrey Moore RECenter to LED lighting. Using the Delta Series LED lights – designed for use in sports facilities – Constellation engineers provided a quick, hassle-free installation process.
Constellation LEDs were supplied with a 5-year warranty, so Energy Department officials were reassured of a reliable investment for the sports facility.
The Delta LED range offers a variety of optical angle degree lenses to focus illumination exactly where it is needed, making the most efficient use of energy. The range of optical angles allows Delta LEDs to provide even, high-output lighting – maximising every lumen.
In the first 5 years since the Delta LED installation, the Audrey Moore RECenter lighting maintenance has reduced to zero – no bulb failures in 5 years and counting! LEDs have an expected lifespan of 100,000 hours – with many exceeding this – to deliver over 11 years continual operation.
Following the LED lighting conversion, energy consumption at the RECenter has reduced by 50% compared to the previous sodium lighting.
LEDs offer low heat generation, flicker-free operation, and instant start-up – delivering a host of benefits for the RECenter and its users.
A Win for LED Sports Lights
Replacing sodium lighting with Delta 250 LED lights has reduced lighting energy consumption by 50% and cut maintenance in the first 5 years by 100%.
The aim of the Audrey Moore RECenter lighting project was to reduce the operating costs of the sports and leisure facility, and LED lighting has delivered exactly that with a host of additional benefits.
The RECenter now enjoys better quality lighting, with even and efficient illumination. LEDs are proven to increase visual acuity – the sharpness of vision – so improve conditions for sports and exercise activities.
