The Problem
The original lighting system in the Field House Gymnasium of Butler County Community College consisted of (30) 1000-watt Metal Halide Fixtures. These fixtures were wall-mounted on the side walls of the gym, shining up at the ceiling and providing indirect light to the floor of the gym.
The existing system had started to fail after many years of service. This expectedly resulted in increasingly high maintenance costs.
The existing system was turned on/off by the breaker panel, with no switching or dimming in place. Staff needed to walk to the breaker panel and turn on/off the amount of breakers needed to supply enough light for the day’s task. Then, at the end of the day, the staff would need to return to the breaker panel and turn off the lights.
The Solution
Commonwealth Energy Group (CEG) – with the help of RAB Lighting – developed a plan to install energy-efficient LED lighting with wireless dimming controls in the gymnasium. By integrating wireless dimming controls into the LEDs, we were able to give the college multiple light levels at the touch of a button when needed. We were also able to automate the on/off schedule, thus freeing up labor previously spent flipping breakers.
CEG created scenes on the touchscreen controller:
- Cleaning: All Lights 25%
- Practice: All Lights 50%
- Game: All Lights 75%
- Televised Event: All Lights 100%
In addition to the scenes, the controller also supported on-the-fly customization, allowing the user to set the lights at the exact level needed.
CEG negotiated a 10-year Manufacturer’s Warranty on this project, giving the college many years of maintenance-free operation while saving up to 75% in energy costs versus the old metal halide system.