All of us here at Wholesale Lighting are feeling reinvigorated by the warmth of springtime and the return of fair weather to Northwest Ohio. The beginning of spring allows us to shake off the cold-weather blues and begin spending time outside once again. It also brings with it the return of outdoor recreation. Along with the budding leaves on the trees and the song of the birds back from their winter homes down South, one of the surest signs that spring has sprung is the opening of baseball season. As Major League Baseball’s 2016 season is now underway, we would like to draw attention to changes made at two MLB ballparks with new lighting installations.
Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres, begins the season with a brand new SportsCluster Green™ LED lighting system from Musco Lighting. Headquartered in Oskaloosa, Iowa, Musco Lighting specializes in lighting sports parks and other large outdoor venues. The new system will help the Padres reach their sustainability goals with a 42% reduction in energy consumption compared to Petco Park’s original lighting equipment. “The San Diego Padres are extremely pleased to partner with industry-leader Musco Lighting, with Petco Park being the first professional baseball venue to implement its LED sports lighting technology,” said Mark Guglielmo, Padres vice president of ballpark operations and general manager of Petco Park. “We are proud that Musco’s LED sports lighting will provide not only a brighter and more uniform lighting experience for our athletes and fans, but also will make our ballpark more energy efficient.”
Globe Life Park, home of the Texas Rangers in Arlington, TX, has a new LED lighting system from Ephesus Lighting, a division of Eaton Corporation. Globe Life Park is now lit with fewer fixtures and more efficient technology. The new lighting system is projected to result in a 60% reduction in energy consumption versus the old lighting. The Rangers said the lighting is more uniform even after the fixture count was cut in half. “The Rangers are excited to collaborate with Eaton to bring this state-of-the-art technology to Globe Life Park,” said Rob Matwick, executive vice president of business operations for the Texas Rangers. “Reducing the fixture count and being more energy efficient represents significant advantages and we’re especially impressed with the improved field lighting for our players, fans, and broadcast partners. The Rangers are thrilled to be among the early adopters of this new LED technology.”
The greatest benefits of deploying new LED lighting technology from a business perspective are the significant reductions in both energy consumption and maintenance costs. These two professional sports teams will compound the money savings brought about by their wise investment in LED lighting season after season, thanks to the long lifespan of the LED systems. There are also benefits to the environment from both the reduction of carbon emissions due to the consumption of less electricity, and the fact that LED lights do not use mercury or other toxic materials in their construction. As more and more organizations install LED lighting technology in their facilities, this will make future springs a little greener for everyone.
