Natatorium, Waukesha South High School, Waukesha, Wis.
By Jeff Gatzow
Retrofit Team
LIGHTING SUPPLIER: Hein Electric Supply Co., West Allis, Wis.
Materials
The natatorium originally was designed with a metal-halide indirect lighting system to reflect light from the ceiling to minimize glare on the water’s surface. Over the years, the ceiling and walls darkened because of deterio- rating light levels and fixtures burning out, creating a cave-like atmosphere. Replacing the burned-out fixtures was so challenging they were typically left until there were enough to warrant bringing out the lift.
Tom Cherone, master electrician, Waukesha School District, knew the lighting system needed improvement. Through Hein Electric Supply, Cherone learned about retrofitting the existing lighting system with LED high-bay luminaires to improve illumination quality, safety and security while reducing energy costs and consumption.
In a one-for-one replacement, 42 1000W metal-halide fixtures were replaced with 240W LED high-bay luminaires and eight 36W fluorescent tubes were retrofitted with 80W LED high-bay luminaires.
“The new lights are terrific,” Cherone says. “They strike instantly, provide more lumens than our old lights, will last for years and are cost effective. When all the fixtures are on, we’re saving an astounding 70 percent in energy over the previous lights.”
Because they emit less heat than the metal-halide fixtures, the school will be able to run the air conditioning less in the summer months, further reducing the energy bill.
Additional power savings are achieved from turning off the fixtures when not in use. The previous lights were left on continuously because they took so long to warm up to full brightness.
“At swim meets, I used to apologize to the visiting teams because it was so dark,” explains Blaine Carlson, CEO/head coach for the Waukesha Express Swim Team. “With these new lights, I think we can even attract additional meets to this facility.”
LIGHTING MANUFACTURER: Optec LED Lighting
The Retrofit
South High School is Waukesha’s oldest high school, opening in 1957. Today, the 1,460 students use a swimming pool complex that was rebuilt in 2005, replacing a smaller and much older pool, spectator and locker-room facility. The 27,000-square-foot natatorium is larger than in most schools, accommodating nearly 2,000 spectators.
Cherone is so pleased with the reduction in maintenance, energy savings and consumption, and the dramatic improvement in light quality that he’s planning to replace all the metal-halide lights in the district’s schools’ pools with LED high-bay luminaires.
In addition to upgrading the natatorium lighting, the district is implementing an exterior lighting program for the schools’ parking lots, saving the district more money and, most importantly, improving security through better light levels.
PHOTO: OPTEC LED LIGHTING