MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The Miami Dolphins and power management company Eaton announced that South Plantation High School has been selected as the winner of the joint community programming initiative – “Light Like the Pros.” As a result, South Plantation High School’s Paladin Stadium will receive a free state-of-the-art Ephesus LED sports lighting and control system valued at more than $100,000.
“Congratulations to South Plantation High School for winning the ‘Light Like the Pros’ program,” said Miami Dolphins Senior Vice President of Communications and Community Affairs Jason Jenkins. “Eaton’s Ephesus LED Sports Lighting System will provide an excellent solution to better illuminate Paladin Stadium, extending the opportunity for South Plantation’s athletes and the community to practice and compete without limitations.”
There were many deserving high schools in both Broward and Miami/Dade counties that participated in the essay contest administered by the Miami Dolphins Foundation and sponsored by Eaton during the fall. South Plantation High School’s essay demonstrated a need for a new sports lighting system due to the numerous limitations of its current system as well as an enthusiastic community that supports both athletics and academics.
South Plantation High School, with an enrollment of 2,400 students, is Florida’s only Everglades Environmental Magnet program and it ranks as one of Broward County’s leaders in community outreach, diversity, and leadership development. Less than a decade ago they helped lead the charge to have lacrosse included as a varsity sport at nine area middle schools and high schools who also play their games at Paladin Stadium. Additionally, the South Plantation football team broke barriers in 2012 by becoming the first school in the state to have a female quarterback play and complete a pass in a varsity game.
Paladin Stadium also serves as the home field for Stranahan High School in Ft. Lauderdale, a school without a stadium, and as a result, the lights serve double-duty during the football season. This high-usage has resulted in numerous fixtures being out and leaving dark spots on the playing surface. Due to its antiquated scheduling system and numerous Florida weather delays, the lights have gone out several times in the middle of games, requiring an additional 20-minute delay to cool down and restrike the metal halide lights. This has resulted in South Plantation being forced to overschedule the lights, adding stress on the system and wasting energy. In contrast, Eaton’s Ephesus LED sports lighting system can be monitored remotely, programmed from an app and instantly turned on and off with the push of a button.
“We are excited to provide the players and fans at Paladin Stadium with an Ephesus LED sports lighting system, like the one at Hard Rock Stadium, in time for the 2018 fall sports season,” said Mike Lorenz, president, Eaton’s Ephesus Lighting business. “We hope that by showcasing our innovative technology at Paladin Stadium, the entire South Florida sports community will see the many benefits of LED sports lighting, including superior control and dramatic energy savings.”
Eaton’s Ephesus All Field Series provides high schools, colleges and municipalities with a high-quality, cost-effective, versatile and controllable outdoor LED sports lighting solution. Engineered to satisfy customers’ specific needs, its multiple mounting options, low weight and low Effective Projected Area (EPA) make it one of the first LED fixtures designed to easily retrofit into existing sports lighting infrastructure to dramatically reduce installation costs. The enhanced engineered optics efficiently deliver uniform light on the field to significantly reduce unwanted spill light and sky glow. Typically, a facility that switches to an Ephesus LED lighting solution will virtually eliminate maintenance and reduce energy costs by 70 percent over typical legacy sports lighting systems.
Eaton’s Ephesus LED lighting solutions are at sports and entertainment venues of all sizes across North America. Hundreds of facilities have made the switch to Eaton’s LED sports lighting system including: Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Dolphins); PNC Park (Pittsburgh Pirates); Bridgestone Arena (Nashville Predators); United Center (Chicago Bulls and Blackhawks) and the historic Martinsville Speedway in Virginia — the first NASCAR track with LED lighting. For more information, visit Eaton.com/Ephesus.
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