MIAMI, Fla. — Representatives from the Miami Dolphins, power management company Eaton, the Broward County School District, and South Plantation High School, officially flipped the switch on Saturday night, turning on the new state-of-the-art Ephesus LED sports lighting and control system awarded to South Plantation High School’s Paladin Stadium as winners of the community programming initiative – “Light Like the Pros.”
tED magazine and “lightED” reported on the contest to light a high school field last March.
The capabilities of the system were demonstrated for the crowd during a half-time ceremony of the South Plantation versus Plantation annual rivalry game on October 27, featuring Twan Russell of the Miami Dolphins, Laurie Green representing Ephesus Lighting and NGU Sports Lighting and Christine Henschel from South Plantation H.S. After sending the stadium into complete darkness, with the push of a button, fans were treated to an electrifying light show more familiar to the fans at Hard Rock Stadium than a high school football venue.
“We’re honored to work with Eaton and bring an Ephesus LED Sports Lighting System to South Plantation High School through the ‘Light Like the Pros’ program,” said Miami Dolphins Senior Vice President of Communications and Community Affairs Jason Jenkins. “With the new system, we’re certain Paladin Stadium will continue to serve as a valuable space for the surrounding community.”
The lighting solution, valued at more than $100,000, was mounted directly on the field’s four existing poles and the innovative AirMesh control system which allows for dynamic scenes and light shows. The 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 the specific needs of such facilities, 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. The enhanced engineered optics efficiently deliver uniform light on the field to significantly reduce unwanted spill light and sky glow. The Broward School District can expect to virtually eliminate maintenance and reduce energy costs at Paladin Stadium by 70 percent over its prior legacy sports lighting system.
“South Plantation is an Environmental Science and Everglades Restoration Magnet School so the new Ephesus lights that we have just installed through the partnership with Ephesus and the Miami Dolphins has really gone a long way to help support our mission of trying to conserve energy use” said South Plantation High School Principal Christine Henschel. “These new LED lights are fantastic and far more energy efficient than any other lights we have in the district.”
Many deserving high schools in both Broward and Miami/Dade counties participated in the “Light Like the Pro’s” essay contest administered by the Miami Dolphins Foundation and sponsored by Eaton last fall. South Plantation High School’s essay demonstrated the numerous limitations of its current system as well as an enthusiastic community that supports both athletics and academics. With an enrollment of 2,400 students, South Plantation 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. The school’s 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.
“We are excited to provide the players and fans at Paladin Stadium with one of the most technically advanced LED sports lighting systems at a high school stadium anywhere in America,” said Mike Quijano, Director of Business Development and Product Marketing, Eaton’s Ephesus Lighting business. “We know 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, an enhanced fan experience, dramatic energy savings and more.”
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.
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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