Case Study: Hempfield Recreation Center and Sports Complex

Problem

Hempfield Recreation Center’s six indoor tennis courts support the center’s 5,000 members and hosted 140 travelling tennis teams in 2014 alone. The courts were lit with indirect metal halide lights, which worked fine for the facility—until they reached the end of their lifespan. Each time one of the inefficient fixtures started to yellow and burn out, staff were forced to shut down a court to replace bulbs and perform maintenance on fixtures 20 to 40 feet (6.1–12.2 m) above the floor. Losing usable court time due to inefficient lighting was a price Hempfield no longer wanted to pay.

Solution

Big Ass LightTM worked with Hempfield to install Inverted Twin High Bay LED fixtures on two courts. The fixtures bounce light off the ceiling, creating bright, indirect light that won’t blind players below. In addition to the Big Ass Light fixtures, Hempfield also installed two 18-ft (5.5-m) Powerfoil®X2.0 fans, which make the courts “feel 20°F (11°C) cooler,” says Tennis Director Wilson Pipkin. Members now favor the upgraded courts, and the LED fixtures are anticipated to save the center an additional $10,000 in operating costs annually.