The recent revamp of the MHA Mahindra Stadium in Mumbai, India, was capped off with a new radiance provided by GE Lighting’s EF2000 fixtures. The new solution provided quality lighting and controlled light pollution, while fulfilling Televised Event Norms specified by the International Hockey Federation.

The MHA Mahindra Stadium, located in Mumbai, India, was recently given a total revamp, which included replacing existing lights with GE’s EF2000 fixtures designed for stadium lighting. The new lighting solution provided uniformity of light and controlled light pollution, while meeting the lighting requirements of the Televised Event Norms specified by the International Hockey Federation. The MHA Mahindra Stadium has since clinched the coveted opportunity and successfully hosted the final of the Bridgestone World Series Hockey in April this year.

The 60 -year-old MHA Mahindra Stadium, with 11,000 seats, is the official stadium venue for the World Series Hockey. The existing lighting system, installed in 1957, and revamped in early 2000, consisted of 136 lights which provided an illumination intensity of less than 500 lux, with frequent failures. In addition, there was substantial spillage of light to the surrounding environment which resulted in restriction of usage for the stadium during the evening hours. Furthermore, there was poor uniformity of flood lights for practice events.

Mr. Himamshu Prasad, GE Lighting India Country Manager, elaborated: “Hockey is a popular game that is widely followed in India. For the stadium revamp, our client’s key considerations for the lighting system include the quality of light, meeting requirements for televised events and extending the operating hours of the stadium. Working with the client’s needs in mind, we specified 120 pieces of EF2000 fixtures for the MHA Mahindra Stadium. This effectively increased illumination intensity to 1,500 lux without compromising on energy-efficiency and light pollution. The project was completed in just 55 days. At GE, we are committed to bringing green and innovative solutions to our clients that would make the world work better.”

Mr. Gurubax Singh Grewal, Mumbai Hockey Association Honorary Secretary added: “We are very pleased with GE’s lighting solution and have enjoyed the experience of working with its dedicated team of people. Following the revamp, the MHA Mahindra Stadium was chosen out of eight venues across India for the final game of the 2012 Bridgestone World Series Hockey. The widely watched finals has since been successfully held at the stadium and broadcasted across 30 countries on multiple media platforms.”

Playing Games Under Quality Lighting
The MHA Mahindra Stadium was fitted with 120 pieces of GE Lighting’s EF2000 fixtures. The EF2000 fixtures are available for various light distributions and can be applied as sports lighting to extensive areas such as stadiums, recreational areas, airport aprons, racecourses, open-air car parks, etc. and high-roofed large premises such as sports pavilions.

With GE Lighting’s new solution, there is now a greater uniformity of lights illuminating the stadium grounds. Lighting pollution to the neighboring area was also successfully controlled and games may now be played at any time without restrictions. GE’s solution for the stadium also met the Televised Event Norms lighting requirements of 1500 lux, U1 0.7, U2 0.8, as specified by the International Hockey Federation.

Reaping the Benefits
On an operating level, the Mumbai Hockey Association will enjoy estimated savings of US$4,500 per annum in terms of energy usage (~26% reduction) and maintenance (~30% fewer lamps replaced). This translates to a payback period of less than 0.5 years. From an environmental standpoint, the energy savings is equivalent to eliminating approximately 39,000 lbs of carbon dioxide car emissions per year, or creating 4.9 acres of new trees.

GE’s EF2000 fixtures provide quality and uniform light for hockey players at the MHA Mahindra Stadium in Mumbai, India.