In support of energy reduction initiatives underway at the Naval Support Activity Annapolis and the US Naval Academy, Ephesus Lighting Inc., the industry leader in LED lighting for sports facilities, has been selected under two contracts to install energy efficient and high-quality LED lighting at seven outdoor sports complexes, three indoor sports arenas and five additional outdoor locations on Naval Support Activity Annapolis. The announcement was made by Amy Casper, CEO of Ephesus Lighting, and Lieutenant Commander Cristopher Neish, Energy Officer, Public Works Department Annapolis.

 “We are honored to begin the conversion of these naval facilities in Annapolis to high-quality energy-efficient and maintenance-free LED lighting,” said Ms. Casper. “We commend the Naval Academy for understanding the benefits of LED lighting and stepping into the future for the benefit for their athletes, fans and facility managers. We are also excited to showcase our industry leading wireless communication system, developed by our partner Anaren Corporation, to control the new LED sports lights.”

Through the first contract, Ephesus will replace the antiquated metal halide and high pressure sodium lighting systems with less than half the number of Ephesus Stadium fixtures, while dramatically increasing the lighting quality at seven outdoor sports complexes including: the Glenn Warner Soccer Stadium, a 16,300 square foot facility with seating for 2,500 fans and home of the US Naval Academy’s Men’s and Women’s NCAA Division 1 Soccer teams; the Tose Tennis Center at the Brigade Sports Complex which features six outdoor tennis courts used for recreational play and serves as the home courts for the US Naval Academy’s Men’s and Women’s NCAA Division 1 tennis teams;Dewey Field, a soccer and lacrosse practice field; Farragut Field, which hosts lacrosse, sprint football and extracurricular recreation activities for midshipmen; Sherman Field, used for Brigade intramurals and physical education; and a pair of baseball fields maintained by the Morale Wellness and Recreation department at Naval Support Activity Annapolis which are used by active duty service members and dependents. Under this same contract, Ephesus Lighting will also provide LED outdoor fixtures to illuminate five non-sports venues at the Naval Academy including the Chapel Dome, the center section of the Bancroft Hall façade, the Dahlgren Hall high bay lights, and the water front operations area and the skeet range at NSA Annapolis.

The second contract calls for Ephesus to install LED lighting at three indoor sports arenas. These include: Wesley Brown Field House which serves as the home arena for men’s and women’s Division 1 NCAA track & field and Division 1 NCAA wrestling, women’s volleyball, an indoor turf practice field, as well as to support the overall physical education mission and midshipmen recreation; Halsey Field House, the indoor practice arena for Men’s and Women’s NCAA Division 1 Basketball and men’s NCAA Division 1 squash, and includes an indoor turf practice field used by football, lacrosse, soccer, baseball, and support for physical education; Alumni Hall, which is the host site of men’s and women’s NCAA Division 1 basketball teams, men’s NCAA Division 1 wrestling team and women’s volleyball, as well as indoor concerts, symposiums, conference, lectures, and a general assembly area for the Brigade of Midshipmen.

“Energy reduction strategies comes in many forms, but with these initiatives we improve energy efficiency, energy culture, and energy security while reducing our electricity bill and maintenance costs,” explains LCDR Neish. “Unlike current lighting technologies in use which require a lengthy warm-up period, this system offers the capability to illuminate fully at the flick of a switch or when a sensor detects a building occupant. This feature will allow the Navy to save additional energy by only fully illuminating the field houses when needed instead of all day long,” says LCDR Neish.

Since lighting the first sports venue with LED technology in North America in 2012, Ephesus Lighting luminaires have been operational for over 70,000 hours in more than 30 indoor and outdoor sports and entertainment venues across North America. Some of these other facilities include: University of Phoenix Stadium, home of Arizona Cardinals and the 2015 Super Bowl; the Canadian Tire Centre, home of the NHL’s Ottawa Senators; Duke University’s Williams Field at Jack Katz Stadium; and The Ryan Center at the University of Rhode Island.

LED lighting provides brighter and more uniform light which eliminates shadows on the playing surface, creating a better stage for players as well as for both fans in the stadium and those watching on high-definition television. Ephesus manufactures the brightest LED on the market and is the only stadium-designed lighting listed under Design Light Consortium’s (DLC) quality, performance and energy efficiency requirements. The DLC certification enables facilities to receive energy incentives from utility providers.