Background

Gravesham Community Leisure Limited (GCLL) was established in 1999 and operates on a not for profit basis. It is there for all for the benefit of the local communities it serves. There are three locations: Cascades, Cygnet and Swanscombe. Facilities include exercise facilities, swimming lessons, mindfulness, relaxation and nutrition advice.

Initial project was to improve the sports hall. It is designed for a multitude of sports such as basketball, netball, football, badminton, fencing etc.

Challenge

The lighting at the leisure centre was conventional technology and was not the best anymore with roughly 6 fittings not working. and the rest average at best. The LED upgrade made a massive difference. With a focus on carbon emissions and energy efficiency, it was time to upgrade the installation to the latest technology. With part of the lamps failing the need for a change was urgent. At the same time there was a wish to improve the quality of light.

Solution

It was beyond discussion that the installation would be upgraded to LED. Nevertheless, there is a wide choice on the market. Holophane Haloprism luminaires were used for the high performance ‘volumetric’ lighting; it produces very high levels in the vertical plane, making it ideal for sports activities. At the same time is the glare reduced by using frosted prismatic glass.

To avoid the lights being on 24/7 (as was often the case with the old HID installation) a control system was required. Simple on/off was an option, but as various activities require different light levels, a more advanced solution was opted for.

The Mymesh wireless control system was integrated in each luminaire, and the space is covered with PIR for movement detection. The system switches automatically to 50% brightness and will time out after 15 minutes of absence. A remote switch can override the automatic system and set the lighting to 4 different scenes (25%, 50%, 75% and 100%).

The wireless sensors and switches are battery operated. This makes it extremely easy for installation, and the 10 to 15 year battery life all but eliminates maintenance.

Benefits

The upgraded lighting increases the light levels and improves the vertical visual performance, all while saving energy compared to the old installation. Further reductions of the carbon foot print are achieved by automatically controlling the installation. The override enables the user to select the right light level for the activity.

Furthermore, the scalability of the system makes it easy to implement the planned future lighting upgrades in other areas in the building.