Braintree Hockey Club – LED Floodlighting Upgrade

Project Overview

SJB Floodlighting completed an LED floodlighting upgrade at Braintree Hockey Club’s Four Releet Sports Ground in Braintree, Essex, replacing the existing metal halide floodlighting system serving the club’s hockey pitch.

Braintree Hockey Club is an established Essex hockey club offering hockey for a wide range of ages and abilities. The club operates multiple men’s and ladies’ teams alongside junior hockey and a range of recreational formats, providing opportunities for players across the local community.

The Four Releet is the club’s home facility, making reliable and effective floodlighting an important part of supporting its programme of training and competitive fixtures.

The Existing Floodlighting

The project involved upgrading the existing 24 metal halide floodlights, which had an approximate total electrical load of 50.8kW.

The existing system was replaced with a modern LED solution designed around a 350-lux lighting level, providing an efficient and reliable lighting system for the hockey pitch.

LED Floodlighting Installation

SJB Floodlighting installed 12 Philips Lighting BVP 528 T35 A35-NB LED floodlights onto the existing floodlighting columns.

The existing columns were retained, with their configuration adjusted where necessary to accommodate the new LED fittings. New crossarms were supplied where required, while the existing cabling, switchgear infrastructure and control arrangements were reused where suitable.

New LED operating equipment and flexible cabling were installed, together with alterations to the column base switchgear to accommodate the new system.

The floodlights were accurately aimed in accordance with the computer-generated lighting design to achieve the required 350-lux illumination across the hockey pitch.

Significant Energy Reduction

One of the key benefits of the upgrade was the substantial reduction in the electrical power required to operate the floodlighting.

The original system consumed approximately 50.8kW, while the new LED installation requires just 18.07kW.

This represents a saving of approximately:

• 32.73kW of electrical demand

• 50 amps

• 61% reduction in energy consumption

The substantial reduction in power consumption provides the club with the potential for significantly lower ongoing running costs, while also reducing the energy consumption associated with evening use of the facility.

Specialist Installation and Commissioning

The works were undertaken by SJB Floodlighting using specialist equipment to safely access the floodlights at the top of the existing columns.

Following installation, each column was function tested before the complete system was tested and commissioned. An after-dark illumination test was also undertaken to verify the lighting performance against the design requirements.

The completed installation was tested in accordance with BS 7671, with operational instructions provided for the club’s staff.

A More Efficient Hockey Facility

The completed LED upgrade provides Braintree Hockey Club with a modern and significantly more energy-efficient floodlighting system, helping support the club’s extensive programme of adult, junior and recreational hockey.

By replacing the existing metal halide fittings with LED technology while retaining much of the existing infrastructure, SJB Floodlighting delivered a substantial reduction in energy consumption alongside a modern lighting solution designed specifically for the requirements of the hockey pitch.