Norton Hill School – LED Football Floodlighting Refurbishment

Project Overview

Norton Hill School is located in Midsomer Norton, Bath, and provides education for students in the local community. The school has extensive outdoor facilities, including sports pitches used for curriculum activities, training and extracurricular sport.

SJB Floodlighting was appointed to refurbish the existing football pitch floodlighting, replacing the ageing metal halide fittings with a modern LED system designed to provide 200 lux across the playing surface.

Existing Floodlighting System

The existing football pitch was illuminated by 24 metal halide floodlights mounted on the site’s existing floodlighting columns.

As part of the refurbishment, the existing columns were retained, the redundant metal halide floodlights and existing operating equipment were removed, while suitable existing cabling, switchgear infrastructure and controls were retained and reused where appropriate.

LED Floodlighting Upgrade

The new system comprised 12 × BVP 518 T35 A35-NB LED floodlights, installed onto the existing columns.

The floodlights were accurately positioned and aimed in accordance with the lux lighting design, providing an even and consistent level of illumination across the football pitch.

New LED drivers were installed within the column base compartments or attached to the floodlights, depending on the loading requirements of the individual columns. New flexible cables were also installed between the column bases and the replacement LED fittings.

The local switchgear within the column base cabinets was modified to accommodate the new LED system.

Significant Energy Reduction

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

The existing installation had an estimated direct energy consumption of approximately 50.9 kW. The new LED design reduced this to approximately 12.07 kW, representing a potential reduction of around 38.83 kW, or 76% when the system is operating at full power.

The LED floodlights also provide instant-on and instant-off operation, removing the warm-up period associated with the previous metal halide system.

This gives the school greater flexibility when operating the pitch and can provide further savings by allowing the floodlights to be switched off between bookings where there is a gap in use.

Specialist Installation

SJB Floodlighting used specialist access equipment, including its column raise-and-lower equipment, to safely access the floodlights at the top of the existing columns.

This allowed the redundant fittings to be removed and the new LED floodlights installed while retaining the school’s existing column infrastructure.

SJB’s installation team are trained in column raising and lowering operations, with all site staff appropriately qualified and trained for the works.

Testing and Commissioning

Following installation, each column was function tested before the complete floodlighting system was commissioned.

An after-dark illumination test was carried out to verify the lighting performance against the 200-lux design, with a report provided to the school.

The completed electrical installation was tested in accordance with BS 7671, with certification provided. Operational instruction and an operating manual were also supplied to assist school staff with the operation of the new system.

Remote Control Capability

The project was also designed with the potential for remote floodlight control, allowing authorised users to operate the system remotely using a PC or smart device, subject to suitable internet connectivity.

This type of control provides an additional opportunity to manage operating times around pitch bookings and helps ensure the floodlights are only used when required.

A More Efficient Football Pitch

The refurbishment has transformed Norton Hill School’s football pitch floodlighting, replacing its 24 traditional metal halide fittings with a modern 12-floodlight LED system designed to deliver 200 lux.

The significant reduction in operating power, combined with instant-on/instant-off performance and the ability to carefully manage operating periods, provides the school with a more efficient and flexible sports lighting solution.

By retaining the existing floodlighting columns and upgrading the lighting technology, SJB Floodlighting delivered a modernised football pitch lighting system designed to support the school’s sporting activities for years to come.