St Peter’s School, York – LED Sports Floodlighting Installation

Project Overview

Founded in AD 627, St Peter’s School is recognised as the fourth-oldest school in the world. Its history is closely connected with York Minster, with both institutions founded by St Paulinus of York in the same year. Today, the school continues that connection as the choir school for York Minster.

Against that remarkable historical setting, the school operates a highly active modern sports programme. Its 50-acre York campus supports 15 different sports and around 250 sports teams, with facilities including multi-surface pitches, sports centres, extensive playing fields, tennis and netball courts and other specialist sporting facilities.

SJB Floodlighting completed a major sports floodlighting installation at St Peter’s School, providing a modern LED lighting system for one of the school’s principal sports pitches.The floodlighting project provides the school with improved access to its sports facilities during the darker autumn and winter months.

High-Level LED Floodlighting

The installation uses eight 15-metre-high galvanised steel Abacus raise-and-lower columns, providing the height required to achieve effective coverage of the pitch while allowing the lighting equipment to be safely accessed for maintenance.

Mounted across the eight columns are 16 Philips BVP 528 asymmetric-beam LED floodlights.

The floodlights incorporate LO optics, selected to help minimise the impact of the lighting on the surrounding environment while providing the required illumination across the playing area.

The use of asymmetric LED optics allows the lighting to be directed towards the playing surface rather than unnecessarily illuminating areas outside the pitch.

Lighting Controls

A dedicated control system was installed to provide practical operation of the floodlighting system.

The installation incorporates local floodlighting control switchgear housed within a weatherproof pillar positioned adjacent to the pitch entrance. A timeswitch was also incorporated to ensure the lighting operates in accordance with the permitted hours of use.

The floodlights can be operated manually from a remote control position adjacent to the double gate, with the system arranged so that the pitch lighting can be switched in separate halves. This provides greater flexibility when the entire pitch does not require illumination.

Electrical Installation

SJB installed suitably sized XLPE/SWA/PVC cabling between the new switchgear and the floodlighting columns.

The electrical installation included the sub-main supply to the weatherproof control pillar

and an amenity light to provide safe access and egress to the pitch together with a socket outlet mounted on the control pillar.

Designed for a Historic School with a Modern Sporting Programme

St Peter’s combination of historic surroundings and extensive modern sporting activity made this a particularly interesting floodlighting project.

The school describes its sporting philosophy as combining participation with high performance, with opportunities ranging from recreational participation through to national-level competition. Its sporting facilities support hockey, cricket, rugby, rowing, netball, tennis, swimming and numerous other activities.

Hockey is particularly prominent within the school's sporting programme, with pupils and teams regularly competing at regional and national level.

Providing reliable, high-quality floodlighting therefore plays an important role in allowing the school's sporting facilities to be used effectively when natural daylight is limited.

Abacus Raise-and-Lower Floodlighting Columns

The eight Abacus 15-metre galvanised steel raise-and-lower columns provide the structural mounting points for the 16 LED floodlights.

The raise-and-lower arrangement also provides an important practical advantage for long-term maintenance. Lighting equipment can be lowered for inspection and servicing without requiring routine access to the floodlights at full column height.

SJB's installation team is trained and certificated in the use of column raising and lowering equipment, supporting the safe maintenance of this type of installation.

Testing and Commissioning

Following installation, SJB tested and commissioned the complete floodlighting system.

The electrical installation was tested in accordance with BS 7671, while illumination levels were recorded following commissioning. The floodlights were re-aimed where necessary to achieve the required lighting performance.

Record drawings and operating manuals were provided as part of the completion documentation.

SJB Floodlighting

The project was delivered by SJB Floodlighting as a specialist electrical contractor experienced in sports and exterior lighting installations.

SJB is an NICEIC Approved Contractor for street and exterior lighting and maintenance of electrical installations, with installations subject to annual auditing. The company also holds CHAS and SafeContractor acceptance.

The installation team includes CSCS-qualified personnel, electricians qualified in testing and inspection and operatives trained in the safe use of raise-and-lower column systems. Enhanced DBS checks are also carried out for operatives working around children and young people.

Project Summary

The St Peter's School project combines modern LED sports lighting technology with the specialist requirements of a major educational sporting facility.

The completed installation includes:

• Eight 15-metre Abacus galvanised steel raise-and-lower columns

• 16 Philips BVP 528 asymmetric LED floodlights

• LO optics to help minimise unwanted light spill

• Dedicated local floodlighting control switchgear

• Separate half-pitch switching

• Timeswitch control

• Pitch amenity lighting

• External socket outlet

• BS 7671 electrical testing

• Lux testing

The result is a modern, controllable and maintainable LED floodlighting system supporting the sporting activities of one of York's most historic educational institutions.