LEDs in Major Eco Revamp at Edgbaston Stadium

• Content
• Products & Projects
• LEDs in Major Eco Revamp at Edgbaston Stadium

24 January 2023 | Updated 25 January 2023

Edgbaston has launched a new phase of a major low-energy lighting switchover that will see LED fittings and strips installed across parts of the 25,000-seater stadium.

The move will see hundreds of older lights removed from all main hospitality and banqueting suites, plus the members pavilion, and replaced with state-of-the-art, low-energy alternatives.

A total of 476 LED fittings are being installed in several suites, including the 1882, Chairs Lounge and Warwickshire Suite, in this project's latest phase. The project will ensure the portfolio meets the UK's new regulations for compulsory energy-efficient lighting across the nation's properties.

It’s part of a wider sustainability drive that’s seen Edgbaston introduce initiatives such as energy-efficient electric boilers, automated lighting management systems, electric pitch maintenance equipment and rainwater harvesting.

 

"The life cycle of the LEDs is 50,000 hours which based on current usage would be a 17-year life span per fitting compared to just three years with the outgoing bulbs.”

 

– Jonathan Wiggin
Stadium Head of Facilities, Edgbaston

 

Through the Roof Efficiency

 

Edgbaston Stadium Head of Facilities Jonathan Wiggin, said: “This has been introduced as a phased installation and the current phase of nearly 500 lights will show a saving of 21,348kWh in year one.

“That equates to nearly £4,200 a year so a significant saving. And we will be looking to swap out many more, including strip lights, in the next phases.

“There are also considerable maintenance savings as well. The life cycle of the LEDs is 50,000 hours which based on current usage would be a 17-year life span per fitting compared to just three years with the outgoing bulbs.”

Edgbaston appointed its first Head of Sustainability last October as the Club pushes ahead with ambitious carbon-neutral targets over the coming years.

In the last 12 months the stadium has switched to exclusively renewable energy sources, reduced waste by 33 per cent, and now run kitchens free from air-freighted produce.

All Edgbaston delegates are offered stationery made from recycled materials – that’s saved 500,000 plastic alternatives in 2021, equating to seven tonnes – and the Club partners with the charity Let’s Feed Brum to distribute excess food to people in the city.

 

Sustainable Ethos

 

In addition, more than 80 per cent of all fruit and vegetables used in stadium kitchens are sourced from sustainable partners, with some even coming directly from the Club’s own on-site allotment.

Head of Sustainability Lydia Carrington (pic), said: “The LED rollout is just one aspect of a wider focus on green initiatives.

“We’ve a carbon-neutral goal for the stadium by 2030. We’ve set ourselves ambitious targets because we are determined to make real progress in this area.

“As a prominent local business we should be setting the bar on sustainability and working with suppliers to offer visitors what they want in a sustainable way. We’re operating an ever-growing number of sustainability projects and systems to support our ambition.”

The UK began phasing out the sale of higher-energy halogen lightbulbs in 2018, with the sale of halogen bulbs for general household use in the UK banned from September 2021.

High-energy fluorescent lightbulbs are next to follow suit, with all T5 and T8 fluorescent lamps being banned in the UK from 2023. Next, from September 2023, all halogen pins (G4, GY6.35 and G9) will be prohibited from placing on the market.

T5 and T8 lamps have been popular lighting options globally since their widespread adoption in the 1980s. Trade association LightingEurope urged facilities managers to hurry their buildings’ transition to LED lighting systems, ahead of the August 2023 deadline.

 

Picture: an operative fitting the lights. Image credit: Edgbaston.

Article written by Bailey Sparkes | Published 24 January 2023

Share

---

---

Related Articles

---