New LED lighting Saves Oban Leisure Centre Over £2,000 a Month

LED lighting is ideal for lighting leisure and sports facilities – bright, clear light supports a safe, enjoyable environment for keeping fit.

LED specialist Earlsmann recently provided new LED lighting for the Atlantis Leisure Centre in Oban, Scotland. The new LEDs are creating an energising atmosphere for leisure centre users and staff, while achieving savings of around 70% compared to the old lighting.

Before: the swimming pool was underlit, negatively affecting swimmers’ safety and comfort	After: new LED lighting creates bright, uniform light, boosting safety and providing an energising environment

Replacing traditional swimming pool lighting with LEDs – a bright investment

Earlsmann was contacted by the Atlantis Leisure Centre’s General Manager to provide a quote for replacement lighting across the centre. The client recognised that the old lighting was no longer effective or energy efficient, and approached Earlsmann for help due to its strong track record on similar projects. The complete project included swimming pool lighting, sports hall lighting, squash courts, gym lighting, fitness and dance studios, LED office lighting and back of house areas. The swimming pool was a priority as it was noticeably underlit – affecting visibility for swimmers and lifeguards.

Effective design optimises LED lighting efficiency

Earlsmann modelled the new LED lighting design for the swimming pool based on its new ‘Spalding’ floodlight as the main light source. The lighting units were faced down to maximise energy savings. The modelling process helped to ensure fittings were angled to direct light into the water, providing lifeguarding staff with great visibility and improving swimmer comfort and safety. The design achieves light levels of 300 lux, with excellent uniformity.

For the sports hall, Earlsmann modelled the lighting solution to provide 400 lux across the entire hall – supporting safe play and peak performance across a wide range of sports including badminton, netball and football.  Earlsmann is experienced in following LED lighting requirements for sports facilities (eg CIBSE), and tailors lighting to meet specific guidelines for individual sports.

Minimising remedial work to enable cost-effective, seamless installation

For the pool, Earlsmann adapted its Spalding units to provide a bespoke asymmetric floodlight that could be placed in the existing light fitting positions, minimising the need for remedial work. In the sports hall, Earlsmann used its high bay units, fitted with reflectors to reduce glare. The leisure centre’s regular local contractor was able to install the lighting quickly and efficiently, with minimal disruption to staff and users.

Grant funding supports initial investment in LEDs

The customer secured a grant to help fund the new lighting. The availability of funding depended on having the lighting installed by mid-July. Earlsmann supported this objective by delivering all lighting to site well ahead of the deadline. After the first month the centre’s electricity bill decreased as forecast – saving over £2,000 a month, providing payback within two years and reducing the centre’s carbon footprint by 105 tonnes a year.

Nick Wesley, General Manager at Atlantis, said; “Simon Thornton from Earlsmann offered a professional and efficient service from start to finish. He provided lighting designs for our large multi-function leisure facility, ensuring we had the correct lighting levels for all the different types of sports. The lighting has made a huge difference, offering modern white light and significant savings.”

Earlsmann – your experienced partner in creating total LED lighting solutions

Earlsmann has many years’ experience in the LED marketplace, providing a comprehensive range of lighting solutions to suit every interior and exterior application. In-house designers use Relux modelling to create innovative solutions tailored to client requirements.

To find out more about Earlsmann’s commercial LED lighting products and to discuss your funding options, please call us on 08456 434 740 or email sales@earlsmann.co.uk.

You might also want to take a look at our LED lighting services for Leisure Centres.