Users of the Ron Ebbesen Arena in Airdrie will notice its public areas are lit a little brighter, following the completion of an upgraded lighting system this December.
Earlier this month, the City of Airdrie completed the installation of new LED lighting, motion sensors, and motion switches in the facility’s dressing rooms, lobby, hallways, office spaces, the upstairs lounge, and the BGC Airdrie youth club’s headquarters.
Lighting inside the arena above the ice surface was upgraded last year and Brad Anderson, the general manager at Genesis Place Recreation Centre, hopes the recent upgrade will have the same effect of an improved user experience.
“As soon as we upgraded [the arena], it was a huge improvement and we heard that from so many of the different users, how it just felt like a brand new rink with the new lighting fixtures,” Anderson said.
The recent upgrade has significantly improved lighting levels in the rest of the facility, according to Anderson, and will enhance the user experience by improving visibility, safety, and security.
On top of that, he said the recent upgrade reduces utility and maintenance costs, estimated at $3,790 per year. He added monthly utilities are among the highest costs associated with operating the City’s arenas, which include Genesis Place, the Ron Ebbesen Arena, and Plainsman Arena.
“Administration has strived in recent years to invest in projects that both lower our operational costs while enhancing the experience of our residents and sport users,” Anderson said.
The lights previously installed in the facility were incandescent, which drew more energy and lasted a fraction of an LED bulb’s lifespan. Maintenance staff used to spend a lot of time replacing bulbs, whereas now, Anderson said LED bulbs can last anywhere from 15 to 20 years before needing to be replaced.
“It will be a long time before we have to replace any fixtures in our recreation facilities now that we've done Genesis Place, as well as the Ron Ebbesen,” he said.
The Ron Ebbesen Arena is an older arena, and the LEDs alone will drastically improve the LUX (luminous flux) level within a lot of the public areas, Anderson added.
The Municipal Climate Change Action Centre (MCCAC) Recreation Energy Conservation (REC) program provided 64 per cent of the funding needed to complete this project, or $73,631.25. The entire project had a price tag of $113,750.
“The project was also nearly 70 per cent grant funded so to get that kind of return, when you're using a lot of grant dollars and not a whole bunch of Airdrie taxpayer dollars, I think is a double win for the City and the users,” Anderson said.
The REC program helps municipally-owned recreation facilities reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions by providing financial rebates to help identify energy-saving opportunities and implement energy-saving projects, according to the City of Airdrie website.
Anderson noted the City has used MCCAC REC program funds for other local projects, like adding solar panels and lighting upgrades at Genesis Place.
Lights in Genesis Place were upgraded last year and this recent project was a continuation of the City’s follow-through on a different grant opportunity, according to Anderson. He said the project started this past summer and the final fixtures were replaced in December.
