Princeton University had a problem with their legacy lighting at DeNunzio Pool. Their 400W metal halide fixtures under-lit the space per NCAA guidelines and were difficult to maintain, suspended 40 feet above the water surface. Each fixture was supported by an electric pulley system that would raise and lower the fixtures for re-lamping and ballast replacement maintenance. Over time, the chlorinated air corroded the pulley electrical connections and some of the fixtures were unable to be lowered for service. The discontinued pulley system was unable to be repaired or replaced. As a result, Princeton Facilities was required to install costly scaffolding to maintain the lighting and was restricted to a three year service schedule when the pool is drained for resurfacing and maintenance.
In 2017, Circadia worked with a lighting manufacturer to create a solution that not only improved the lighting, increasing foot candles to NCAA’s recommended competitive broadcast levels but also took into account future maintenance considerations. The new LED lighting system provided direct and indirect illumination with outstanding uniformity at the water surface. Each fixture was strategically aimed and mounted along the catwalk for easy access. Taking safety into account, the fixture mounting brackets retract back onto the catwalk for safe maintenance of the LED boards. This eliminated the maintenance challenges and future scaffolding costs associated with the existing fixture locations . The LED drivers were also remotely located at the end of the catwalk in sealed cabinets nearest the access stairway for ease of access.
The new LED lighting system includes a 0-10V dimming control system with preset energy saving scenes to include; recreation, practice and competition output levels. In addition, several special effect chasing and strobing scenes were included for use during water polo goals and diver/swimmer introductions. This feature has been a huge hit at recent swim meets and sets this facility apart from others. Lastly, the controls system relays maintenance information via the gateway back to the manufacturer for realtime monitoring of fixture health and necessary warranty repair on a granular per fixture basis.