TECHNOLOGY & FACILITIES
St. Vrain Saves Big with
LED Retrofit
By Brandon Rosas, Musco Lighting
St. Vrain Valley School District (SVVSD) in Longmont is Colorado’s seventhlargest school district and is committed to pursuing energy efficiency and sustainability at its facilities. One such initiative took place recently at Everly-Montgomery Field, which was earmarked for a lighting upgrade during renovations to Longmont High School. Named for two legendary Longmont coaches and hosting sporting events for four of SVVSD’s high schools, EverlyMontgomery Field was lit in 2003 with a metal halide system from Musco Lighting. Because of the stadium’s frequent use and advances in sports 26 • Colorado Byline | Spring 2022
lighting technology, the district wanted to upgrade to an LED system that could offer enhancements and benefits not possible with the existing metal halide light source. Fortunately, the local energy company’s Efficiency Works program offered a generous rebate on energy-efficient lighting upgrades. To qualify for a rebate, a lighting project would need to significantly reduce energy consumption and comply with new Boulder County lighting regulations, which dictate that light fixtures must be angled downwards and not spill light onto nearby roads or residences.
To secure the rebate, SVVSD looked at various sports lighting manufacturers and discovered there were vast differences in the performance of different LED systems, especially in terms of controlling spill light and glare. Ultimately, the district found that Musco’s TLC for LED® system would provide the light control it needed without sacrificing performance. Project leaders chose to retrofit a new TLC for LED system, which was customdesigned to Everly-Montgomery Field’s specifications, onto the stadium’s existing poles. The factory-aimed fixtures produce the desired light levels
