Dr.Sack Posted February 15, 2017 Share Posted February 15, 2017 Sounds like this is a proposed project. Not only will it save on energy and maintenance, but also result in better light levels down at the field level. Will better lighting result in more home victories? New Era Field, New Field Lighting Friday, January 6, 2017New Era field (previously known as Ralph Wilson Stadium), located in Orchard Park, NY, is home to the National Football League’s Buffalo Bills. The stadium has undergone extensive renovation over the past several years. However, the field lighting at New Era Field has not been upgraded since 1999 and the lights have continuously dimmed since 2003. The current stadium field lighting consists of six (6) poles each with sixty (60) 2000 watt Metal Halide light fixtures. Because the lighting is so outdated, replacement fixtures are no longer available or manufactured. Constant maintenance and repair of the old fixtures is an ongoing problem. The lighting renovation project is being designed by Joe Hallmark, PE, a Senior Electrical Engineer at Watts Architecture & Engineering. Joe is proposing new LED light fixtures that will reduce the overall energy consumption by 425 KW. The new lights will greatly reduce maintenance frequency, thanks to a longer lamp life. The design will provide an average brightness of 215 footcandles (FC) compared to the existing measured footcandle level of 185 FC. The increased FC level will now meet the NFL lighting criteria and will provide good depth of field and increased visibility for the players and spectators. The well-lit field will also allow for increased resolution for TV camera lenses, meaning a better picture for viewers at home. https://watts-ae.com/about/news/article:12-21-2016-12-00am-new-field-lighting-new-era-field-2015-2016-year-4-capital-improvement-allowance-projects/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
todd Posted February 15, 2017 Share Posted February 15, 2017 Interesting. Sounds like a no-brainer. Cost isn't listed, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stussy109 Posted February 15, 2017 Share Posted February 15, 2017 Git'rDon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IslandBillsFan Posted February 15, 2017 Share Posted February 15, 2017 Sounds like a good idea. However...... I understand the Bills are still considering New Era their home for several more years. The writing is on the wall though that at some point they will build a new stadium and move there. Whenever that time comes the old Ralph will essentially become useless. At some point the renovations they are going through now and planning for the near future are pointless as the stadium will become obsolete. I guess part of it is a return on investment. Does the cost savings out weigh the cost of install if they move in 5 years? Also, unfortunately the Bills stink and the vast majority of home games are in the day. Even in the bleak winter games I have never thought lighting was an issue. If the 5 year ROI isn't there, I pass and use the money on other upgrades. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain_Quint Posted February 15, 2017 Share Posted February 15, 2017 Do it. I switched to LEDs in my house a couple years back and have no regrets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsxfirefighter Posted February 15, 2017 Share Posted February 15, 2017 Sounds like this is a proposed project. Not only will it save on energy and maintenance, but also result in better light levels down at the field level. Will better lighting result in more home victories? New Era Field, New Field LightingFriday, January 6, 2017New Era field (previously known as Ralph Wilson Stadium), located in Orchard Park, NY, is home to the National Football League’s Buffalo Bills. The stadium has undergone extensive renovation over the past several years. However, the field lighting at New Era Field has not been upgraded since 1999 and the lights have continuously dimmed since 2003. The current stadium field lighting consists of six (6) poles each with sixty (60) 2000 watt Metal Halide light fixtures. Because the lighting is so outdated, replacement fixtures are no longer available or manufactured. Constant maintenance and repair of the old fixtures is an ongoing problem. The lighting renovation project is being designed by Joe Hallmark, PE, a Senior Electrical Engineer at Watts Architecture & Engineering. Joe is proposing new LED light fixtures that will reduce the overall energy consumption by 425 KW. The new lights will greatly reduce maintenance frequency, thanks to a longer lamp life. The design will provide an average brightness of 215 footcandles (FC) compared to the existing measured footcandle level of 185 FC. The increased FC level will now meet the NFL lighting criteria and will provide good depth of field and increased visibility for the players and spectators. The well-lit field will also allow for increased resolution for TV camera lenses, meaning a better picture for viewers at home. https://watts-ae.com/about/news/article:12-21-2016-12-00am-new-field-lighting-new-era-field-2015-2016-year-4-capital-improvement-allowance-projects/ Am I missing something major? Overall consumption will be reduced by 425KW? 425KW per hour = a savings of roughly $76.50 per hour. One would think that LEDs would consume far less than a Halogen light bulb, and significantly less than the incondencent bulbs (which of course they dont use) Or is that horribly written and it should have indicated saving 425KW per hour per bulb so that would be multiplied by 6 poles by 60 lights: $76.50 * 6 poles * 60 lights= $27,540 in savings per hour x 8 hours (safe estimate) = $220,320 savings a game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FireChan Posted February 15, 2017 Share Posted February 15, 2017 215 FC's ain't enough to fix the Bills. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricojes Posted February 15, 2017 Share Posted February 15, 2017 (edited) Do it. I switched to LEDs in my house a couple years back and have no regrets. Does Terry know this? Might seal the deal... Edited February 15, 2017 by ricojes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papazoid Posted February 15, 2017 Share Posted February 15, 2017 i prefer soft white Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevewin Posted February 15, 2017 Share Posted February 15, 2017 Whaley has built this team around performing in poor lighting - there goes our poor lighting home field advantage. Another case of the owner being out of sync with the GM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhg Posted February 15, 2017 Share Posted February 15, 2017 17 seasons since the last lighting upgrade. Hmm. Coincidence? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffaloHokie13 Posted February 15, 2017 Share Posted February 15, 2017 17 seasons since the last lighting upgrade. Hmm. Coincidence? So you're saying the lights are about to come on? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boyst Posted February 15, 2017 Share Posted February 15, 2017 I always wonder about this stuff. Those energy bulbs yrs ago were acclaimed tk be so great. Meanwhile, they're terrible for the environment. How green is stuff like this just because it lasts longer? Old fashioned bulbs are extremely recyclable. These new ones not so much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr.Sack Posted February 15, 2017 Author Share Posted February 15, 2017 So you're saying the lights are about to come on? Only drawback I see is we will be making visibility better for opposing QBs. Could be worse against passing teams. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike in Horseheads Posted February 15, 2017 Share Posted February 15, 2017 Light a candle for the Bills... new motto Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jr1 Posted February 15, 2017 Share Posted February 15, 2017 they should use the lasers in Richie Incognito's school picture Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DriveFor1Outta5 Posted February 15, 2017 Share Posted February 15, 2017 (edited) Sounds like a good idea. However...... I understand the Bills are still considering New Era their home for several more years. The writing is on the wall though that at some point they will build a new stadium and move there. Whenever that time comes the old Ralph will essentially become useless. At some point the renovations they are going through now and planning for the near future are pointless as the stadium will become obsolete. I guess part of it is a return on investment. Does the cost savings out weigh the cost of install if they move in 5 years? Also, unfortunately the Bills stink and the vast majority of home games are in the day. Even in the bleak winter games I have never thought lighting was an issue. If the 5 year ROI isn't there, I pass and use the money on other upgrades. I know. I'd like to know the total cost of all improvements made to the stadium since 1998. It reminds me of someone holding on to an old car while spending thousands on repairs. Thousands that could have covered the cost of a new car when it's all said and done. Edited February 15, 2017 by DriveFor1Outta5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain_Quint Posted February 15, 2017 Share Posted February 15, 2017 Does Terry know this? Might seal the deal... Just shot him an email. I let him know a cool blue would be my choice. We'll see if mgmt has an ear to the ground or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
re enlightener Posted February 15, 2017 Share Posted February 15, 2017 Sounds like this is a proposed project. Not only will it save on energy and maintenance, but also result in better light levels down at the field level. maybe i should offer my services....im good at casting light on a range of subjects. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boater Posted February 15, 2017 Share Posted February 15, 2017 Permanent outdoor lighting is a capital asset a landlord is normally responsible for, ie: Erie County. If the Bills are paying for this, the landlord is ripping them off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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