Photo Credit: Marylebone Cricket Club
IN A SIGNIFICANT BOOST FOR ITS SUSTAINABILITY EFFORTS, MCC HAS PARTNERED WITH ABACUS LIGHTING TO UPGRADE THE EXISTING METAL HALIDE FLOODLIGHTING SYSTEM AT LORD’S, TO STATE-OF-THE-ART LED TECHNOLOGY.
Lord’s will become the first UK men’s Test Ground to make the switch to LED floodlights.
LED floodlights are significantly more energy efficient than the existing floodlights, and are fully recyclable. Additionally, LED lighting is highly directional, meaning the amount of glare, and in turn light pollution, emitted by the floodlights will be reduced considerably.
The work to install Abacus Lighting’s Challenger Mako floodlight has been ongoing since December and will be completed in time for the Middlesex v Glamorgan Vitality County Championship fixture which begins on Friday 5 April, the first game of the 2024 season at Lord’s.
Abacus Lighting, a leading provider of innovative lighting solutions, has been at the forefront of lighting technology for decades. The transition from traditional metal halide lighting to LED is part of Abacus’s ongoing commitment to delivering cutting-edge lighting solutions to our clients while promoting environmental responsibility.
The Challenger Mako floodlight was chosen by Abacus due to its lightweight fitting, which makes it ideal for elite sporting arena retrofit solutions and provides the highest power output from the lowest possible weight.
MCC worked with Abacus to ensure that the new floodlights have a sustainable impact whilst meeting the lighting controls required by Westminster City Council (WCC) and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).
“THE NEW LED FLOODLIGHTING SYSTEM IS ONE OF THE MANY AREAS THAT WE’RE UPGRADING TO HELP MAKE LORD’S MORE SUSTAINABLE AND ENERGY EFFICIENT”
Robert Ebdon, Estates Director at MCC, said: “Reducing energy consumption across the Lord’s estate is a key priority for the Club as we work towards our goal of being carbon neutral by 2030 and Net Zero by 2040, if not earlier.
“The new LED floodlighting system is one of the many areas that we’re upgrading to help make Lord’s more sustainable and energy efficient while also improving our visitors’ and local residents’ experience. We’re the first men’s UK Test ground to install LED floodlights that will reduce glare while enhancing visibility and clarity, giving spectators and players a brighter and more consistent lighting experience, providing optimal conditions for world-class cricket.”
Chris Anderson, Sales Director at Abacus Lighting, said: “It’s an honour for Abacus to further enhance our longstanding relationship with Marylebone Cricket Club and upgrade our original lighting installation. The Challenger Mako LED floodlight brings the latest lighting technology to Lord’s, offering the highest power output to lowest weight and optically has been specifically designed for Elite Cricket Stadia, which will improve lighting levels to the latest ECB lighting specifications whilst offering significant energy savings over the existing metal halide lighting system.
“The specification criteria at Lord’s were stringent, where it was required to improve the lighting levels to the field of play in line with the latest ECB standards, reduce energy consumption, and ensure the current Abacus Telescopic lighting masts operated within capacity whilst controlling the lighting to Westminster planning guidelines. All of this requires the market leading specialist products and services Abacus can offer, to deliver another world class lighting solution to the Home of Cricket.”
