Lights, camera, savings, for Malta High Gym

In the last week of May, Malta High School's Gymnasium acquired a new look. No logos were changed, the floor also looks the same, but with a major difference, a new light system; a system that Malta Electric Contractors owner Steve Cole believes will save the school up to $15,000 a year.

"We're replacing all of the existing fluorescent lighting in the gymnasium with current LED technology," Cole told the PCN.

While the lighting was decent compared to many Montana schools, the lighting produced an artificial tone, something the new lights will correct.

"The first thing you're going to notice is that the light gives you true color," Cole said. "When you look at colors under LED lighting you notice that there's none of the yellow effect you get under fluorescent lighting."

Not only will athletes and spectators be able to see clearer, apparently the new light system will be more cost effective.

"And the energy efficiency is probably about three times better than what compact fluorescents are currently giving," Cole said. "Overall, when this project is completed it should save the school $15,000 with the gym lighting and hallway lighting."

Cole mentioned that the savings were an estimate from the power company.

Though the school will likely save money, the quality of light will also be better as a whole.

"The current light output at the floor is 58 foot candles and when we're done it will be 93 foot candles at the floor," he said.

The Malta gymnasium can be seen on television throughout the high school sports year, and this season the quality of video and photos should improve for the various reporters and even social media use that will happen in future games.

"They said it will be ideal for any video or photography," Cole said.

The lights over the gym floor weren't the only ones changed. The lights over the spectator sections were also changed.

"We're removing two of the outside rows so instead of having four rows of lighting, you'll only end up with two rows of lighting on the exterior," Cole said. "Over the floor it's a one for one replacement."

The spectator sections will also feature an auto-off switch that will turn off the overhead lights when a section is not occupied.

There are approximately 32 200-watt LED lights over the gym floor, which was previously 32 compact fluorescent lights that had 40 watts in each bulb, and each fixture had 8 bulbs, meaning a total of 32 320-watt bulbs.

The lights in the corral and front offices were also changed. Each new light will be LED, which according to Cole, also means the cost of replacing the lights will go down in theory.

"It's so much more efficient and the life-span of the fixture is longer," "I can't even calculate how much less their maintenance costs will be, not having to chance ballast or bulbs."

Though the gym is relatively new, the change of lighting is a testament of how quick technology has changed.

"This building isn't even 20 years old and these are already obsolete," Cole said. "They can't buy ballasts for these and they were the newest thing on the market when this building was being was built. So that tells you how far lighting has come in twenty years."