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CXL Series Lighting Fixtures Cut Sheets
Flagstaff Arizona Volleyball Court Lighting Photometric

Project Details
In March of 2009, RLLD Commercial Lighting was contacted by an athletic club located in Flagstaff, Arizona.  The club had a substantial membership and was interested in upgrading their volleyball court lighting system.  Their existing layout consisted of a 4-court sand volleyball court commercial facility used by local leagues for games and tournaments.  Over the years, the lighting had deteriorated, and the club management had decided it was time to purchase replacements.

Challenges Client Was Facing
The system they had was woefully inadequate for a multi-directional, fast moving sport such as volleyball.  The original court lighting system was comprised of nothing more than a set of wooden poles and quartz halogen lamps.  Our first task was to increase foot candles in all play areas, but there were two things we had to keep in mind while doing so.  One of these considerations was state dark sky laws.  Arizona has some of the most restrictive lighting regulations in the nation, so it was necessary for us to extensively study the lighting code book from the City of Flagstaff to find the most appropriate equipment options.

The second challenge was finances.  Our client was operating on a very tight budget.  Over the years, the cost of maintaining the club had continued to rise, but membership had remained relatively the same.  The client requested that we propose two volleyball court lighting systems at different price points so they could determine which one would be most affordable and simultaneously effective.

Design Considerations
The 4-court layout was something of a challenge for our design team.  Because of safety concerns, it offered us absolutely no room to install interior light poles.  We would therefore have to mount all volleyball court light fixtures on perimeter poles. 

While this would cause the interior court boundaries to experience slightly lower levels than rest of court surface, the foot candles levels would still meet acceptable safety minimums.

Photometric Analysis Software Helped To Develop A Custom Lighting Plan Based On Iesna Standards.

In order to accomplish our objective, we had to maintain an average of 24 foot candles throughout the entirety of all four courts.  We proposed two different layouts—an 8-pole layout, and a 4-pole layout.  We strongly discouraged the client from going with the 4-pole system because the luminance levels were sub-par at best.  However, dealing with the club’s tight budget, we wanted to explore all possibilities.  

With the 8-pole lighting system, we were able to achieve a max to min ratio of 2.3: 1.   We were also able to show the client a rendered 3D view of this superior option in order to fully illustrate its capabilities.

Final System Proposed
For luminaires, we chose full cut off CXL Series light fixtures that were specifically designed for all volleyball court lighting situations.  Although the cost was higher, the client eventually decided to invest in the 8-pole layout.  The simple design of the equipment fit with the club aesthetics, the CXL series lighting fixtures met with all dark sky regulations, and the wind load capacitance of the new system was well within acceptable limits.  

We completed this project by assisting the local electrical contractor with the proper placement, orientation, and installation of equipment.  With exception of the minor delay posed by an issue with the local freight company, everyone involved with the project was very pleased with the results.