At Bell Creek Middle School and Liberty Middle School in Virginia, USA, outdated theatrical lighting systems have recently been renovated to create a more cost-effective and user-friendly design that can accommodate different events.
Barbizon Capitol worked with the Hanover County Public school system to upgrade the 1960s equipment and installed a new design using AP-150 RGBW Par LED luminaires from Altman Lighting.
The previous system consisted of old border lights powered by resistance dimmers and switchboards. Barbizon was focused on bringing in a dependable technology that could be used in a variety of applications. Knowing that the old systems’ high lamp-replacement and maintenance costs were a challenging issue for the district, they decided on the AP-150 Par LED luminaire.
“The old 1960s lighting systems for these two schools were original to the 60-year-old buildings, and compared with current technology, they were barely systems at all,” said Gretta Daughtrey, systems integrator for Barbizon. “Since one of the drama teachers had already been renting LED Pars to enhance their staged productions, this was the perfect opportunity to make the transition from incandescent lighting to LED technology.”
“The AP-150 luminaires were chosen because of their performance and reliability and now there is a light plot in place that is available for daily use and provides flexibility for all departments that utilise the stages,” explained Daughtrey. “Additionally, the reduced maintenance needs of the AP-150 Par luminaires were a driving force in fixture selection and are much appreciated by the facilities staff, who no longer need to change lamps or colour media.”
The AP-150 Par from Altman Lighting is a 135W RGBW LED wash designed to produce deep, saturated colours and soft, delicate pastels, while maintaining a smooth, uniform beam throughout the entire motorised zoom range.
Weighing 11 lb (4.9kg), the AP-150 replicates the soft output of a traditional par wash light with control states from 8Bit, 16, Bit, RGB and HSIC.
Factory and custom colour presets allow for the quick selection of the most widely used entertainment colour choices. It also adds the ability to record colour presets directly to the luminaire, for custom colour playback.
“Both spaces are gymnatoriums and the AP-150 Par luminaires are providing the top light needed over stage,” added Daughtrey. “They are now controlled through a theatrical lighting console using wireless DMX transmitters and receivers. This allows them to set the console anywhere in the space quickly and easily while power is supplied from a standard breaker panel with in-line relays to protect the drivers and power supplies.”
Now up and running, the new systems for the two schools are ready to provide a modern lighting experience to illuminate any event.
