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GE Lighting Systems, Inc.

Gymnasium & Arena Lighting

Design Guide

Before lighting or relighting your gymnasium, consider the

GE Lighting Systems Advantage

Innovative products Highest quality Numerous choices Fixtures for a variety of mounting heights and applications Easy installation and minimum maintenance
GE Lighting Systems can help you light any type of indoor sports facility including: basketball; volleyball and tennis courts; exercise and weight rooms; and swimming pools. Following are detailed layouts and design data for lighting basketball courts. The lighting designs (pages 4 through 11) are also appropriate for volleyball, gymnastics, wrestling, physical education classes, and indoor recreational soccer. They offer a choice of three top-quality products . . . These design recommendations apply to high school, elementary school, club, and recreational basketball courts, as well as small college gymnasiums where video and still cameras are used for teaching or for local news. Larger college athletic facilities will require higher light levels to accommodate broadcastquality television coverage. Consult your GE representative or the factory for information on these types of applications. This design guide features metal halide lamps, which we consider the best choice for gymnasium lighting. For applications where saving energy is the main consideration, GE can supply high pressure sodium (HPS) lighting systems. GE Lighting Systems also designs and manufactures a range of high intensity discharge (HID) fixtures suitable for outdoor sports facilities, as well as area, industrial, hazardous, roadway and security lighting applications.
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GE Versabeam Luminaire GE Conserva Luminaire GE Duraglow Luminaire

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Registered Trademark of General Electric Company Trademark of General Electric Company

Design Guide
This design guide includes information pertinent to the layouts on the following pages. Reference this page along with the appropriate layout (pages 4 through 11) and luminaire specifications (page 12) for a complete lighting design package. Consult GE Lighting Systems product catalog (GEA-12000) for luminaire and accessory ordering numbers. These layouts assume a ceiling height of 25 feet. Recommended minimum mounting height to the bottom of the luminaire is 22 feet above the finished floor. For gymnasiums, room surface finishes should have reasonably high reflectance. Minimum wall and ceiling reflectances should be 50%. Reflectances are listed in the standard order: ceiling/wall/floor. Designs include a light loss factor (LLF), which is the combined effect on light output of

Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA) Illumination Recommendations

Application Horizontal Uniformity: Footcandles (fc): Maximum/ Maintained Minimum

Basketball: High School Elementary School Club Recreational Gymnastics Volleyball

75 50 50 30 30 30

2.1 3.0 3.0 3.0 2.5 3.5

lamp lumen depreciation (LLD) and luminaire dirt depreciation (LDD). Data shown on pages 4 through 10 is for fixtures using a 40,000-lumen 400-watt metal halide lamp with a rated life of 20,000 hours. It is based on a medium dirt environment after 8,000 hours of lamp operation (40% of life) at an average of 10 hours per start. Thus, footcandle (fc) levels given are maintained, as recommended by the IESNA. They are average fc (i.e., the average of all measured points on the court) and are based on measurements computed 3' off the floor. Test points for measuring light levels are on a 15' by 15' grid, with the first test point not more than 7.5' from the out of bounds line. The ballast employed for the designs is a

standard autoregulator CWA. There are other types of ballasts and 400-watt metal halide lamps which are suitable for gymnasiums. Metal halide lamp technology is changing rapidly, particularly with 400-watt lamps, so be aware of the choices available. High pressure sodium lamps can be used for gymnasiums when color is not critical. See pages 14 and 15 for ballast and control options. Design data on page 11 is for a 110,000-lumen 1000-watt metal halide lamp in a medium dirt environment after 4,800 hours of operation (40% of the 12,000-hour rated life) at an average of 10 hours per start. The ballast is again a standard autoregulator CWA. In gymnasium applications, GE recommends flexible mounting on a hook and loop to minimize the risk of damage if a luminaire is struck by a moving ball. Safety chains should be used for each ballast housing and for each optical assembly.
Calculated light levels are based on specific information supplied to GE. Any differences in luminaire installation, lighted area geometry and obstructions in the lighted area may produce different results from the predicted values. Normal tolerances of voltage, lamp output, and ballast and luminaire manufacture will affect results.

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Gymnasium Lighting with Versabeam Luminaires

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The enclosed and gasketed GE Versabeam luminaire projects light efficiently to both horizontal and vertical planes, with more downward efficiency than other luminaires intended for low to medium mounting heights. This attractive luminaire offers good cutoff, but with enough uplight for acceptable ceiling brightness. The rugged acrylic refractor is impact resistant. The luminaire may be remotely ballasted. See pages 14 and 15 for ballast and control options and page 12 for specifications. Design Data (see page 3 for more information) Basketball court: 94' by 50' Lamp: 400-watt metal halide Mounting height: 22' Illuminance levels: average maintained footcandles LLF = 0.69: LLD = 0.80 and LDD = 0.86 Uniformity: maximum/minimum (max/min) Fixture Spacing Criterion: 1.7

No matter what the spacing is, the average light level will remain about the same so long as the suggested number of luminaires is used, and all are over the court. Light level data applies just to the court, but no additional lighting is needed in the gym if the area around the court does not extend further than 5' at each basket end and 30' along the side lines. Larger rooms may require additional luminaires.
16 LUMINAIRES

Single Court Layouts

Room reflectances: 50/50/20 Dotted circles indicate luminaire positions. Layouts given are suggestions only. Luminaires should be mounted over the court, in a fairly uniform pattern, but placement is not critical.

53 fc; uniformity 1.7 max/min

8 LUMINAIRES
30'

20 LUMINAIRES

26 fc; uniformity 1.5 max/min

69 fc; uniformity 1.9 max/min

12 LUMINAIRES

24 LUMINAIRES

36 fc; uniformity 2.3 max/min

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81 fc; uniformity 2.4 max/min

Multiple Court Layouts

Room reflectances: 70/50/20. (These multiple court designs are generally for newer facilities, so ceiling reflectances are higher.) Room size: 140' wide by 130' long. Room consists of center main court and two cross-wise practice courts. Eliminate or add luminaires for different size rooms. For mounting heights other than 22', use graph at right, Area per Luminaire per Illuminance Level. Coefficient of utilization table is included for those who wish to do their own calculations.
FC 100 90 80 70 60 50 175 CU 1.0 0.9 0.8 0.7 0.6 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.0

400-Watt Metal Halide, 1.7 Spacing Criterion

Area per Luminaire per Illuminance Level
Maintained Light Loss "1" RCR Factor based on published lamp LLD of "2" RCR 0.80, Medium Dirt "3" RCR Factor of 0.86, and 40,000 Lumen lamp.

FC 100 90 80 70 60

200

225 250 275 300 325 350 375 400 425 MAXIMUM AREA PER LUMINAIRE IN SQUARE FEET

450

50 475 CU 1.0 0.9 0.8 0.7 0.6 0.5

Coefficients of Utilization
70/50/20 REFLECTANCE 50/50/20 REFLECTANCE

30/30/20 REFLECTANCE

0.4 0.3

1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0 9.0 ROOM CAVITY RATIO: (L + W) (L x W) x (5 x CAVITY HEIGHT)

0.2 10.0

64 LUMINAIRE 16' x 16' SPACING

42 LUMINAIRES 20' x 20' SPACING

Main court: 103 fc; uniformity 1.2 max/min Practice courts: 99 fc; uniformity 1.3 max/min

Main court: 62 fc; uniformity 1.1 max/min Practice courts: 62 fc; uniformity 1.2 max/min Distance between two center columns is 24'.

36 LUMINAIRES 22' x 22' SPACING 56 LUMINAIRES 18' x 18' SPACING

Main court: 81 fc; uniformity 1.3 max/min Practice courts: 80 fc; uniformity 1.2 max/min

Main court: 54 fc; uniformity 1.2 max/min Practice courts: 54 fc; uniformity 1.2 max/min
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Gymnasium Lighting with Conserva Luminaires

The low profile of the GE Conserva luminaire makes it suitable for spaces with limited overhead room. The reflector/refractor optical assembly with white finished reflector provides high overall efficiency and a strong downward lighting component. The luminaire is enclosed and gasketed. Its polycarbonate refractor is suitable for gymnasiums. See page 12 for specifications. Design Data (see page 3 for more information) Basketball court: 94' by 50' Lamp: 400-watt metal halide Mounting height: 22' Illuminance levels: average maintained footcandles LLF = 0.69: LLD = 0.80 and LDD = 0.86 Uniformity: maximum/minimum (max/min) Fixture Spacing Criterion: 1.4

Light level data applies just to the court, but no additional lighting is needed in the gym if the area around the court does not extend further than 5' at each basket end and 30' along the side lines. Larger rooms may require additional luminaires.

Single Court Layouts

Room reflectances: 50/50/20 Dotted circles indicate luminaire positions. Layouts given are suggestions only. Luminaires should be mounted over the court, in a fairly uniform pattern, but placement is not critical. No matter what the spacing is, the average light level will remain about the same so long as the suggested number of luminaires is used, and all are over the court.
12 LUMINAIRES
30'

20 LUMINAIRES

49 fc; uniformity 1.7 max/min

24 LUMINAIRES

28 fc; uniformity 1.7 max/min

60 fc; uniformity 1.9 max/min

16 LUMINAIRES

32 LUMINAIRES

39 fc; uniformity 1.6 max/min

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80 fc; uniformity 1.9 max/min

400-Watt Metal Halide, 1.4 Spacing Criterion

FC 100 90 80 70 60 50 125 CU 1.0 150 175 200 225 250 275 300 325 350 375 MAXIMUM AREA PER LUMINAIRE IN SQUARE FEET 400

Area per Luminaire per Illuminance Level

Maintained Light Loss "1" RCR Factor based on published lamp LLD of "2" RCR 0.80, Medium Dirt Factor of 0.84, 33,900 Lumen "3" RCR Coated Lamp, and White Painted Reflector.

FC 100 90 80 70 60

50 425 CU 1.0 0.9

Coefficients of Utilization

Multiple Court Layouts

Room reflectances: 70/50/20 Room size: 140' wide by 130' long. Room consists of center main court and two cross-wise practice courts. Eliminate or add luminaires for different size rooms. For mounting heights other than 22', use graph at right, Area per Luminaire per Illuminance Level. Coefficient of utilization table is included for those who wish to do their own calculations.

0.9 0.8 0.7 0.6 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.0

30/30/20 REFLECTANCE 50/50/20 REFLECTANCE 70/50/20 REFLECTANCE

0.8 0.7 0.6 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.2 10.0

1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0 9.0 ROOM CAVITY RATIO: (L + W) (L x W) x (5 x CAVITY HEIGHT)

42 LUMINAIRES 20' x 20' SPACING 64 LUMINAIRES 16' x 16' SPACING

Main court: 80 fc; uniformity 1.1 max/min Practice courts: 77 fc; uniformity 1.3 max/min

Main court: 50 fc; uniformity 1.1 max/min Practice courts: 48 fc; uniformity 1.2 max/min Distance between two center columns is 24'.

36 LUMINAIRES 22' x 22' SPACING 56 LUMINAIRES 18' x 18' SPACING

Main court: 64 fc; uniformity 1.1 max/min Practice courts: 63 fc; uniformity 1.2 max/min

Main court: 43 fc; uniformity 1.1 max/min Practice courts: 42 fc; uniformity 1.3 max/min
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Gymnasium Lighting with Duraglow Luminaires

A precision-formed, faceted reflector directs a high percentage of light downward from the GE Duraglow luminaire. The aluminum parabolic reflector shields the lamp arc from the side for both spectators and players. The percent of uplight is adequate for good contrast between fixture and ceiling. The luminaire is open; in a gymnasium use a wire guard to protect the lamp. The luminaire may be remotely ballasted. See pages 14 and 15 for ballast and control options and page 12 for specifications. Design Data (see page 3 for more information) Basketball court: 94' by 50' Lamp: 400-watt metal halide Mounting height: 22' Illuminance levels: average maintained footcandles LLF = 0.672: LLD = 0.80 and LDD = 0.84 Uniformity: maximum/minimum (max/min) Fixture Spacing Criterion: 1.6

No matter what the spacing is, the average light level will remain about the same so long as the suggested number of luminaires is used, and all are over the court. Light level data applies just to the court, but no additional lighting is needed in the gym if the area around the court does not extend further than 5' at each basket end and 30' along the side lines. Larger rooms may require additional luminaires.
16 LUMINAIRES

Single Court Layouts

Room reflectances: 50/50/20 Dotted circles indicate luminaire positions. Layouts given are suggestions only. Luminaires should be mounted over the court, in a fairly uniform pattern, but placement is not critical.

52 fc; uniformity 2.0 max/min

8 LUMINAIRES
30'

20 LUMINAIRES

25 fc; uniformity 1.9 max/min

68 fc; uniformity 2.1 max/min

12 LUMINAIRES

24 LUMINAIRES

36 fc; uniformity 2.3 max/min

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74 fc; uniformity 2.8 max/min

Multiple Court Layouts

Room reflectances: 70/50/20 Room size: 140' wide by 130' long. Room consists of center main court and two cross-wise practice courts. Eliminate or add luminaires for different size rooms. For mounting heights other than 22', use graph at right, Area per Luminaire per Illuminance Level. Coefficient of utilization table is included for those who wish to do their own calculations.
FC 100 90 80 70 60 50 175 CU 1.0 0.9 0.8 0.7 0.6 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.0

400-Watt Metal Halide, 1.6 Spacing Criterion

Area per Luminaire per Illuminance Level
Maintained Light Loss "1" RCR Factor based on "2" RCR published lamp LLD of 0.80, Medium Dirt "3" RCR Factor of 0.84, and 40,000 Lumen lamp.

FC 100 90 80 70 60

200

225 250 275 300 325 350 375 400 425 MAXIMUM AREA PER LUMINAIRE IN SQUARE FEET

450

50 475 CU 1.0 0.9 0.8

Coefficients of Utilization
70/50/20 REFLECTANCE

50/50/20 REFLECTANCE

0.7 0.6

30/30/20 REFLECTANCE

0.5 0.4 0.3

1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0 9.0 ROOM CAVITY RATIO: (L + W) x (L x W) x (5 x CAVITY HEIGHT)

0.2 10.0

42 LUMINAIRES 20' x 20' SPACING 64 LUMINAIRES 16' x 16' SPACING

Main court: 93 fc; uniformity 1.2 max/min Practice courts: 92 fc; uniformity 1.5 max/min

Main court: 56 fc; uniformity 1.2 max/min Practice courts: 57 fc; uniformity 1.3 max/min Distance between two center columns is 24'.

36 LUMINAIRES 22' x 22' SPACING 56 LUMINAIRES 18' x 18' SPACING

Main court: 74 fc; uniformity 1.3 max/min Practice courts: 74 fc; uniformity 1.3 max/min

Main court: 50 fc; uniformity 1.5 max/min Practice courts: 50 fc; uniformity 1.5 max/min
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Duraglow Luminaire with Twin Optical Ballast Housing

With twin 400-watt metal halide fixtures, a single ballast housing serves two GE Duraglow luminaire opticals. One optical is mounted on each side of the ballast. This arrangement is an alternative to using fixtures with 1000-watt lamps, which are brighter and produce more glare. If 1000-watt fixtures have to be equipped with louvers or phosphor coated lamps for brightness control, light output can drop as much as 30%. Twin 400-watt fixtures offer these advantages over 1000-watt fixtures: More efficient Lower brightness without louvers or phosphor coated lamps No loss of efficiency and light output, because louvers or phosphor coated lamps are not needed Longer lamp life (20,000 hours versus 12,000 hours) Design Data (see page 3 for more information) Basketball court: 94' by 50' Lamp: 400-watt metal halide Mounting height: 22' Illuminance levels: average maintained footcandles LLF = 0.672: LLD = 0.80 and LDD = 0.84 Uniformity: maximum/minimum (max/min) Fixture Spacing Criterion: 1.6

Single Court Layout

Room reflectances: 50/50/20 Dotted circles indicate luminaire positions. The layout given is a suggestion only. Luminaires should be mounted over the court, in a fairly uniform pattern, but placement is not critical. No matter what the spacing is, the average light level will remain about the same so long as the suggested number of luminaires is used, and all are over the court. Light level data applies just to the court, but no additional lighting is needed in the gym if the area around the court does not extend further than 5' at each basket end and 30' along the side lines. Larger rooms may require additional luminaires.

12 TWIN LUMINAIRES
30'

74 fc; uniformity 2.8 max/min

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Duraglow Luminaire with 1000-Watt Metal Halide Lamp

GE Lighting Systems recommends 400-watt metal halide systems for most gymnasium applications. This accommodates the need to control cost and at the same time obtain a reasonable level of visual comfort when using HID light sources, which are intrinsically bright. However, when cost overrides all other considerations, it is possible to use 1000-watt metal halide lamps in the Duraglow luminaire. Mounting height should be over 20 feet and phosphor coated lamps should be used for brightness control. The table below indicates the luminaire spacing grid for various maintained horizontal
Basketball Court Layout using Coated 1000-Watt Metal Halide Lamps
Single Basketball Court, Walls 5 Feet Outside Court Boundaries RCR=1.25 RCR=1.50 Large Gymnasium with Main Center Basketball Court and 2 Practice Courts at 90; Folddown Seats. RCR=1.75 RCR=2.00

17-Inch Diameter Reflector with Socket Set at Position 11 50 fcs 32' x 32' 32' x 32' 30' x 32' 30' x 32' 60 fcs 28' x 30' 28' x 30' 28' x 28' 28' x 28' 70 fcs 26' x 30' 26' x 30' 26' x 26' 26' x 26' 75 fcs 26' x 26' 24' x 28' 24' x 26' 24' x 26' 22-Inch Diameter Reflector with Socket Set at Position 7 100 fcs 26' x 26' 24' x 28' 24' x 26' 24' x 26'
Room reflectance is 50/50/20. Multiply spacing by 1.05 for a ceiling with 70% reflectance.

illuminance levels (3' plane) when using Duraglow luminaires with 1000-watt coated metal halide lamps. See pages 14 and 15 for ballast and control options and page 12 for specifications for the Duraglow luminaire.

Duraglow luminaire wire guard.

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Specification Characteristics
Versabeam Luminaire
The Versabeam luminaire is enclosed and gasketed, with an integral ballast. It is intended for low to medium mounting heights. The luminaire has a heavy duty side-and-downward focusing refractor and internal glass reflector, and is available with or without an optical sliding disconnect. The die-cast aluminum ballast housing has an epoxy/acrylic protective coating. It accommodates a CWA ballast circuit and primary electro-mechanical disconnect that can be broken under load. The two-component optical assembly combines a spun parabolic reflector with full configured sides to reduce redirected lamp energy and an impact resistant, injection molded polycarbonate refractor. The optical closure uses a silicone gasket and spring steel bale-type latches. Total efficiency is 74% of lamp; 0-60 degree efficiency is 51% of lamp. Maximum side brightness from 65 degrees to 85 degrees off vertical is 5240 footlamberts with a new clear lamp. The luminaire is UL1572 listed for damp locations, and is UL listed as a polymeric lamp containment barrier for metal halide lamps. It is CSA certified for indoor use. The luminaire construction standard is IP52.

Duraglow Luminaire
The die-cast aluminum ballast housing with epoxy/acrylic protective coating accommodates CWA, super low loss CWA, System 2 Bi-level Control CWA, Whisper Quiet noise attenuation CWA or magnetic regulator ballast circuits. The heavy duty acrylic optical assembly has internal redirecting and external focusing prisms. Total efficiency is 91% of lamp; 0-60 degree efficiency is 74% of lamp. Maximum side brightness from 65 degrees to 85 degrees off vertical is 1530 footlamberts with a new lamp. The luminaire is UL1572 listed for damp locations and UL listed as a polymeric lamp containment barrier. It is certified by CSA. The construction standard is IP52. The luminaire is impact resistant and suitable for the types of sports normally associated with gymnasiums. The Duraglow luminaire is an open, precisely formed high bay luminaire with socket set for 1.6 Spacing Criterion. It has an aluminum, glass-finished, configured reflector and a load break type secondary disconnect. The die-cast aluminum ballast housing with epoxy/acrylic protective coating accommodates CWA, super low loss CWA, System 2 Bi-level Control CWA, Whisper Quiet noise attenuation CWA or magnetic regulator ballast circuits. The spun parabolic reflector has full configured sides to reduce redirected lamp energy. The luminaire has a thermally set potassium silicate (ALGLAS) reflector finish and a 12step adjustable socket. The optical may be disconnected from the ballast while operating. Total efficiency is 83% of lamp; 0-60 degree efficiency is 79% of lamp. Maximum side brightness from 65 degrees to 85 degrees off vertical is 1520 footlamberts with a new lamp. The luminaire is UL1572 listed for damp locations. It is certified by CSA. The luminaire construction standard is IP22. When equipped with a wire guard, the luminaire is suitable for the types of sports normally associated with gymnasiums.

Conserva Luminaire
The Conserva luminaire is an enclosed, gasketed, low bay luminaire with reflector/ refractor optical assembly. Because of the short vertical dimension, it is suitable for areas with limited clearance.
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Quartz Standby and Second System Lighting

Versabeam, Conserva and Duraglow luminaires can be equipped with an optional automatically switched quartz instant-on system to serve as standby lighting or a non-switched quartz system that operates as an independent source of illumination. Both systems involve factory installation of a supplemental 250-watt tungsten halogen socket in some or all of the metal halide luminaires.

Automatically Switched Quartz Instant-On Lighting

Metal halide lamps can take 2 to 5 minutes to reach 90% of total light output initially and 10 to 15 minutes to restrike when they are hot. An automatically switched quartz lighting system can provide standby, instant-on emergency lighting during this period. The tungsten halogen lamps are energized after a power interruption and when the lighting system is first switched on. For gymnasiums, GE recommends the time delay system, where the quartz lamps remain on until the metal halide lamps

reach approximately 60% light output. A nontime delay system is also available. Install supplemental lamps in about 10% of the luminaires, including those near exits.

Non-Switched Quartz Lighting

Another option is to operate the 250-watt sockets on a separate 120-volt power supply, thus providing a second dimmable incandescent lighting system in the room. If 250-watt quartz lamps are installed in all of the luminaires, the light level will be approximately 15% of that provided by the 400-watt metal halide lighting system. This lower light level can be used for dances, student performances, meetings, social events, visual aid presentations, and other activities where the color and dimmability of quartz incandescent lamps is desired.
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Versabeam and Duraglow Luminaire Ballast and Control Options

The lighting designs on pages 4 through 10 use a clear, vertical burning only, 40,000-lumen, 400-watt metal halide lamp and a conventionally configured lead (CWA) autoregulator ballast. There are other lamp and ballast combinations which have design centers similar to the baseline system used. Changing the ballast often requires some kind of trade-off, either in terms of light output or system cost. In many cases, however, the savings or benefits more than outweigh any cost increment. Other ballast choices for metal halide Versabeam and Duraglow luminaires include the following: System 2 Bi-Level Control, Whisper Quiet CWA, magnetic regulator, and super low loss CWA. Ballasts can be remotely mounted in a location away from the optical assembly. low. Because of reduced lamp efficacy at this lower wattage, the light level drops by about twothirds. There is an option available to obtain one-half the lumen output when the control system is operating at low. The multiple court layout shown uses 400watt metal halide Versabeam luminaires with a 20' by 20' grid spacing. Estimated average maintained illuminance at the high level is 62 footcandles and at the low, 19 footcandles. The lighting employs a 4-way switching system, with a high/low switch located at each of the four doorways. A repeater is needed to control voltage when there are more than 20 fixtures in the area. The graph below compares estimated annual energy costs with this lighting system operating at low for 1/2, 1/3 and 1/4 of the time. Estimated Annual Energy Cost with System 2 Bi-Level Control
Based on 4,000 annual operating hours and layout shown (42 400-watt metal halide luminaires) Annual Savings $4,000 ME LF OF TI LOW HA $3,000 IRD OF TIME LOW TH $2,000 OF TIME LOW QUARTER $1,000
4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Energy Saving System 2TM Bi-Level Control

Turning metal halide systems off and on more than once per day will shorten lamp life and reduce maintained light output. A System 2 Bi-Level Control with autoregulator (CWA) ballast is a better way to avoid wasting energy. The system operates metal halide lamps at full wattage with the high-low switch on high, and at one-half wattage when the switch is set on

POWER COSTCENTS/KILOWATT HOUR

Whisper QuietTM Ballasts

HIGH-LOW SWITCH HIGH-LOW SWITCH

2 REPEATERS

HIGH-LOW SWITCH

HIGH-LOW SWITCH

Noise levels from high intensity discharge (HID) lighting systems may be a problem when a gym becomes a classroom or meeting area. If a gym might be used for this type of activity, GE Lighting Systems recommends its autoregulator (CWA) Whisper Quiet, floating spring, sound attenuation option, available for Versabeam and Duraglow luminaires. This design is as quiet as many encapsulated ballasts and avoids the wiring difficulties associated with remote mounted ballasts. Lighting System Noise Criterion (LSNC) is a method for measuring the collective ambient sound level of an HID lighting system providing a certain number of footcandles. To mask the background sound of the system, the room ambient decibels (dBA) needs to be at least

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eight dBA higher than the LSNC number. The quieter the room, the quieter the lighting system must be to keep it from being annoying. The table below compares typical lighting systems using Whisper Quiet and standard CWA ballasts in terms of ambient sound levels emanating at various footcandle levels. Fixture Noise Level Comparison with GE Whisper Quiet and Standard CWA Ballasts Integral 400 watt metal halide ballast
LSNC Rating Room Ambient dBA Required to Mask Fixtures

a CWA system. Compared to a standard CWA, the super low loss CWA lowers power consumption approximately 4%.

Remote Ballast
Versabeam and Duraglow luminaires can be remotely ballasted; a remote ballasted optical mounting box must be ordered for each luminaire. Small ballast housings mounted on wall brackets hold the metal halide 400-watt remote ballasts. GE Lighting Systems recommends mounting ballasts with the luminaires. The table below compares remote and integral ballasting.

Whisper Whisper FootQuiet Standard Quiet Standard candles Ballast Product Ballast Product

Versabeam Luminaire Duraglow Luminaire

100 50 30 100 50 30

30 27 25 32 29 27

38 35 33 46 43 41

38 35 33 40 37 35

46 43 41 54 51 49

Magnetic Regulator and Super Low Loss CWA

A magnetic regulator ballast will increase power consumption on a system by about 3%. However, maintained light output may increase. This ballast choice also offers much better lamp regulation and a 4-minute hot restart time. The GE super low loss CWA ballast is a way to save power while still enjoying the benefits of

Comparison Remote and Integral (Non-Remote) Ballasting

REMOTE BALLAST INTEGRAL BALLAST

Easier ballast maintenance

Each fixture requires additional secondary wiring circuit separate from power distribution system Substantially higher wiring costs Wattage and light output loss proportional to voltage drop between lamp and ballast* Separate well-ventilated location required for mounting ballasts; ballast box adds to cost Less weight in fixture Less noise

GE ballasts are factory tested and design life is 100,000 hours, so ballast maintenance is rarely a factor in gymnasium lighting Several fixtures on same circuit; less wiring required Lower wiring costs No light loss related to the distance between lamp and ballast Ballast included in fixture; no extra costs Fixture and mounting designed to include ballast weight Option of Whisper Quiet ballast to minimize noise, if required

* Voltage drop is related to distance between lamp and ballast; it increases as distance increases. Wattage and lumen output drop in direct proportion to voltage drop, so there will be a similar loss in light level. Page 15

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GE Lighting Systems, Inc.
PO Box 4506 Hendersonville, NC 28792 www.ge.com/lightingsystems 828-693-2000
TM

Registered Trademark of General Electric Company Trademark of General Electric Company

OLP-2587A 2/00(7.5M)GELS