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Sunday night lights! Super Bowl to be lit by LEDs

By WTOP Staff

JOHN KEKIS
AP Sports Writer

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — When the Super Bowl kicks off in February at University of Phoenix Stadium, there’s one thing the NFL won’t have to worry about: an extended blackout.

Ephesus Lighting of Syracuse, New York, has just completed installation of LED lighting at the venue, site of the 2015 Super Bowl. The first game played under the new lights was Sunday, when the Cardinals hosted the San Francisco 49ers.

So far, so good.

“Fantastic!” Peter Sullivan, regional vice president and general manager of the University of Phoenix Stadium, said Monday. “They were fantastic on a variety of levels. These lights are rated for super slow-motion, so the clarity and the level of light and the type of light is phenomenal.”

Ephesus chief executive officer Amy Casper says it’s the first NFL venue to illuminate a playing surface exclusively with LED lighting. Sullivan said he had already fielded calls from another NFL team and a Major League Baseball franchise.

Only 312 Ephesus stadium fixtures were installed in the University of Phoenix Stadium. They will replace more than 780 metal halide fixtures, which have not yet been removed, and carry a 10-year warranty. According to the company, the new lights will use just 310,000 watts of energy. The system it replaces needs 1.24 million watts, which translates to a 75% reduction in overall energy consumption.

“That’s a significant reduction for significantly more light level,” Sullivan said. “It was just phenomenal. You’ve got to make sure the TV guys are happy, and they weren’t just happy. They were way happy. It’s new at this level, but I think it came out of the box pretty well.”

Each Ephesus LED light provides nearly double the illumination of traditional metal halide lights. LED lights also provide brighter and more uniform light, which eliminates shadows on the playing surface and creates a better stage for players, fans, and those watching on high-definition televisions.

If the lights ever go out due to a power surge, like they did for 34 minutes at the 2013 Super Bowl in New Orleans, the delay will be minimal. LED lights can be turned on and off with the flick of a switch. Metal halide fixtures require a 20-minute warm-up period.

“The capabilities of LED technology have changed the way we view sports lighting,” said Joe Casper, founder and chief technology officer of Ephesus Lighting. “This was a great opportunity to showcase our innovative lighting technology in a venue known as a leader in introducing new ideas to the sports marketplace.”

The new lights also reduce the load on the stadium’s air conditioning system because of the reduced heat generated by the LEDs. Not a bad thing in Arizona.

The game-time temperature Sunday hovered around 100 degrees outside. Utilities represent the stadium’s largest operating expense, and the biggest piece of that is electricity, Sullivan said.

“Not only do you have a utility-consumption reduction, you also have significant savings as to cooling in the upper echelons of your building,” Sullivan said. “Metal halide lights throw off a ton of heat.”

The new lights can be preprogrammed to do special effects for player introductions, and they can be dimmed after games when maintenance crews perform cleanup, leading to more savings.

“It’s not just lighting per se. It’s a whole bunch more. I’d like to think in light of how it performed, a lot of people are going to get serious about LED sports lighting,” said Sullivan, who expects the return on investment to come in less than four years. “It’s kind of the tip of the iceberg. The positive virtues of this are just, in my opinion, too great to pass up.”

The University of Phoenix Stadium, which has a retractable roof, opened in 2006 and also hosted the Super Bowl in 2008, the 2011 BCS national championship game, and has been home to the Fiesta Bowl since 2007.

Other venues that use Ephesus LED lights are: Canadian Tire Centre, home of the NHL’s Ottawa Senators; Duke University’s Williams Field at Jack Katz Stadium; and The Ryan Center at the University of Rhode Island.

The Syracuse War Memorial, home to the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch, was the first sports arena in the country to be lit by LED lights, and Ephesus installed them.

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AP Sports Writer Bob Baum in Phoenix contributed to this report.

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AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL

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Follow Kekis on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/Greek1947

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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