Gulf Construction Online - Dubai golf course to switch to LED lights

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Mock-up lighting installation at the championship golf course by Etihad Esco.

Dubai golf course to switch to LED lights

01 February 2019

UAE-based Etihad Energy Service Company (Etihad Esco), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa), has partnered with Abacus Lighting to fully retrofit Dubai Golf’s 18-hole golf course with LED lighting, replacing its existing metal halide solution.

The new sustainable lighting system is set to improve the overall quality of light across the golf course, covering a total area of 6.08 million sq ft and bring up to 60 per cent energy savings for the company, Etihad Esco says.

The championship golf course is the first in the region that has moved to LED lighting technology with the installation to be done in an efficient manner featuring a base-hinged system during the replacement of floodlights to ensure the greens and fairways are well maintained and plays are not disrupted, says Etihad Esco.

It will use one of the lightest high-performance LED floodlights in the market, weighing only 22 kilogrammes, including an integrated driver, it states.

The lighting system is expected to illuminate the course for up to 15 years.

CEO Ali Al Jassim says: “Luxury leisure and recreation venues in Dubai could be high energy consuming and moving towards an environment-friendly approach to providing such facilities in Dubai is testament to the increasing awareness towards energy sustainability in the UAE.

“Our strategic agreement with Dubai Golf to implement the first LED lighting retrofit in a golf course in the region is a welcome move that shows leadership in promoting energy efficiency and we commend the company for taking this important step.”

“This partnership further supports the emirate’s efforts to achieve 30 per cent reduction in energy consumption by 2030 and brings us another step closer towards meeting our sustainability goals,” he adds.

Abacus Lighting, which will install the LED lights, has been working for more than a year to create multiple design options to ensure that the optimum solution is sought for the project in line with Dubai Golf’s requirements, primarily considering the quality of light, energy consumption and ease of implementation.

The advanced technologies to be used in the retrofitting project also promotes Dubai’s efforts to tap technological innovation in line with the Smart Dubai 2021 strategy, as the installation process is designed to be unobtrusive to players’ golfing experience any time of the day or night.

Dubai Golf CEO Christopher May says: “We place huge importance to the golfers’ playing experience especially at night and we maintain the highest standards for the championship golf course which has been hosting many international tournaments.

“It is only fitting that we shift to a more ecologically sustainable lighting system and we are excited to be the first in the region to have a LED-lit 18-hole golf course that also contributes to attaining Dubai’s vision to become a truly sustainable city.”

“Retrofitting buildings and facilities with LED lighting technologies is a major energy efficiency initiative that can help significantly save energy by up to 50 per cent. Etihad Esco has been proactively promoting and helping organisations in the UAE to achieve their sustainability goals through auditing and designing energy conservation measures,” he adds.