Industry News

Power management company Eaton today announced that its advanced Ephesus LED sports lighting and controls system has been installed at the United Center, home of the National Basketball Association’s (NBA^®) Chicago Bulls and National Hockey League’s (NHL^®) Chicago Blackhawks. Featuring industry-leading control functions, the LED system enhances the viewing experience for spectators while reducing energy use by as much as 75 percent.

The Blackhawks played their first game under the lights on September 21 against the Detroit Red Wings^® in a preseason game. On October 6, the Bulls will play their first preseason basketball game under the new lights versus the Milwaukee Bucks^®.

The Bulls join Miami, Minnesota, Detroit, New Orleans and Utah as teams who’ll play under the advanced Ephesus LED sports lighting and controls system this season. The Blackhawks join Ottawa, Nashville, Buffalo, Detroit and eight American Hockey League (AHL) arenas as professional hockey teams who employ Eaton’s Ephesus LED lighting solution. In addition, Eaton products also illuminate the two arenas that play host to the Blackhawks’ and Bulls’ top minor league teams. The AHL’s Rockford IceHogs installed Ephesus LED lights in 2014, while the Sears Centre Arena is installing the LED lights this season for its Windy City Bulls NBA G League team. 

“Our new system will provide consistent, high-quality lighting for players and broadcast partners as well as additional settings for various entertainment functions that will provide us with additional capacity to enhance the overall experience at the United Center,” said Joe Myhra, vice president, Business Affairs, United Center.

The system being installed at the United Center features Ephesus Arena Pro fixtures and Prism RGBA fixtures with a wired DMX control system that will allow the United Center to create dynamic color changing effects. The innovative control system provides dimming capabilities from zero to 100 percent, color temperature tuning to deliver different lighting for various events and advanced control capabilities within each fixture.

Despite installing significantly fewer fixtures than the previous systems, Eaton’s Ephesus light-emitting diode sports lighting product line provides optimal lighting that illuminates more uniformly on the playing surface and offers an improved stage for players and fans watching live and on high-definition television. The system is easy to install, requires little to no maintenance for years and offers the lowest total operating costs compared to other traditional sports lighting systems. 

“Venues such as the United Center that host professional basketball and hockey games have been especially attracted to the versatility of our solution’s color temperature tuning capabilities that delivers unique lighting environments for any event,” said Mike Lorenz, president, Eaton’s Ephesus Lighting business. “It’s especially appropriate that the NBA team that invented dramatic player introductions 20 years ago, will now have the latest tool to further enhance in game entertainment.”

This Eaton solution continues the rapid acceptance of LED lighting at sports and entertainment venues of all sizes across North America. Hundreds of facilities have made the switch to Eaton’s LED sports lighting system including: University of Phoenix Stadium (Arizona Cardinals); Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Dolphins); PNC Park (Pittsburgh Pirates); Bridgestone Arena (Nashville Predators); and the historic Martinsville Speedway in Virginia — the first NASCAR track with LED lighting. 

Eaton manufactures its Ephesus line of high-output solid-state sports lighting solutions for a broad range of applications, from municipal ballfields to indoor and outdoor professional venues. These innovative advanced lighting solutions create brighter, more vibrant and sustainable environments. For more information, visit www.eaton.com/ephesus.

Eaton’s electrical business is a global leader with expertise in power distribution and circuit protection; backup power protection; control and automation; lighting and security; structural solutions and wiring devices; solutions for harsh and hazardous environments; and engineering services. Eaton is positioned through its global solutions to answer today’s most critical electrical power management challenges.

Eaton is a power management company with 2016 sales of $19.7 billion. We provide energy-efficient solutions that help our customers effectively manage electrical, hydraulic and mechanical power more efficiently, safely and sustainably. Eaton is dedicated to improving the quality of life and the environment through the use of power management technologies and services. Eaton has approximately 95,000 employees and sells products to customers in more than 175 countries. For more information, visit Eaton.com.