New LED lights at Tomken Twin Arenas first-of-its-kind in Ontario

The Tomken Twin Arenas are now brighter and more energy efficient, thanks to an upgrade to new LED lighting. The new lights illustrate the City’s commitment to living green, part of Mississauga’s strategic plan. The new lights will save energy, operating and maintenance costs and improve illumination levels at the ice rinks.

“The new LED lighting and dimming control system at Tomken Twin Arenas – a first-of-its-kind in Ontario – saves additional energy while making the ice surface brighter,” said Raj Sheth, Director, Facilities and Property Management.

Sheth estimates that there will be an energy savings of about $15,000 per year with an expected payback period of less than five years. The LED lighting retrofit project also reduces greenhouse gas emissions by about 18 tonnes of equivalent carbon dioxide, which compares to lighting 100 homes or taking five cars off the road for one year. The new lights last longer and are expected to be replaced every 15 years, saving the City on maintenance costs.  Similar LED lighting upgrades are planned to be implemented in more than 20 community ice rinks in Mississauga over a 4-year period starting in 2015.

Background

• The City replaced 80 units of 450-watt metal halide light fixtures with 267-watt LED luminaires at the Tomken Twin arenas.
• The lighting can be further dimmed for: (a) skating, non-hockey and social events; (b) maintenance and cleaning modes; and (c) other energy-saving periods.
• The occupancy sensors are wired to the LED luminaires and integrated to the lighting control system so that lights automatically shut off during unoccupied periods.
• The Tomken Twin Arenas were founded in 1991 and offer ice skating lessons as well as ice hockey leagues and clinics to the community.

As Canada’s sixth largest city, Mississauga is home to 741,000 residents and more than 54,000 businesses, including more than 60 Fortune 500 companies with Canadian head offices or major divisional head offices. A diverse, progressive and award-winning municipality located on the shores of Lake Ontario in the heart of the Greater Toronto Area, Mississauga is “Leading Today for Tomorrow” by focussing on delivering services, implementing its Strategic Plan, delivering value for money and maintaining infrastructure.