Energy Efficient Home Park
The next stage of the club’s stadium development project will begin next week, when Home Park’s internal lighting system receives a comprehensive overhaul.
Alongside the club’s commitment to making aesthetic and operational upgrades at Home Park in the months ahead, the operations department at Argyle has been carrying out a review of the club’s day-to-day energy usage in response to both rising energy costs and our environmental footprint, with the intention to publish a new environmental policy and plan in the coming months.
Having engaged an external specialist to support the review and assessed the options available, the club’s Board of Directors have sanctioned investment for a new LED lighting system throughout the stadium footprint at Home Park.
The new lighting system will be installed across the site, including the Home Park Ticket Office, the Argyle Superstore, club offices, and stadium concourses, following on from the upgrade and installation of new floodlights in the summer of 2021.
LED lighting offers a much longer lifespan, is more efficient, improves environmental performance, operates better in cold conditions and can operate under low voltage.
Compared with lighting currently installed at Home Park, the LED lights provide, on average, 50,000 more operational hours before replacements are required. LED can also be controlled for brightness, as well as having the ability to be directed so no light is wasted. Local contractors C&D Electrical Plus, based in Plympton, will manage the installation.
The system, which will include movement sensors that automatically switch lights off after periods of inactivity, is estimated to reduce electricity costs for lighting by up to 50% and, at current energy prices, is projected to provide a return in under four years. In tandem with the club’s recently announced food waste partnership with Too Good to Go, the new system will also contribute to a reduction in Argyle’s carbon footprint.
Christian Kent, Argyle’s Head of Venue, said: “It is a really positive step to be able to make this investment, which should provide a return on investment in a relatively short period of time.
“When we talk about being a sustainable football club, though, we are not just talking financially, and we are aware that there is progress to be made in reducing Argyle’s environmental footprint – installation of energy efficient lighting across the site is a big step in that respect.
“It is testament to the foresight of our Board of Directors, and the strong support of fans, sponsors, and stakeholders, that we are able to continue to take a long-term approach in our decision-making and infrastructure improvements at Argyle.”
