“We realized there was so much heat being given off by the other lights, it was causing us to lose energy,” Ianni said.

LED technology uses less wattage — essentially, less energy is used for the same light output, Infrastructure Planning and Facilities Design Administrator Lynda Boomer said.

The new lights were installed this summer and should cut down the energy bill significantly.

“When lights in an arena like Munn are on, they’re on a long time,” Boomer said. “That uses a lot of energy. With these lights, clarity for hockey players will be a lot better. And we had set up test fixtures for the coaches’ approval and they like it as well.”

LED creates a brighter, whiter light, and the new lights can be controlled and dimmed, which also saves energy, Boomer said.

“The lights are instant on, instant off, whereas the others had a 5-10 minute warm-up time,” she said. “And if there isn’t a game, you can dim lighting for cleanup. So, you’re using about a third of the energy, and with the controlled capability, you can dim and don’t need to have full lighting at all times.”

The cost to install the new lights was about $575,000. Ianni said with energy savings, they expect the lights to pay for themselves in about five to seven years.

Munn Ice Arena Manager Tom Campbell said he is excited about the new lights because they will make spectators feel like they’re outside.

“I’ve seen a before and after shot of the lights, and you can clearly see that our lights before cast a yellow hue all throughout the rink,” Campbell said.

Campbell expects the new lights to change the experience of the game for fans, helping the Spartan supporters get a better look at the hidden features of the game.

“The lights make everything in the rink whiter,” Campbell said. “The ice is brighter and the scoreboards pop. The dark numbers will pop out of the white home jerseys. You can even see the expressions on the players’ faces much better.”