#MiddletownRI leaders thank RI Energy for upgrading the lighting at the Gaudet Athletic Complex, making the Turner Road facility even more user-friendly, dynamic, safer and energy efficient.
NEW LIGHTING AT GAUDET ATHLETIC COMPLEX
MIDDLETOWN, RI (APRIL 21, 2025) – New LED lighting system has been installed at the Gaudet Athletic Complex — at no cost to the community.
Superintendent Billy Niemeyer said the project was a “win-win” for the schools and community, offering a better visibility for athletes and others using the Turner Road facility while saving money from the more energy efficient lighting.
Niemeyer said the work was done free of charge through a Rhode Island Energy program, one other districts across The Ocean State have already participated in recently.
“When we heard about the program from a Middletown resident, it was hard to turn down,” Niemeyer said. “No. 1, the old lights were waning and a number of the bulbs were going out. They’re very expensive to replace and they require a lift to change. There was very little impact to our activities, we save on our energy usage as the LED are far more efficient, and we have greater control of system to make it usable for us.”
One of the cool features of the new system was how much flexibility it provides, Niemeyer said. Instead of simply turning on and off, Niemeyer said it puts a myriad of controls in the hands of approved operators.
For example, he said the lighting can be dimmed or brightened using controls overseen through a smart phone or similar device.
“I think this project is bigger than just Gaudet Middle School and the Gaudet Learning Academy,” Niemeyer said. “What we are able to do with the new setup is impressive. We can run the lights at any percentage we choose. One hundred percent is very bright, arguably too bright.
“We can set a brightness for after hours walkers, which may be different from a practice, which may be different for a game. We have effects that are available. We can flash colored and white lights. I'm thinking when one of our team scores, we can flash white and blue lights. With this system, we will have total control over the lights.”
The work was done over the winter, mostly in January. Niemeyer said this was planned to coincide with a project on one of the cell towers in the field area to minimize interruptions to school or afterschool operations.
In coming weeks, Niemeyer said a new override switch will be installed for evening walkers and field users to turn on the system. He said it will be similar to the one there in the past that allowed people to hit the button and then use the field or walk the track.
Shared Facilities Director Ed Collins said he was pleased with the effort. He also noted he and other local officials would be seeking out such money-saving efficiency work in the future, whenever possible.
“It came out very well and we’d like to thank Rhode Island Energy for the opportunity here,” Collins said. “I wasn’t personally involved with the upgrades to the system, but I know they were done at no cost to the town and schools.”
Moving forward, Niemeyer said he was happy to see the schools making progress inside and outside the classrooms, something that benefits the entire community.
"The Gaudet Field and the surrounding area are a focal point for our school community,” Niemeyer said. “I look forward to the teams having access to the Hoogendoorn property in the future as well. With our new middle-high school, the surrounding facilities, and Hoogendoorn, we should have a top notch athletic facility for all of the teams in Middletown.”
Document Link: https://mdl.town/NYCU-Lights
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