Millard North High School Upgrades Natatorium with Specialized Lighting from Acuity Brands

Superior Lighting, a division of Stones River Electric, continues to lead the way in innovative lighting solutions for schools and commercial facilities. With a commitment to energy efficiency, intelligent controls, and high-performance lighting, Superior Lighting was selected for Phase 4 of Millard North High School’s ongoing lighting modernization project.

Project Overview

Client: Millard North High School
Project Value: $740,000
Contractor: Superior Lighting, Omaha, NE
Lighting Designer: Matt SmithProject Superintendent: Evan Young

Millard North High School sought to improve energy efficiency, lighting aesthetics, and user control functionality across classrooms, hallways, and the natatorium. Superior Lighting delivered a comprehensive LED lighting and control system upgrade, ensuring enhanced illumination, reduced energy costs, and long-term sustainability.

Scope of Work

Lighting Upgrades:

• (607) 2×4 troffers replaced with Lithonia Lighting LED troffers featuring built-in Acuity Brands nLight® networked lighting control system
• (289) Strip & Lithonia Lighting Vapor Tite fixtures upgraded to LED counterparts
• (50) Can lights replaced with new high performance LED cans.

Enhanced Lighting Performance:

The new lighting design not only enhanced the overall aesthetics of the school but also significantly improved key lighting performance metrics. The system delivers an impressive lumen-per-watt baseline, maximizing efficiency while maintaining optimal illumination and color rendition for learning environments.

Advanced Lighting Controls:

• Installed a full-network Acuity Brands nLight networked lighting control system
• Upgraded 600+ fixtures with integrated nLight controls and 53 low-voltage power packs
• Equipped each classroom with:
  • Ceiling-mounted occupancy sensors for automatic lighting adjustments
  • Dual-switch control panels:
    • One for on/off & dimming
    • One for programmable scene selection (e.g., projector mode)
• Installed (91) CAT-6 switches and (183) CAT-6 ceiling-mounted occupancy sensors
• Ran 30,000 feet of CAT-6 cabling to connect components

The system was integrated using (2) nLight Eclypse Stem Controllers (NECY) network control modules, placed in janitorial and mechanical rooms. These new controllers connected with six existing NECY controllers, forming a fully online, school-wide lighting system.

Natatorium Lighting Upgrade

Superior Lighting tackled the challenging indoor pool lighting retrofit, removing outdated metal halide fixtures and installing a custom LumenWerx Via 4 Seal wet-location lighting system.

• (30) 400W metal halide box fixtures removed
• (14) Metal halide indirect fixtures removed
• Installed 280 linear feet of LumenWerx Via 4 Seal direct/indirect fixtures
• Ran (6) power packs & dimming wire, all tied to the nLight system

Specialized Natatorium Electrical Upgrade

Understanding the demands of the harsh natatorium environment, Superior Lighting technicians fully replaced all lighting circuits with PVC-wrapped aluminum conduit, ensuring long-term durability and resistance to moisture and corrosion.

Challenge & Solution

The pool ceiling sloped over a foot across its width, requiring precise fixture placement and custom factory-cut mounting stems. To ensure level installation, the team meticulously measured and mapped the layout before fabrication.

Results & Impact

• Energy Savings: Significant reduction in energy consumption through LED efficiency and intelligent controls
• Improved Lighting Performance: Higher lumen output with optimized efficiency and distribution
• Enhanced Aesthetic: Modernized lighting design, creating a brighter, more inviting learning environment
• Long-Term Sustainability: Thousands of watts of outdated lighting replaced with long-lasting, low-maintenance solutions
• Seamless Integration: A centralized, online lighting system now manages all school lighting
• Durability in Harsh Environments: Upgraded electrical infrastructure in the natatorium for long-term reliability

Superior Lighting continues to deliver cutting-edge lighting solutions that maximize energy savings while creating comfortable, adaptable, and intelligent lighting environments.

More information about the nLight networked lighting control system from Acuity Brands

By: Rachael J Richards, Acuity Brands