Hackensack High School – Field Lighting
Sports Lighting | Hackensack, NJ
Hackensack High School's stadium is one of the District's most
visible community assets, hosting football, soccer, track and field,
school events, and community gatherings throughout the year.
After years of relying on an aging HID sports lighting system, the
school partnered with Pearl Street Systems & Engineering through
PSE&G's Prescriptive rebate program to deliver a modern lighting
solution that would improve safety, reduce operating costs, and
create one of the most exciting athletic venues in New Jersey.
Project AT A GLANCE
Location: Hackensack, NJ
Buildings: High School Football Stadium
Total Fixtures: 42 LED fixtures replacing 60 HID
Completed: 2026
Scope: RGB Sports Lighting & Controls System
Program: PSE&G Prescriptive w/On-Bill Repayment
The Challenge
The existing HID sports lighting system no longer produced sufficient, uniform light levels, and keeping it running was costly
— every relamp meant specialty lifts and expensive labor to reach fixtures as they burned out. It was important to the
District to provide a safe and enjoyable environment for students, staff, and families in the stands - but a full lighting system
upgrade represented a significant capital investment given the District's budget constraints. Pole access added another layer
of difficulty: one of the stadium's 100' poles sits directly over a building and the school's running track, ruling out a
straightforward lift-and-replace approach and requiring a carefully engineered plan to work from the existing poles.
The SOLUTION
- A first of its kind –a dynamic RGB color-changing sports lighting system installed in a New Jersey public school district. This provided a full transformation of the stadium environment for team introductions, playoff games, pep rallies, graduation ceremonies, and community events.
- Custom-engineered photometric design delivering consistent illumination and uniformity approaching televised broadcast standards.
- Acuity Brands' innovative M3 sports lighting platform utilizes modular light engines mounted to a common structural spine, allowing future servicing of individual modules without replacing entire luminaires. Combined with remotemounted field-replaceable drivers, the system dramatically reduces long-term maintenance time and cost.
Execution
Careful planning and coordination between Pearl Street, the electrical contractor, and school administration allowed the entire retrofit to be completed during a compressed 10-day schedule. Existing poles were preserved, complex access conditions were safely navigated, and construction impacts to athletic activities were minimized.
The Results
- 53% reduction in energy use, plus major maintenance
savings from eliminating costly specialty-lift servicing - Dynamic, yet intuitive controls platform enabling
coaches, athletic staff, and maintenance personnel to
independently operate the system after minimal
training - Significant hype going into the new school year to
showcase this new system’s capabilities - Created a one-of-a-kind athletic experience that has
become a source of pride for students, families, and the
Hackensack community.
The Benefits
- Professional-quality lighting that improves athlete
visibility, enhances player safety, increases spectator
enjoyment, and supports future televised or
tournament events. - Fast-track installation minimized disruption to athletic
schedules while delivering immediate operational
benefits. - Budget-Friendly Funding Solution – Utility incentives
and On-Bill Repayment reduced the District's upfront
capital investment by more than 90%, allowing the
remaining cost to be repaid through monthly energy
savings rather than significant capital funding - Substantially reduced long-term maintenance costs
through LED technology and modular system
architecture.
“Going in, I thought we were just getting new LED lights... But it blew me away. It really did. It blew all of us away.”