ORLANDO, FL -- When Obreros de Paz wanted to start live streaming its worship services and other events, the Orlando church knew its lighting system would have to be upgraded. Incandescent lightbulbs and a few conventional par cans had been used to light the stage area. Not only was this makeshift rig inadequate for video production, it was uncomfortably hot!
“They had been using basically household lighting, and the people on stage would get so hot, they'd sometimes have to turn off the lights in the middle of a service,” said Rick Kisosondi of Lighting and Production Resources LLC (Orlando, FL), which was called in to re-design the church's lighting system. “Plus, they wanted to get into streaming to draw a bigger audience to their services, so they were aware it was time to install a more professional stage lighting system.”
Obreros de Paz, whose name translates into “Worker of Peace,” was a perfect candidate for LED lighting, Kisosondi believed. The low heat generation and flicker-free operation of LEDs would increase the comfort level on stage and accommodate video production. Plus, LEDs' low power usage would help trim electrical bills for the church, which “like everyone these days, was looking to save money.”
It was this last point that helped Kisosondi overcome church officials' initial resistance to the idea of LED technology. “They had no familiarity with LEDs, so it took some convincing on our part. We sold them over time, basically by telling them, ‘Look, not only will LEDs do what you want them to do and offer the flexibility you need, but your electricity costs are going to go down.'”
The LED fixture that Kisosondi chose was Elation Professional's ELED Fresnel. Twenty ELED Fresnel units were hung in a half-hexagonal configuration over the stage's front and sides. A high-power DMX-protocol LED white light Fresnel, the ELED Fresnel is powered by a 50W 6000k white LED module. It emits an output comparable to a 300W halogen Fresnel, while drawing only 75W maximum. It features 0-100% dimming, with internal DMX control over its dimmer and strobe functions, along with a 10° to 50° manual zoom and a multi-voltage internal power supply. Another Elation product, Compu 1024 PC-based lighting control software, is being used to control the ELED Fresnel units.
Kisosondi said that one of the reasons he chose the Elation ELED Fresnel was its ease of installation into the building's existing electrical circuitry. “This is really the only LED-powered Fresnel-type fixture like it on the market,” he commented. “We didn't have to do a lot of rewiring, which helped keep the installation cost lower.”
But an even more amazing savings was reflected in the church's electricity costs. After the ELED Fresnels were installed, Obreros de Paz's monthly electric bill nose-dived by 32%.
“They were really surprised and pleased that their bill went down by almost one-third. They knew LEDs were supposed to save on energy costs, but they didn't realize it would be that much,” said Kisosondi. At this rate, he added, the church should realize a return on its lighting investment in less than three years.
Obreros de Paz, which was established in 1975, has also benefited in another way since the ELED Fresnels were installed. Thanks to its bright, flicker-free white stage lighting, the church is now able to live stream its worship services, and as a result it's seen its congregation expand well beyond its doors. “Now that they're streaming, they have people as far away as Turkey and Europe logging in and watching the services,” said Kisosondi. “They're really excited about that.”
For more information, call Elation Professional toll-free at 1-866-245-6726 or visit www.elationlighting.com Email: [email protected]
Lighting and Production Resources LLC can be reached at 407-967-7716 or visit http://www.lightingandproductionresources.com/
Email: [email protected]