Beloved Seattle sports figure Edgar Martinez has joined with the Seattle Mariners, PLANLED, Seattle City Light and an impressive lineup of local partners to promote better lighting and a cleaner environment.
The Mariners and PLANLED teamed up last year as Safeco Field became the first ballpark in Major League Baseball to adopt LED technology to light the playing field. The result has been a major upgrade in the quality and uniformity of light on the field, as well as a 60% reduction in energy use.
As a player, and now Mariners hitting coach, Martinez has seen for himself the difference LED lighting makes by significantly reducing glare, shadows and dark spots on the field.
"In my last few years as a player, I had difficulty seeing the baseball," said Martinez, "Now in Safeco Field I can tell that the home plate area is brighter. I wish we had these lights when I played."
PLANLED Grand Slam Challenge
Martinez and the Mariners are committed to helping spread the word about the benefits of LED technology to workplaces and throughout the broader community. Through the "PLANLED Grand Slam Challenge," playfields, schools and community centers will be retrofitted with LED lights at no cost to the organization.
"With PLANLED's successful conversion of the field lights at Safeco Field the Mariners are true believers in LED technology. Not only can we help spread the word about the environmental and other benefits of LED lighting in the corporate world, but through the PLANLED Grand Slam Challenge, we can help make this technology available, free of charge, to parks and schools and other locations that will benefit the broader community," said Joe Chard, Seattle Mariners Vice President of Corporate Business and Community Relations.
"Edgar's famous dedication to humanitarian causes makes him a perfect point person for our dream team of lighting champions," said PLANLED CEO John Hwang. "He understands how the right lighting can promote safety, attention, productivity, healing and general well-being."
LED technology makes it possible to achieve these scientifically proven benefits by raising and balancing light levels and enhancing fixtures with the colors of natural daylight.
Seattle City Light is providing rebates and incentives to encourage companies to convert existing lighting systems to the energy-efficient LED technology.
"This is a great example of how energy efficient lighting can benefit our community," said Craig Smith, Seattle City Light's Director of Customer Energy Solutions. "City Light supports energy conservation with energy efficiency incentives and we look forward to working with the Mariners and PLANLED on these projects."
Participants in the PLANLED Grand Slam Challenge will be recognized for their contributions to lighting improvements to school gyms, neighborhood parks and classrooms in underserved areas of throughout the Northwest.
About PLANLED
PLANLED is an innovative lighting solutions provider that specializes in human centric product procurement, research applied design development and corporate lighting program management. PLANLED works in partnership with the Human Centric Lighting Society and the Green Sports Alliance to communicate the powerful benefits of research applied lighting strategy for the improvement of the human experience.