Henderson Engineers is proud to announce that Matt Moore has become an advisory member of the Illuminating Engineering Society’s (IES) Sports Lighting Committee. IES is a trade association that sets standards for outdoor and indoor lighting for buildings nationwide. The organization’s Sports Lighting Committee – comprised of designers, engineers, and manufacturers – is tasked with modernizing lighting standards for sports venues after many years of being considered outdated. Updated standards give sports lighting professionals a reliable framework that is consistent with present-day technology and industry demands.

Moore, an electrical engineer who has worked at Henderson for almost 15 years, is uniquely qualified for the role. His vast experience includes designing arena electrical systems and directing the preparation of system layout, detailed drawings, schematics, specifications, and calculations. During the past five years, he has designed lighting systems for teams in the NFL, NBA, MLS, Minor League Baseball, and for collegiate ballparks. Most notably, he worked on the Sacramento Kings’ Golden 1 Center, the first LEED Platinum and entirely solar-powered arena in the world.

“Congratulations to Matt for earning this distinguished opportunity,” said Ryan Starkovich, sports practice director at Henderson. “We’re proud to have one of our experts with a seat at the table in helping shape the future of sports lighting. Matt is talented at balancing fan experience considerations with cost-effectiveness, sustainability, and other important factors. His considerable experience will be highly beneficial to the committee and to the sports industry as a whole.”

Along with his expertise, IES was largely drawn to Moore given his strong network within the lighting industry.

“I’m fortunate to have a professional relationship with both leading and upstart lighting manufacturers,” said Moore. “It’s a key reason why the IES Sports Lighting Committee extended an invite for me to join. The group is eager to tap into the expertise of professional engineers like myself who are involved in sports lighting day-to-day and are familiar with the wants and needs of architects and sports venue owners. The exchange of ideas with my peers on the committee enables us to provide innovative lighting solutions for the clients we work with at Henderson.”

Moore explained that, until recently, IES sports lighting standards were based on high-intensity discharge (HID) light fixtures. The committee’s ongoing updates fit today’s widely used LED lighting, which requires less energy, turns on instantaneously, and includes modifiable capabilities like color changing and color tuning.

Due to the pandemic, the committee is also addressing lighting broadcast standards to enhance the fan experience at home.

“In COVID times, one of the most important things for sports lighting is what games look like on TV because that’s where most of the action is,” noted Moore. “So, we have been working to make sure sporting events look as best as possible on-screen to address the concerns of the industry at the moment.”

He looks forward to being involved in the endeavor long-term.

“The goal is for the committee to continually update our standards much like a code cycle,” he added in reference to building codes, which are updated every three years or so. “It’s exciting to be able to advocate for our clients by helping make sure lighting standards keep up with how the sports landscape evolves.”

IES has awarded Henderson with the National Illuminating Award of Merit 19 times in the past decade to recognize the firm’s professionalism, ingenuity, and originality in lighting design. In addition to acclaimed architectural lighting design and planning, Henderson offers acoustic engineering, audio-video systems design, and more.