By Mary Helen Sprecher
Sports facilities have long been a showcase for the newest technologies to help athletes perform better and to help spectators enjoy the experience even more. From better surfaces to better equipment to better peripherals such video boards and messaging systems, there is a lot of pressure to keep up.
But although a lot of attention is paid to the developments on the field, not as much is afforded to what’s coming from above: the light, and how the systems providing it have evolved.
LED lighting has largely replaced the metal halide of years past, and advancements in technology are continuing at a rapid pace.
“With today’s technology, spill, glare and glow (more commonly grouped together as light pollution) are significantly less problematic than yesterday’s equipment,” said Charles Dawson of TenCate Grass Americas. “The old days of finding the local football game by following the glow in the sky are long gone.
“When properly designed, LED technology uses direct lens lighting technology that eliminates the use of reflectors that was the major contributor of light pollution,” Dawson added. “Those systems reduce glare and spill by up to 95 percent over conventional metal halide systems while allowing superior uniformities and centerline lighting on the playing surfaces.”
Additionally, LED lighting is an energy saver (and therefore a cost saver). Some estimates put the electrical consumption of LED systems as being 50 to 75 percent lower than systems that used metal halide. Relamping fixtures also becomes a thing of the past with the inception of LED, so maintenance costs are lower as well. Fixtures can be dimmed when not in use, and can be controlled offsite, through a mobile app.
These days, however, the aspect of sports lighting that is getting the most scrutiny nationwide is its impact on the environment. Bright lights attract insects, which can be vectors for disease among both humans and animals – from pets to livestock. Excessive light can also disorient migrating birds (and in coastal areas, sea turtles), leading to their death.
LED lighting, which is better able to be directed only onto the playing area and the sidelines or stands, and which does not cause a glow in the sky above the field, is seen as the more responsible choice. Additionally, metal halide lighting contains mercury, which has long raised concerns about responsible disposal when fixtures reached the end of their useful life.
“Eco-friendly lighting is a trend and is generally being influenced by cities, towns and municipalities that have adopted more responsible lighting practices,” said Bruce Frasure of Frasure Reps Sports Lighting. “In many cases, destinations are implementing these practices into their local zoning ordinances. The intent is to minimize glare, reduce light trespass, and limit lighting that pollutes the night sky.”
There is extensive media coverage of cities, schools and even private venues where owners wanted to install more outdoor sports lighting and, having brought their plans before community officials or local HOAs, were told they needed to ascertain that the new lighting system will not disrupt the environment.
According to Frasure, in many cases, problems can be avoided by keeping a few principles in mind during the planning stage.
“In general, our approach is to follow the Five Principals for Responsible Outdoor Lighting from the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) and International Dark Sky Association (IDA) which state that outdoor lighting should do the following:
1. Be useful. All light should have a clear purpose.
2. Be targeted. Light should be directed only where needed.
3. Provide low light levels. Light should be no brighter than necessary.
4. Be controlled. Lighting should only be used when it is useful.
5. Have a warmer color. Use warmer white where possible.”
Compounding the interest in trying to keep a lid on excessive lighting is an uptick in dark sky tourism, in which those who want to stargaze (such as near an observatory or a park) will actually seek out designated spots that have been registered as dark sky preserves, defined as areas that restrict or reduce light pollution or maintain and protect naturally dark night skies.
While it’s unlikely that a dark sky preserve would ever be located adjacent to a sports field with multiple night games, it behooves field managers to understand the importance that is increasingly being placed on maintaining natural areas and minimizing unnecessary lighting.
Organizations in the lighting industry that field managers should be aware of:
- DarkSky International, the global authority on light pollution, has been studying the impact of sports lighting on local ecosystems, and has developed a voluntary certification program for recreational sports fields that use outdoor lighting in a responsible manner. The organization also provides information on products, designs and more that minimize glare, reduce light trespass and don’t pollute the night sky.
- The Design Lights Consortium is a lighting certification issued for commercial LED lights based on their color rendering capabilities, light distribution and output, lumen maintenance, longevity or the ability to withstand stress, and the duration of the warranty period.
- Other resources include the Consortium for Energy Efficiency, the Illuminating Engineering Society, EnergyStar and the FTC’s Lighting Facts certification.
“The lighting industry will continue to evolve,” said Frasure. “That will include products that restrict the amount of upward-directed light, and products that include options for warmer color temperatures of 3,000K or less. Warmer color temperatures limit the amount of shorter wavelength (blue-violet) light, which has been found to have harmful impacts on wildlife and ecosystems.”
One point of agreement among all lighting contractors: When investigating LED systems, do not buy an inexpensive system such as those that appear in pop-up ads or unsolicited emails. Many such systems are manufactured outside the USA using cheap materials and do not offer manufacturer support or maintenance. This ultimately leaves the buyer stuck with a system that does not work out – and which is, in fact, the exact opposite of what they wanted in the first place.
“Consumers are generally looking for technical expertise, energy efficiency, advanced glare and spill control, uniform light distribution, low maintenance and, in some cases, the ability to control fixtures from anywhere,” said Frasure.
Mary Helen Sprecher wrote this article on behalf of the American Sports Builders Association (ASBA), which publishes Sports Fields: Construction and Maintenance Manual. For more information, visit www.sportsbuilders.org.
