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Choosing the Right LED Lighting System for Your Sports Field

In this post we will be looking into the various aspects of selecting the best LED sports lighting system for your sports field. This will allow you to better understand some of the terminology that is often thrown around.

 

Baseball Field LED Sports Lighting System

 

Lighting for outdoor sports fields is critical to the safety of the players, coaches and spectators. A brief lighting outage during a game or practice can lead to serious injuries, which tends to happen with traditional lights. LED lighting systems happen to be more durable, long-lasting, and less vulnerable to environmental conditions that could lead to a lighting mishap. 

When it comes to choosing an LED sports lighting system for your sports field, there are several aspects to be mindful of including:

  1. Fixtures Mounting Options
  2. Controlling Light Spillage
  3. Beam Angles
  4. Glare Restriction
  5. Color Rendering
  6. Weatherproofing
  7. Dimming Ability

 

LED Sports Field Lighting Specifications

Fixtures Mounting Options

LED lighting fixtures can be mounted on light poles or the walls and ceilings of surrounding structures. The number of light poles and lighting fixtures you will need depends on the total amount of illumination your specific sports field needs. Additionally, there are different types of sports field light poles that are available for you to choose from. The most common types are:

  1. Fixed light poles: These light poles are commonly used in smaller sports fields where lighting requirements are not very high and do not change between events. 
  2. Retractable light poles: These light poles can have their height adjusted to be raised or lowered depending on the needs of the sporting events taking place. These are very similar to High Mast Lighting Systems, as they are commonly used to illuminate large areas from a very high mounting height for stadiums and sports facilities.
  3. Mobile light poles: These light poles can be moved around the sports field and placed where more lighting is necessary. 

 

High Fixed Light Pole for Baseball field LED lighting

 

Controlling Light Spillage

Most sports lighting systems have special structural designs that include visors, side plate, and backlight control that can keep excess light from spilling out beyond the field. Stray light from outdoor sports fields can disturb and cause a distraction to drivers and other people living and working in the area. 

 

Beam Angles

The beam angle is the most important aspect to sports field lighting. The right beam angle can make your sports field lights even across the field with no missing patches or awkward angles. The wrong angles can ruin the effect or even cause blinding cross-beams that can disrupt the game. 

Choosing the proper LED light fixture and beam angle is going to depend on the size of the area being covered by light, the lumen requirements for that area size, and the height of the lights. It is crucial to achieve the ideal NEMA beam angles for effectively lighting sports fields and stadiums, and this should be determined through a photometric layout of the area. When the angle of light is narrow, it produces a more concentrated and intense beam that travels further. Conversely, a wider beam angle results in a more diffused and less intense light as it travels away from the source. Flood lights typically have beam angles wider than 70 degrees, reaching up to 130 degrees. It is crucial to consider the mounting angles when evaluating light patterns, especially with flood lights.

 

Glare Restriction

When considering glare, it is essential to look at it from the player and spectators’ perspective. Too much glare can make a field both challenging to play or watch. LED sports lighting systems have proven to be best at providing even lighting throughout an entire field all while, keeping glare to a minimum. LED lighting systems are designed with light diffusers or low-glare asymmetrical optics, which can ultimately save the eyes of players and attendees at the sports field. 

 

Color Rendering

Color Rendering Index (CRI) measures the ability of a light to give an accurate color rendering of an object. The index is measured in the range of 0-100, where 100 represents the perfect illumination of the object under the light source. It is essential to go for a high CRI rating; a CRI score greater than 80 is acceptable for most of the sporting events. Most LED sports lighting systems score close to 100 on the CRI. 

 

Weatherproofing

Outdoor sports field lighting systems are often exposed to humidity, rain, moisture, which can be destructive to the internal electronics. That is why it is important to select an LED sports lighting system with a weatherproof rating of IP65 or higher to ensure they can stand up to the elements.

 

Dimming Ability

The ability to dim your LED sports lighting system provides you with the flexibility to adjust the light level based on the time of day or night. You can dim the lights during practice to save energy, but turn them up to full brightness for a game.

 

Sports field lighting for Soccer FIeld

LED lighting produces a better overall lighting system for your sports fields that is more efficient, has less hazardous glare, and is more economical to maintain. The key to getting the best possible outcome is understanding the specifications for your particular sports field and working alongside a professional. We here at Stouch Lighting work with some of the top manufacturers of outdoor sports field lighting, such as Truly Green Sports Lighting, Hubbell, LSI, Ephesus sports lighting. Contact us today to help assist you choose the best LED sports lighting system for your sports field today.