Control Field Lighting Effectively

You can expand the programming potential of your sports fields dramatically when you install lighting. But, in addition to concern from neighbors about the effects of nighttime lighting, many facility owners are concerned about energy efficiency, as well as ease of operation and maintenance. Fortunately, there are lighting solutions available that are cost-effective, energy-efficient, eliminate maintenance with long-term warranties and, most importantly, control the light and preserve darkness around the facility.

Q: We want to install lighting at our sports fields, but some of the local homeowners are concerned about light spill into the neighborhood. What should we consider?

A: When you add lighting to outdoor sports facilities, it is crucial to find a solution that provides high-quality light to players and spectators, without creating glare or spilling light in a way that has a negative impact on nearby homes. You can find effective lighting systems that have been carefully designed and engineered over time to keep light where it's wanted, and prevent it from spilling into the night sky or the surrounding area. Advanced optics can help to significantly cut glare, spill and skyglow for athletes, spectators and the surrounding area. What's more, in addition to preventing problems for neighbors, this type of lighting solution can improve visibility for players.

Q: Our organization has a goal of improving sustainability at our facilities. Can we find more environmentally friendly and energy-efficient field lighting?

A: Many sports and recreation facilities have become more focused on sustainability. And when it comes to lighting, LEDs have emerged as an energy-efficient solution for many types of recreation and sports facilities, and sports fields are no exception. By using LEDs instead of metal halide equipment, sports lighting systems can dramatically cut energy consumption and deliver better lighting. But it's important to do your homework. There are many manufacturers that offer LED fixtures, but just because it's an LED light source doesn't mean it will achieve the same superior performance in terms of efficiency and light control as a system-based LED solution that's been proven over time.

Q: We have a lot of different organizations using our fields. We want to enable everyone to play, but don't always have a staff member on hand to turn the lights off at the end of the game. What should we consider?

A: When you extend your programming potential into the nighttime hours, it can create problems with staffing. And unfortunately, you can't always rely on the people using the field to turn off the lights. The good news is that you can find lighting that provides remote scheduling and on/off controls of your lighting system. All you need is a smartphone app, or you can rely on a 24-hour call center or website to control, monitor and manage your lighting. You can directly control field lighting via an easy-to-use website; enter, edit and update schedules from a web-enabled smartphone; or contact the call center to enter schedules or request last-minute changes. Monitoring systems like these also know immediately if there are outages or any problems with your lighting.