Lights are pretty important in sports. You need them to be exceptionally bright so that spectators can enjoy all the game has to offer, and yet they shouldn’t be so bright that they irritate players. They also have to be on for extremely extended periods of time. Some sports organizers have opted for replacing regular incandescent or fluorescent lights with LED lights. Here’s a couple of advantages that LED lights have over regular lighting.
1. Less money spent on electricity
LED lights are famous for being more efficient power-wise than traditional lighting. Switching from a one-thousand-watt metal halide to a five-hundred-watt LED will noticeably reduce the amount of energy spent. It’s a pretty well-known benefit of LED lights, but on a large scale, it’s way more impactful than you think. The amount of power saved is usually in the range of sixty-six percent.
Sports stadiums use a ton of lighting and those lights are on for quite a while. It costs a hefty sum to get those lights running. This is why any cost-saving measures are welcome when it comes to illuminating a sports arena. Another added benefit is wind-up time. Regular lighting takes a while to get up to full force, while LED lights are nearly instantly at full power.
2. They last a lot longer
When talking about cost-saving measures, replacing broken parts has to be considered. LED lights shine in this department. Compared to regular incandescent lighting, they last much longer. An ordinary light bulb can burn out and fail pretty early on. LED lights don’t burn out, they merely get dimmer over time. You can expect them to last about two to four times longer than regular light fixtures.
What this means is that replacing them is less of a chore. When it comes to large sports arenas, you’ll find replacing bulbs more challenging due to the height they might be mounted on. You have to hire professionals and spend time and money to change them constantly. This further increases costs and makes them inefficient compared to LED lights.
3. They have a higher quality of light
Another thing to look out for when purchasing light bulbs is the quality of their light. If you look at the package that the bulb comes in, you’ll see a couple of values. The lumens value represents how strong the light is and is usually pretty similar between LED lights and other kinds. There is a crucial difference, though. You also need to look at the bulbs Color Rendering Index.
This shows how high the quality of color is for the light bulb. With a high enough index, everything appears sharper and brighter. It also affects how irritating the light is. CRI is measured on a scale of one to a hundred. Incandescent bulbs and sodium lighting usually rank at about thirty points on the scale, while LED lights rarely dip below seventy points. This means fewer lights are necessary to get the bright, colorful light you wanted.
4. Weather won’t be a problem for them
A major drawback for incandescent and fluorescent lights is their inability to tolerate weather changes. Fluorescent lights, for example, have to be started at a higher voltage when it’s cold outside. This also reduces their luminescence to a degree. LED lights don’t have this problem. Any temperature fluctuations won’t stop them from being activated nor affect their brightness. You’ll often find them in refrigerators, freezers and similar appliances.
This makes them a perfect fit for outdoor areas like parking lots and things like road signs. Sports arenas can make effective use of led sport lighting as well, as here the lights are at the mercy of the weather. The efficiency of LED lights has been measured at different temperatures, and it’s been proven that they are actually slightly more efficient at around minus five degrees Celsius, compared to room temperature.
5. They’re pretty small
LED lights aren’t actually all that large. Smaller devices can come in sizes smaller than a tenth of a millimeter squared. While they are pretty tiny compared to other forms of light bulbs, they still pack a hard punch. Their size just means you can apply them in more creative ways and save tons of space along the way. It’s hard to find an alternative when it comes to circuit board lighting, for example.
If those smaller lights are still potent, imagine what they can do on a large scale, like in stadium lighting. You can use fewer of them on a projector, while still maintaining the same amount of light. This, combined with their better illumination, means you get an even better view for a fraction of the price. It might seem counter-intuitive, but sometimes smaller is better.
Conclusion
You can make a pretty convincing case for using LED light bulbs in sports. Their high efficiency, adaptability and small size make them ideal for stadiums and arenas. Replacing them is rare, so it’s way less of a hassle than it seems. You just have to replace the old ones with LEDs and you’re practically set for life.
Liam Smith is a young and aspiring Australian blogger with a passion for everything related to home improvement, design and style. He has a B.Sc. in Interior design and is an avid reader.
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