What Are Stadium Floodlights?
Stadium floodlights are the extremely bright lights you typically find on sports fields and in stadiums. As floodlights, they “flood” or completely cover the space with light. Most stadium floodlights are positioned to illuminate the field and not necessarily the stands, although some may.
As mentioned, you can use stadium floodlights anywhere that you would want to install floodlights. They can also do well in parking lots, concerts, fairs, or other large, outdoor spaces where you want complete illumination. You can use them to supplement wall lights or in-ground path lights.
Why You Need Stadium Floodlights
Before we explore what to keep in mind as you choose stadium floodlights, take some time to refresh your memory on why these lights are so useful.
Play Day or Night
The most obvious benefit of stadium floodlights is their ability to illuminate the field enough so that you can play on them at any time of the day or night. This is especially important for professional stadiums, as the more that a stadium can be open, the more money it can bring in.
Using the stadium at any time opens up the options for nighttime games or early evening games during the times of the year when it gets dark earlier.
Allow Recordings, TV, and Streaming
Even non-professional games are frequently televised or at least streamed or recorded. The resulting video will always be of higher quality if the field is well-lit, making it possible to see every area of the field.
No Blind Spots or Shadows
There are plenty of other types of lights you could install at a stadium, but floodlights make the most sense because of their ability to thoroughly illuminate the entire area. This means that you don’t have to worry about the lights casting shadows or any blind spots on the field.
Security
Having floodlights at the stadium is also an important security measure. When they are on, the entire space is well-illuminated. This will deter potential criminals as it increases the chances of them getting caught.
Safety
Installing floodlights also adds to the overall safety of the space. Athletes and anyone else at the stadium are much less likely to trip and fall if the ground is well-lit since they can see any potential obstacles.
LED Benefits
For even more advantages, opt for LED stadium floodlights instead of another type of bulb. This will also give you all of the benefits associated with LEDs, including the following.
Efficiency
The biggest benefit of LEDs is that they are more efficient. The increase in efficiency means that each light uses less electricity compared to its non-LED counterparts. That can deliver savings even on a small scale. Stadiums typically install many lights, and since floodlights are so bright, the savings can quickly build up.
Durability
LEDs last out significantly longer than other types of bulbs and fixtures. This is great news in terms of long-term value, as a single purchase of the lights keeps on for an extended period.
That durability also reduces the number of lights that your stadium puts in the landfill, which is important for environmentally conscious people.
On top of all that, having more durable lights means you have to go through the hassle of replacing them less frequently. This typically means bringing in a forklift or similar heavy machinery to reach the light, adding yet another complication with stadium lights. Reducing the frequency with which you have to do so is always ideal.
Not only are LEDs more durable than other types of lighting, but they are also more resistant to impact. While the chances of a stray ball directly hitting a light are small, if they do, LEDs would be able to handle it much better than other lights. The filament is almost guaranteed to break with a traditional light, causing the light to require a replacement. By contrast, LEDs have sturdier protective covers.
High-quality Light
LEDs tend to give off a better quality light that doesn’t flicker, which would concern some other types of lighting. This is especially important with stadiums, as flickering lights could distract players. Or, they can ruin the view for the audience. They could also spoil the images captured during broadcast games.
Lights Turn on Right Away
Not only is the light from LEDs of higher quality, but it also turns on right away. You can flip the switch and watch the lights on the field turn on immediately. By contrast, the traditional metal halide options could take up to a half-hour to reach their full brightness.
Dimmable
While you can expect LED lights to turn on fully right away, they can also typically be dimmed, which is not always the case with other options. This lets you use a dimmer setting for training or practices and a brighter setting for official games.
Reduced Heat Production
LED lights also produce a negligible amount of heat, especially when compared to traditional types of lighting that heat up during use. This is especially important in a stadium, as you don’t want the lights to increase the temperature of the field too much and make the athletes overheat. It also improves the comfort of the spectators.
Possible Tax Incentives
Although this will not always be an option in your area, some cities and states offer stadiums tax incentives for using LED lights. Local governments see this as a simple way of encouraging companies and individuals to make more energy-efficient choices.
Can Typically Be Retrofitted
To add to the convenience of LED stadium floodlights, you typically do not even need to replace your existing fixtures completely to install them. In many cases, you can retrofit an existing structure to accept LEDs.
Of course, you may still want to upgrade the fixture if it is getting old or you want to take advantage of the latest technology and engineering.
How to Choose Stadium Floodlights
With the above information in mind, how do you choose which stadium floodlights are right for your stadium? You should keep the following factors in mind.
Go With LEDs
Consider the many benefits of using LED lights, from energy efficiency to durability to better-quality light. Because of these reasons, it is best to opt for LED floodlights instead of those that use a different type of lighting technology.
Start With a Plan
Your light-shopping process should always begin with a plan. Start by thinking about how many floodlights you want to install in the stadium and where you want to position them. This will help you decide other factors, such as the mounting method and ideal wattage.
Mounting Method
You may also want to consider the method that you will have to use to mount the lights. Many stadium floodlights are post lights. This simply means that they sit on posts so they can be high above the ground. Many stadium lights are attached directly to upper areas of the stadium, such as rafters or arches, depending on its architecture. You can also frequently affix these lights to existing posts, such as retrofitting the old floodlights.
Neither of these is necessarily better than the other method. It depends largely on the structure of your stadium and your plans for space.
Confirm Weatherproofing
Before you buy any stadium floodlights, you always want to confirm that they are tough enough to handle the weather. There are two highly effective ways of doing this.
The first is to look for a higher IP rating and additional information in the product description.
The other is to choose a light that has undergone rigorous testing. For example, RC Lighting puts all of its lights through 13 tests, including high pressure, freezing, water pressure, soaking, and more. Since its lights pass all of these tests, they should easily handle any weather conditions.
Check Quality
Quality and weatherproofing go hand-in-hand, at least to some extent. You essentially want to ensure that your LED stadium floodlights can last as long as possible and will live up to the reputation of LEDs. This will depend largely on the quality of the light and the fixture.
You can maximize your chances of choosing a high-quality light by buying from a company with high standards, such as the strict testing methods RC Lighting has. You can also get a feel for the quality based on reviews.
Look for a Warranty
Yet another way to confirm the quality of a stadium floodlight is whether the company offers a warranty. You will typically only find warranties on high-quality products. If a company offered a warranty on a low-quality product, they would end up losing money due to the constant need to replace or repair parts. As such, warranties give you an idea of the quality of the light and reflect the confidence that the manufacturer has in it.
Consider Controls and Operation
Think about your preferences for how you control the stadium floodlights. Do you want to set a timer and have the lights turn on and off automatically? Do you want to incorporate sensors that turn on when the sun sets? Do you prefer a traditional switch? All of these are options. You just have to make sure that your preference is available with your chosen light.
Look at Beam Angle
You want to pay attention to the beam angle of your LED floodlights as well. This is because the beam angle will determine how the light is distributed. It also plays a significant role in the uniformity and brightness of the light.
The great thing about most LED stadium lights is that you can adjust their angle by repositioning the mounting brackets. Many also sit on bases that you can adjust.
Consider the Glare
You don’t want to install stadium lights that will lead to glare. This will make it harder for athletes to play, the spectators to watch the game, and videographers to record it. Check reviews to get a feel for the glare of a light, or look for lights with features to reduce the glare.
Brightness
The brightness, lumens, or watts of your chosen light will be a very important factor. You want to make sure that you choose a light with enough watts to illuminate the field without blinding players.
If you have not used LEDs before, you will want to go with a lower number of watts than you think you need. When in doubt, you can always consult the lighting experts that you are working with for advice.
Consider Color Temperature
You will have to think about what color temperature you want for your stadium lights. The most common option for stadiums is 5000K, which is pure white. That said, you can choose a warmer tone if you need to.
Pay Attention to CRI
As you shop for lights, you will notice the Color Rendering Index (CRI). This index measures how accurately you can see the color of an object. A higher number means that an object looks more similar to what it would in natural light or ideal lighting conditions when the light is on. At a minimum, you want a CRI of 75.
Conclusion
Stadium floodlights are an essential part of any sports arena, concert venue, or outdoor area. They fully illuminate the space so that athletes can see what they are doing and spectators can watch them with ease.
Turn to RC Lighting for all of your outdoor lighting needs, from stadium floodlights to path lights to facade lights.
