When it comes to running a sports venue, whether it is your local high school’s stadium or a major league venue like Citi Field there are a lot of costs that go with it. Employees are needed to work stands and to keep the venue clean. Water is needed for almost everything and so is electricity. These costs can add up to thousands or millions of dollars per year so venue owners are interested in saving as much money as they can. It should be no surprise then that venues all across the country are switching to LED lighting.
You know the benefits of LED Lighting. The bulbs last longer, they are just as bright and they use much less electricity. Those benefits are why LED lights are becoming the standard lighting in people’s homes, in businesses and in multi-million dollar venues all across the country. The first to switch was here in New York, the Onondaga County War Memorial in Syracuse, home of the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch. The first outdoor venue to switch was not an American venue but a British one. Stamford Bridge, the home of Chelsea FC converted in 2014.
Baseball
Baseball is played mostly under the lights. Huge banks of lights are needed to illuminate the field and so if a bulb can not only be brighter, save electricity but also last longer it would seem to be a no brainer. For many venues it was a no brainer.
The move to LED lighting began in 2015 with Safeco Field (now T-Mobile Park) in Seattle. Petco Park in San Diego, Minute Maid Park in Houston, Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas and Yankee Stadium in New York converted the following year and more followed the year after that. LED lighting systems include more than just stadium lighting. Lights can be easily dimmed to be a part of a light show, like as a game is about to begin, when a home run is hit or for use with a concert.
Baseball’s Latest Convert
The latest convert is Busch Stadium, the home of the St. Louis Cardinals bringing the total number of Major League Baseball stadiums using LED lights to 18, or over half of the stadiums in the majors. The Cardinals state that these lights will provide 90% of the light natural light provides while reducing shadows and glare. The light will be more inviting for both players and spectators and will also provide a higher quality picture for those viewing at home. It also helps that they expect to use 60% less energy with these new lights.
Football
Baseball is of course not the only sport seeing such changes. LED lighting is catching on in the NFL. Super Bowl XLIX in Glendale, Arizona in 2015 was the first to be played under LED lights and two other Super Bowls since have been played under these lights. While the game is long remembered for the dramatic finish with Malcolm Butler picking off Russell Wilson on the goalline it is most known for Katy Perry’s halftime show. On learning that the stadium used LED lights Perry was able to have the halftime show timeframe extended and may have provided the time to give America the iconic dancing sharks.
Despite that only a handful of teams have made the conversion though newer stadiums have been constructed with LED lighting systems. In 2018 Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin was updated citing the difficulty of maintaining and operating the old system as well as cost savings. The system was installed using helicopters as cranes were deemed to be too difficult since they would need to be set up and torn down everytime they needed to move.
Contact Us to find your LED lighting solution
That makes what Resort Lighting does to install lights on your property seem easy! But you can also enjoy the same benefits that these venues do with LED lighting. If you are considering an outdoor lighting system or an upgrade to your existing system we recommend that you use LED lighting. If you are on Long Island, New York give Resort Lighting a call and we can show you what your property can look like and how much money you can save by using LED lighting.
Resources:
https://www.ledsmagazine.com/articles/2018/04/leds-light-more-baseball-venues-for-2018-mlb-season.html
https://www.ledsmagazine.com/articles/print/volume-13/issue-5/features/outdoor-lighting/leds-bring-quality-and-sizzle-to-baseball-venues.html
http://thelightingresource.eaton.com/features/2018/advanced-football-stadium-lights-will-illuminate-the-next-three-nfl-championship-games
https://www.nhl.com/lightning/news/amalie-arena-installs-new-led-lighting-for-2018-19-season/c-300694336
https://www.financialwb.com/sports-stadiums-with-led-lighting/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/setheverett/2018/09/17/new-stadiumarena-lighting-enhances-fan-experience-better-for-environment/#812e61b4838a
https://www.athleticbusiness.com/stadium-arena/led-lighting-finding-a-home-in-major-sports-arenas.html
https://insights.regencylighting.com/arenas-stadiums-concert-venues-go-led-lighting
Katy Perry – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZD1QrIe–_Y
