Metal halide lights have been the standard lighting in the sports world since the 1960’s.  Now, however, sports teams are switching to LED Lighting to illuminate their sports venues.

As the cost of LED lights moves lower compared to halogen lights, the choice to use LED’s becomes more straightforward.  Besides consuming 54% less electricity, the LED light runs much cooler than the halogen.  The LED comes without any annoying hums, nor that troublesome element, mercury.

Since stadium and area management require high quality lighting, LED lighting had not captured their attention until recently.  However, innovations in LED lighting and the television set (HDTV), is successfully addressing light quality concerns. Furthermore, as of this year, the LED cost premium has just about disappeared.

For universities and professional sports, the installation of led lighting brings extra benefits. The longer life of led lights, (3x as long) and less need for maintenance will lead to more cost savings.

The conversion to LED lighting is occurring across a range of sport arenas:

Boston University’s tennis and track center converted to LED lighting as part of its sustainability mission and for financial reasons.  Despite the increase in the amount of light, they will save enough electricity to power 70 homes for a year. Lighting in the seven zones of the facility is controlled remotely, communication is wireless and the unnecessary lighting is eliminated.

Outdoor tennis courts with focused led lighting can eliminate complaints of light pollution by neighbors.

At NRG Stadium, home of the Houston Texans and University of Phoenix Cardinals football teams, LEDs were installed prior to this year’s football season.

In addition to enhancing the light quality for the fans attending the games, the broadcasting crew from Fox Broadcasting termed it the best of the stadium’s they have experienced.  One further plus -there should be no interruption in February’s Super Bowl game caused by a lighting outage.

At the Staples Center in LA, LED lighting installed this summer will shine on the games played by NBA Clippers and Lakers, the WNBA Galaxy and the NHL Kings.   Housing these basketball and hockey games will cost $280,000 less per year.

At the Syracuse War Memorial Arena built in 1951 and home to the AHL Crunch, the switch to LED lighting has increased the amount of light hitting the ice arena to 217 foot -candles (previously 105) and saved the venue $40,000 annually.

As well as reducing energy demand by 85%, the Crunch have benefited from the versatility of the lights.  They can be programmed to highlight players and provide special effects such as changing color of the lighting to match the players’ uniforms.

And, let’s not leave out the most popular sport in the world.  Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge soccer stadium redid their lighting system this August in order to comply with the new lighting standards of the English Premier League.  Their LED floodlights improved visibility for all participants – referees, players, in-house fans and those sitting at home watching on TV. The lighting reduced the flicker that was experienced when watching replays on HD TVs.

It appears that school lighting may affect not only the way students perform, but their health as well. We have long recognized the effect of natural sunlight on the human body to produce both physiological and psychological health. Research cited by“Academia.edu” indicates that artificial lighting can approximate the sun’s beneficial effects and stimulate student learning.

Two characteristics of light are noted in the study. One is the brightness, or intensity, and the other is the color temperature. Together, these aspects can alter our sleep patterns and quality, our blood pressure, heart rate variability and core temperature as well as regulating the amount of melatonin we produce. They also affect our mental alertness and the perception of how well we understand a subject we are studying. We have supposed that natural sunlight is superior to artificial lighting, but research shows that artificial lighting can have a positive effect on the speed with which we work and our accuracy.

How does all this play into choosing school lighting? First, it has been demonstrated that lighting which approximates natural sunlight can keep children healthier. That translates to less “sick days” out of the classroom. When the student is in class, proper lighting can keep her alert and help her be more attentive to teacher instruction. Lighting has also been shown to affect mood and behavior. Brighter light (over 500lux) seems to promote better moods and less aggressiveness.

Data from schools in the study also shows how a dynamic lighting system (one in which the lighting can be changed) can bring about relaxation in students after periods of enhanced learning. This could keep students from tiring too early and having dulled senses in the afternoon.

Most people realize that they feel gloomy after several dismal, rainy days. Did you know, however, that good lighting can affect the way we learn? The need for better lighting seems to be connected to the advance of technology. Humans used to spend more time out of doors in natural lighting. Now, however, we are becoming a culture that stays inside most of the time. Human Centric lighting, or lighting to optimize human performance, is used in workplaces and now studies have shown that optimum lighting influences learning.

It seems that higher illumination, and warmer-colored illumination, lead to higher academic performance when compared with the efforts of students under standard lighting. This is true in the college lecture hall and in the kindergarten class. It appears that school lighting may be as important as technology in determining the quality of our children’s education.

Good lighting has been shown to positively influence the social behavior of children, and may be connected to their physical health as well. Studies seem to indicate the influence of lighting on blood pressure, growth levels and even on circadian rhythms. “Tunable” lighting may also acelerate healing and prevent or slow some chronic diseases.

Speaking of Circadian Rhythms, experiments have shown that sleepiness is a deterrent to learning ability. Optimum lighting may help students remain alert during the day and so improve their “sleepiness” at bedtime.

Lighting has a tendency to make us all feel a little better. Light has a great effect on us and not just in a biological or emotional way. When lighting is good, it can produce better results in schools and other learning environments. Schools are taking the initiative to add every resource and movement to help their students feel more comfortable in their learning environment.

School lighting can have a great impact on the type of learning environment your school has. A classroom is filled with great students and teachers; and the classrooms consist of a variety of ages. Everyone will be in the learning space for up to eight hours a day. There are a few breaks in between, but there will also be several hours spent in the classroom doing the standard and traditional classroom assignments. Students get opportunities to see audiovisual presentations and they also get chances to complete assignments on desktop and laptop computers.

When these assignments and classroom needs are taken into consideration, you can determine the best kind of lighting classrooms will need. The students in the classroom can have more energy and urgency when they walk into a classroom that is equipped with proper lighting, especially during the days when it is dark and gloomy outside.

The health and well being of students will also be better when classrooms have a better atmosphere. There will not be a need to increase the consumption of energy to increase or improve study results of the students in the classroom. Since schools are coming face-to-face with energy costs and other costs, it is important to implement anything that can save money. There will constantly be changes in the way teachers teach their students, and classrooms have to be equipped to handle those changes. With all of the new learning strategies, technology, and devices, it seems that the old blackboard may not be needed as much.

Since everything else is changing in the classroom, school and classroom lighting should be changed too. A good thing is the changes in lighting are not difficult to make.

Proper lighting in schools is a very important aspect that is often overlooked.  Electricity can take up a huge percentage of a school’s budget if not monitored closely. In fact, it’s estimated that about 25 percent of a school’s electricity will be used for the school’s lighting.

When you also factor in the amount necessary to compensate for the heat that gets generated from old lighting fixtures the cost goes up even more. The money spent on these utilities could be better put to use by making sure the general condition of the school building is in good shape, everyone is safe, and the educational environment is adequate.

LED lighting continues to grow in popularity, and many institutions are choosing to make the switch from previous lighting methods.

Safety

LED lighting produces a lower heat output than traditional lighting. Naturally, when there is a lower heat output, there will also be a reduced fire risk. The increase in efficient lighting will also make it easier to light dark hallways or areas that are likely to be vandalized which will increase the security of the building while providing a safer amount of light for students.

Educational Value

The LED lighting upgrades can productivity and concentration in students. Studies have shown that performance increases in well-lit areas. Too dark can cause a sleepy effect and too light may lead to headaches or eyestrain.

Better For Students

Better lighting in schools is better for everyone. Students and teachers will not have to worry about lights that do not stay on, or lights that will constantly flicker. Flickering lights can cause headaches for some students.

It can be very easy to only focus on the cost benefits and the environmental benefits. There are many other fantastic reasons to love LED lighting. They may not be as obvious, but they are still plentiful.