LED Lighting = Safer, Smarter Facilities
Many recreational fields still use legacy metal-halide lights, which take time to warm up and that delay in lighting can cause disruptions in game schedules and can create frustration among participants and spectators.
With quality of life in mind, cities such as New York, Los Angeles, and Santa Fe have switched to light-emitting diode (LED) systems for better-lit fields, providing increased safety and visibility for athletes and fans. Many cities also added smart sensors to capture information for planning and safety purposes.
Safety
Safety is not only important for residents to have high visibility of the recreational area, but it’s also essential for the athletes and people using the fields. Proper illumination on the field of play allows players to see the ball better, reducing the potential for being struck by a ball. Lighting controls and motion detectors create a safe and well-lit area for everyone’s peace of mind.
Systems such as All Field, developed by Eaton’s Ephesus Lighting, feature instant-on capability, meaning that lights immediately reach full brightness at the push of a button. The lighting minimizes unwanted light spill and sky glow to produce an evenly illuminated playing field, where players have optimum visibility during games and where neighbors aren’t distracted by unwanted glare.
Adaptability
As the user demographics and demands change, LED systems can be adapted to complement city processes and to improve the user experience with smart, connected lighting. For instance, municipalities will be able to rent recreational fields to users who can then manage the park’s lighting from their phone and can illuminate specific areas rather than the entire complex.
Not only will lighting controls be more convenient, but LED systems will become an input source for information. Their sensors can detect and track pedestrian and vehicular traffic, noises that present a threat to public safety, air pollution, and natural disasters. Places such as Los Angeles are even merging LED lights with wireless technology to give residents improved cell-service coverage.
Energy Efficiency
Although the upfront cost of switching to LED systems may be relatively higher than alternatives, the combination of energy savings and reduced maintenance costs helps most municipalities see a return on investment in less than 10 years.
Unlike metal-halide fixtures, LED systems have no bulbs or ballasts to replace, and systems typically last for 25 years. LEDs help cities reduce greenhouse-gas emissions and energy consumption by up to 75 percent compared with traditional lighting.
Implementing LEDs into city-wide recreation facilities and other initiatives keeps public safety a priority while saving energy and adapting to the future of Internet of Things (IoT) technology. Cities will soon have automated data on hand to help urban planning and development and will soon have additional capabilities still to be developed.
For further information, visit The Lighting reSOURCE: Your source for lighting information, education, and inspiration at http://thelightingresource.eaton.com/. To learn how LED can cut your sports lighting cost by 50% visit LEDwithinreach.com.