Sports Court Lighting: What to Consider When Choosing Floodlights?”
Sports courts are increasingly sought after by people who are keen on healthy habits, and lighting for sports courts is an essential factor for proper use of the space. Exercise and sports practice helps improve health and physical performance, but the locations used by amateur or professional athletes need to be properly lit to avoid harm to their users.
In this post, we will discuss the importance of lighting for sports courts, explain how it provides better visibility and greater safety for athletes competing and the audience watching the games.
Additionally, we will point out the best LED floodlight for the lighting of these environments and what needs to be considered when acquiring new technologies. Would you like to know more about the subject? Follow along!
What is the importance of efficient lighting for sports courts?
Efficient lighting of sports courts is indispensable to ensure adequate lighting of the environment. Cutting-edge technology floodlights are capable of providing the desired visibility and safety for all athletes and spectators.
Athletes cannot perform well if they are in conditions of glare or in the presence of shadows, which are common during night periods. The audience watching the matches does not feel safe in poorly lit environments, not to mention that falls and accidents due to the lack of light can occur.
Sports courts need to be lit according to their length, height, and other important factors. Therefore, the lighting project can be an interesting option for those who wish to present a perfect environment.
Traditional lamps generate visual discomfort and consume a lot of electricity, besides not distributing light evenly. However, current technologies make it possible to install differentiated items to meet all the needs of those who use sports courts.
Current models even help with retrofitting, offering easy solutions when it is necessary to replace equipment.
What should be considered when choosing floodlights?
Going to the store and buying some light points to illuminate the location will not bring the expected results if the buyer does not have knowledge of the technologies available on the market. When choosing floodlights for sports court lighting, some points should be considered.
Check out below the aspects you need to observe before purchasing the items!
Correct angle
The correct angle is essential to obtain the level of lighting and uniformity as indicated by international sports federations. Ideal angles are defined based on the dimensions of the court, lateral length, height, distance from the poles, type of area, and other characteristics.
Specialized professionals in the field make calculations and determine the ideal angle to install LED reflectors.
Color temperature
In sports court lighting, the recommended color temperature is cool white because it keeps people alert, while warm white provides a sense of comfort and produces drowsiness. Regarding the color rendering index, regulations require it to be 80% for visibility to be considered ideal.
Glare
Glare is the sensation produced when the eyes come into direct contact with the light source, which can be from the sun, lamps, or floodlights. This phenomenon often happens in traffic when a vehicle with high beams approaches the driver and impairs their vision.
For sports courts, LED reflectors are the solution to avoid this discomfort, which hinders the practice of activities.
Type of court
The type of court also influences the type of lighting and the choice of LED floodlights, since different sports are practiced. Tennis courts are designed to facilitate quick vision and ball tracking. For this reason, the total illuminance at each point needs to be 1,200W, while the distance from the posts to the net should be 9 meters and 3.5 meters from the court’s boundaries.
Multi-sport courts have 9-meter high posts positioned 7 meters away from the court’s centerline and 3 meters from its boundaries. The LED reflectors in the lighting for courts need to have an approximate power of 400W. The Society football court follows the same measurements, with a need for illuminance of 1,200W at each point. They should have six lighting points.
Illuminance
Illuminance is a parameter used based on the amount of light that reaches a particular surface. Usually, it is around 500 lumens to ensure perfect athlete vision. Lighting for recreational courts can be 100 lumens, in semi-professional ones, 300 to 500 lumens, and in professional ones, it can reach 2,000 lumens.
What are the ideal reflectors for court lighting?
As you could see, the ideal floodlights in court lighting vary according to the objectives and aspects of each environment. Whether it is amateur or professional use, it is crucial to plan to ensure that the lighting is in accordance with the parameters of the Brazilian Association of Technical Standards (ABNT NBR ISO/CIE 8995-1:2013).
The most suitable floodlights are those manufactured with SMD LED technology, specially created for high performance in lighting for multi-sport courts, football fields, and gyms. There are industrial lighting lines, perfect for factories, logistics warehouses, and parking lots.
The roadway/street line is ideal for streets, condominiums, airports, parks, etc. Finally, the complementary line is used to illuminate gas stations, warehouses, churches, and similar environments.
You can find your partner specialized in offering lighting design projects and directing your choices to meet the needs of your multi-sport court. They will provide support through consultative service with relevant information.
Now that you know what to consider when choosing LED reflectors that will positively affect court lighting, choose a specialist company in the segment that provides a study and calculation of energy efficiency, measuring the gains that will be obtained in the short, medium, and long term. Opt for products of superior quality to the market average!
Now that you are convinced that SX Lighting will provide you with the best lighting, click here and request assistance from our specialists.
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