You should stop and assess your ability to switch to LED before investing money into maintenance or repairs of your existing High-Intensity Discharge (HID) sports lighting equipment, especially if your system is out of warranty. HID will soon be considered obsolete, and many manufacturers have eliminated HID bulbs and parts from their offering altogether as they have solely switched to LED production. For this reason, KCL Engineering exclusively recommends LED systems to our customers considering new or upgrading sports field lighting.
LED systems have superior benefits and are now competitive with previous systems due to the significant decrease in cost over the last 2-3 years. LED technology provides improved illumination, glare control, dimmability, longevity, ease of maintenance, and 50% energy savings. Updating a system to LED also brings the opportunity to once again fall under a full warranty. With the incredible lifespan of LED products (30,000 - 50,000 hours), this warranty period is 25 years under major manufacturers.
Design and installation of an LED system takes 4-6 months. The most common time frame allows for design in the fall, bidding in winter, and installation in early spring.
The role of an electrical engineer is to assess current needs, design an economical solution, and help secure competitive bids. Engineers are also trained to verify construction quality and system performance. KCL Engineering collaborates with landscape architects, civil engineers, and lighting manufacturers to design systems for school districts, communities, colleges and universities, and professional sports venues.
Bonus Content: Future of Sport Field Technology
Now that the spectator experience has been optimized with superior lighting technology, manufacturers are now keeping fans connected even when they can’t attend a game in person. Musco Lighting has introduced an automated video streaming service that allows for games to be watched live and on-demand from a phone, tablet, or smart TV. Strategically placed cameras capture game-play and intelligent automated production selects camera shots based on game action. Viewers can enjoy a professional style stream of their favorite team from anywhere. New ideas like this showcase how advancements in technology and engineering design continue to contribute to sports fields.
Questions about LED Sports Lighting? Contact Jon LaCroix (515) 334-2960