Contents What kind of lighting fixtures are suitable for stadium lighting?What kind of lighting fixtures are suitable for stadium lighting? This requires us to return to the essence of sports lighting – functional requirements. For the sake of viewership, sporting events are generally held at night, which means that many stadiums are heavy electricity consumers. Therefore, energy efficiency becomes the primary goal of stadium lighting. When it comes to energy-efficient products, LED fixtures are the top choice. Compared to traditional light sources, LED lighting can save 50% to 70% of energy. Traditional fixtures, like high-power metal halide lamps, have an initial luminous efficacy of 100lm/W, with maintenance factors ranging from 0.7 to 0.8. However, for most facilities, after 2 to 3 years of use, the light attenuation is over 30%. This decrease is not only due to the light source itself but also factors like oxidation, poor sealing performance, pollution, and respiratory system issues in the fixture. As a result, the actual luminous output is only 70lm/W. LED fixtures are more suitable for stadium lighting due to their lower power consumption, adjustable color quality, flexible control, and instant ignition capabilities. For example, the lighting fixtures at Berkeley Sports Stadium have an efficiency of up to 110-130 lm/W, with a constant illumination output for 5000 hours. This ensures a consistent level of illumination and uniformity within the facility, preventing the need for increased lighting equipment and costs due to illumination decay, while also reducing energy consumption for lighting equipment.
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LED Stadium sport Light: A Look at Leading Manufacturers
The use of LED lighting has been transforming stadium and large venue illuminations across the world. LED stadium lights provide much higher efficiency, longevity, and flexibility compared to traditional lighting options. China has emerged as a major hub for LED stadium light manufacturing with advanced production capabilities and cost advantages. This article provides an in-depth look at some of the leading Chinese manufacturers driving LED adoption in the global stadium lighting market.
Benefits of LED Stadium Lighting
LED or light-emitting diode technology provides several important benefits when used in sports stadium and arena floodlighting applications:
- Energy Savings – LEDs consume 50-70% less power compared to metal halide or high-pressure sodium lights traditionally used in stadiums. This provides substantial cost and energy savings.
- Long Lifespan – LED chips last up to 60,000 hours with minimal lumen depreciation over time. This allows fewer lamp replacements.
- Instant On/Off – LEDs achieve full brightness immediately upon switching on and have no warm-up or re-strike issues.
- Control and Dimming – LED stadium lights can be paired with control systems and dimmed easily for different lighting scenes and effects.
- Durability – LEDs are rugged solid-state devices unlike fragile metal halide or sodium bulbs.
- Visual Comfort – LEDs provide uniform lighting with high-color rendering for enhanced visibility and visual comfort.
These characteristics make LED technology highly advantageous for stadium lighting applications where high-intensity, focused illumination is required while optimizing operational efficiency and spectator experience.
Transition to LED Stadium Lighting
Sports stadiums and large outdoor venues traditionally relied on metal halide and high-pressure sodium lights which have considerable drawbacks like high energy use, frequent maintenance needs, short lifespans of just ~2,000 hours, and suboptimal light quality. The development of high-power LED floodlights over the past decade has enabled venue owners and operators to reap substantial benefits by transitioning to LED lighting.
Some pioneering large-scale LED stadium lighting deployments in the late 2000s and early 2010s including installations at Kansas City Chiefs’ Arrowhead Stadium, Philadelphia Eagles’ Lincoln Financial Field, and Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium generated tremendous interest. Today LED lighting has become the norm for newly built stadiums and is increasingly retrofitted in existing venues. It is estimated over 300 major stadiums and arenas worldwide have adopted LED lighting.
China’s vast manufacturing capabilities and expertise in LED technology has enabled it to become the major supply hub for LED stadium lights and their components. Chinese manufacturers are driving innovations in this domain with advanced fixtures designed specifically for large venue lighting needs.
Key LED Stadium Lighting Systems
Specialized high-performance LED floodlights are required to meet the rigorous lighting demands of stadiums and similar large open areas. These LED stadium lights have significantly higher lumen output and unique optic designs compared to conventional LED luminaires. Let us look at some key LED lighting systems used in stadiums:
High Mast LED Floodlights
The most common lighting structures used in stadiums are tall masts rising high above the stands to provide wide illumination coverage of the entire field. Powerful LED floodlights are mounted on these masts to create the required uniform lighting over a large area. Mast heights up to 100 ft are common for large stadiums.
Under Canopy LED Lights
In stadiums with a roof canopy structure over the stands, LED fixtures can be installed beneath the roof to illuminate the field. This provides more focused and closer lighting ideal for sports like football, baseball, etc. The absence of tall remote masts also provides an unobstructed spectator view of the field and displays.
Facade and Perimeter LED Lights
LED lighting mounted on the stadium façade or external perimeter areas helps create an attractive night-time ambiance. The powerful external illumination also aids security. Facade lighting can include programmable RGB color-changing LEDs to create vibrant light shows and effects.
Supplementary Interior LED Lighting
Indoor stadiums require extensive wide-area LED illumination for activities like concerts, motorsports, basketball etc. High-bay LED flood lights and panel lights are installed throughout the interior to create ample vertical and horizontal illumination. Tunable white or RGBW LEDs allow creation of different lighting settings.
Next, we take a detailed look at some of the top Chinese LED stadium lighting manufacturers powering stadiums worldwide with their cutting-edge products.
Major Chinese LED Stadium Light Manufacturers
Suneco Lighting Co
Suneco Lighting is a leading Chinese specialist manufacturer of technologically advanced LED lighting for sports venues. The company offers an extensive range of LED floodlights specifically engineered for stadium, arena, athletic field, and large area illumination applications. Some flagship products include:
- LYRA Series – An industrial-grade range of LED floodlights with die-cast aluminum housing and advanced optical design for glare-free uniform lighting. Multiple beam angle and lumen output options.
- Vega Series – A line of top-end LED floodlights with aircraft-grade aluminum casing and patented optical lenses for incredibly high lumen levels of up to 400,000lm required in very large venues.
- Polaris Series – Cost-optimized powerful LED floodlights in a lightweight thermoplastic housing ideal for smaller sport venues like school fields.
Suneco lighting has been used to illuminate landmark stadiums like the LA Memorial Coliseum, Kyle Field, and Wembley Arena along with numerous other sporting venues worldwide. They offer lighting design services and long warranties of up to 10 years.
Shenzhen Opus Technology Co.
Opus Technology is a Shenzhen-based LED lighting manufacturer specializing in high-performance LED stadium and arena lights characterized by precision optical designs and efficient thermal management. Some key products include:
- Lex Series – Opus’ flagship gen 3 LED stadium/area floodlight delivering extremely high output up to 432,000 lumens using advanced optical lenses and modules.
- Opus Arena Series – High-efficiency LED modular floodlights delivering over 50,000 lumens designed specifically for arena and stadium lighting.
- Ultrazoom Series – High-end LED floodlights with advanced lenses and zoom functionality for tuning beam angles from narrow to wide for precision illumination.
Major global sporting venue projects powered by Opus Technology lighting include Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, and the ATP tennis tournament facilities in Shenzhen, China. Opus offers customized lighting design services and solutions tailored to each project.
Shenzhen Benlida Technology Co.
Benlida Technology is an LED lighting engineering firm specializing in high-power LED floodlight systems for stadiums, recreational facilities, commercial complexes, and other large areas. Their R&D capabilities have enabled them to produce advanced LED floodlights like:
- Pro Series – Packaged LED floodlights delivering 50,000 to 100,000 lumens using precision aluminum reflectors and anti-glare optics.
- Matrix Series – Modular high-bay LED floodlights with separate driver box and tight pitch control ideal for stadiums and workshops.
- SkyHorse Series – High-power COB floodlights engineered for even and consistent illumination over large areas.
Benlida offers customized LED lighting solutions including fixtures, layout design, and lighting control systems scaled to each application from smaller local playfields to major professional stadiums.
Guangzhou Haoyang Electronic Co.
Haoyang is a reputed manufacturer of commercial and industrial LED lighting products including specialized solutions for stadiums, warehouses, airports, and similar large-scale facilities. Their high lumen output LED sports lighting includes:
- Pro Series – Packaged modular LED floodlights optimized for glare reduction and uniform lighting. Beam angles ranging from 60 to 150 degrees with lumen output up to 200,000lm.
- Matrix Series – Scalable matrix LED floodlights comprising multiple independent modules with individual optics. Suitable for tailoring illumination patterns.
- HY Series – Powerful COB LED floodlights delivering extremely high luminance using precision aluminum reflectors and advanced thermal management.
Haoyang provides comprehensive LED stadium lighting solutions including design, simulation, fixtures, and control systems fully customized for each unique venue and application.
Shenzhen Candela Lighting Co.
Candela Lighting is a specialized LED stadium and high-bay lighting manufacturer supplying premium quality LED fixtures featuring advanced thermal design, IP66 rating, surge protection and precision optics. Key product lines include:
- Apollo Series – Packaged high-power LED floodlights designed for large area and sports venue illumination with lumen output ranging from 50,000 to 270,000lm.
- Hercules Series – High-output COB LED floodlights delivering incredible luminance levels reaching 650,000lm for illuminating vast stadiums and recreation fields.
- Atlas Series – Cost-effective general-purpose LED floodlights with die-cast aluminum housings and silicone lenses.
Candela manufactures control systems allowing remote operation and monitoring of complete LED stadium lighting networks through wireless communication systems. They also offer hardware commissioning and after-sales support services.
LED Stadium Sport Light Trends and Outlook
The global LED stadium lighting market reached around USD 500 million in 2019 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 10% from 2020 to 2026 according to Prescient & Strategic Intelligence. Key trends shaping technology development and adoption in this sector include:
- Higher Lumens and Tunable White – Manufacturers are developing LED fixtures with higher luminance exceeding 500,000lm to meet lighting needs of larger venues coupled with tunable color temperature for creating dynamic light settings.
- Optimized Optical Design – Precision optics like secondary lenses and reflectors enable highly uniform illumination and reduced glare. Curved LED PCB designs are being used for wide-angle lighting.
- Smart Wireless Control – Wireless monitoring and control systems are being increasingly deployed for individual, group and scene-based dimming and scheduling of LED stadium lights.
- Enhanced Reliability – Vibration damping, corrosion resistance and surge protection enhance product life and reliability in stadium environments.
Chinese LED stadium lighting manufacturers continue to be at the forefront of such technology innovations given the nation’s established LED manufacturing ecosystem. With their continued focus on product performance, quality and customization, they are poised to capture a major share of the global LED stadium lighting market growth in the coming decade.
Conclusion
Stadiums and large venue operators are increasingly adopting advanced LED lighting to reap benefits like dramatic energy savings, lower maintenance, improved visibility and visual comfort. Chinese manufacturers like ASD Lighting, Opus Technology, Benlida, Haoyang, and Candela Lighting have emerged among the leading suppliers of specialized high-power LED floodlights and control systems tailored for stadium lighting needs.
Their LED products deliver the high luminous flux, reliability and illumination precision required in demanding stadium environments. With innovations in optics, control, and tunable white lighting, Chinese LED stadium lighting brands will continue playing a key role in transforming stadium illuminations globally with cutting-edge LED technology.
FAQs
Q: What are the benefits of using LED lighting in stadiums?
A: Key benefits are dramatic energy savings, long lifespan, instant on/off, control and dimming features, durability, and improved visibility and visual comfort compared to traditional lighting.
Q: How have LEDs transformed stadium lighting?
A: The development of high-power LED floodlights has enabled stadiums to transition from metal halide and HPS lights to energy-efficient LED lighting with superior performance and spectator experience.
Q: What types of LED lights are used in stadiums?
A: Typical LED systems used are high-mast floodlights, under-canopy lights, facade/perimeter lights, and supplementary high-bay fixtures in indoor stadiums.
Q: Who are the major manufacturers of LED stadium lights in China?
A: Leading Chinese brands include Shenzhen ASD Lighting, Shenzhen Opus Technology, Shenzhen Benlida, Guangzhou Haoyang, and Shenzhen Candela Lighting.
Q: What key features do LED stadium lights offer?
A: Key features include a very high lumen output of up to 650,000 lumens, precision optics for uniform lighting, advanced thermal design, wiring and controls for dimming/scheduling ability.
Q: What are the latest trends in LED stadium light technology?
A: Trends include higher lumen output, tunable white color temperature, optimized optical design, wireless smart controls, and enhanced ruggedness and reliability.
Q: Why are Chinese companies major global suppliers of LED stadium lights?
A: China’s strong LED manufacturing ecosystem enables cost-effective and high-performance LED fixture development catering to demanding stadium lighting needs.