Posted on 01/30/2015 5:42:48 AM PST by thackney
Before the start of the 2014 NFL regular season, University of Phoenix Stadium in Arizona, home to Super Bowl XLIX, retrofitted 312 high-performance light-emitting diode (LED) stadium light fixtures. The LED fixtures replaced more than 780 metal halide high-intensity discharge (HID) fixtures and will illuminate the field during the Super Bowl on February 1.
University of Phoenix Stadium was the first stadium in the NFL to light its playing field using only LEDs. The new lights draw approximately 310 kilowatts of energy compared with the 1,240 kilowatts required by the old system, a savings of about 75%. Assuming an electricity cost of 15 cents per kilowatthour, that means the new LED lighting costs about $47 per hour to light the field, compared to $186 per hour using the HID lighting system. Lighting maintenance costs for LEDs are also expected to be lower. The vendor also projects a 30% decrease in stadium cooling costs as a result of the LED fixtures, which generate less heat than HID lights. Given the limited hours that stadium field lighting is used, there are other considerations beyond energy costs and savings for selecting LED lighting. The light output from LEDs may allow for better color representation and more detail during televised viewing, especially during slow-motion replays, improving picture quality as consumers adopt higher definition displays. In addition, the LED lights turn on without the 15-20 minute warmup period required by metal halide and other HID lamps. In the unlikely event of a power failure such as occurred during Super Bowl XLVII at the Superdome in New Orleans, LED field lighting could return as soon as power was restored.
Although University of Phoenix Stadium was the first NFL stadium to light the playing field exclusively using LEDs, it is not the only NFL venue using the technology. Levi's Stadium in San Francisco uses LED lighting to illuminate 40% of the stadium, and NRG Stadium in Houston recently installed 480 luminaires with 650,000 individual LEDs to help light the playing field.
As a result of the reduced fixture count, over 20,000 pounds of weight was taken out of the catwalks.
The light measured on the field nearly doubled to 277 foot candles.
Ephesus fixtures continue to maintain 90% of their original out after 10-years with no maintenance as compared to metal halide bulbs degrade by 40% in 18-months.
All Ephesus Lighting fixtures are manufactured and assembled in the U.S.A.
http://www.universityofphoenixstadium.com/stadium/green-mission
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Can’t wait to see all the missed catches. I bet they had to get bulbs with double the amount of lumens than what they would normally need on a standard bulb. Sorry but these new “energy-efficient” bulbs just aren’t as bright and the go out a lot faster. I’m beginning to think the light bulb manufacturers were behind pushing for this crap because they are gonna make a lot more money with bulbs costing more ad not lasting half as long...
Yep. It is ALWAYS about the money these days.
Well, that oughta lower the ticket prices. /s
The light level on the playing field is doubled. This is an improvement in lighting.
http://ephesuslighting.com/innovation-technology/
Sweet.
It’s really no different than when we replaced radio tubes with transistors.
Right now, the payback period for an indoor facility is about two years. For outdoor stadiums, Ephesus pushes prospective customers to focus on maintenance cost reductions. “There is more capital cost than traditional lights, but on the operations side, it costs much, much less,” Lorenz said.
We relamped our church with LED’s and noticed the same thing. About an 80% reduction in power consumption. Well worth it once you get over the shock of the initial cost.
> The light level on the playing field is doubled. This is an improvement in lighting.
http://ephesuslighting.com/innovation-technology/
LED doubled probably means it will be the same. My experience with LED lighting and the new energy saving bulbs is that you have to buy double the lumens you need to get the same rating as what you need. We’ll see here in a few days.
More improvements than just light level, long life and efficiency:
To provide flexibility for controlling color temperature in addition to high outputs of color lighting we developed the Prism fixture. The Prism provides the flexibility to create between 8 - 15 FC of blended color light on the playing field to create additional excitement among the fans as well as change the color temperature within a wide range. Additionally the Prism solution is controllable through the Ephesus wireless control system.
To improve controllability we developed the Ephesus wireless control system to operate the lights. The control system provides flexibility for dimming, adjusting color temperature, scene management and a wide range of light performance patterns that will be a value added to the fan experience. The control system can also be fully integrated into any current house system.
LED doubled probably means it will be the same.
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No. Light level measured in lumens at the field now up to 277. This is not a measurement of the fixture. It is a measurement of actual light at the field with better color rendition.
Thackney: are you an electrician or sell bulbs? I noticed your profile pic and info relates to the electrical industry
I know the photographers are excited about having good light to work with.
Cool! (pun intended) I like LEDs. I’ve got 8 or 10 LED flashlights ranging from cheap to moderately expensive (as tactical lights go). They’re bright, virtually indestructible, and don’t use much battery. I’ve only ever had one LED light fail a Fenix TK-10 which is a cheap Chinese light (in the realm of tactical lights). That was a regulator circuit that died. I’ve got a Coleman and a couple of MagLites that are just great. The Mag XL50 in particular is a great little light. I keep one on the nightstand.
is lower cost, residential lighting.
I specify industrial lighting for petrochemical plants and the light. There is no question we get better light, more light for these fixtures for far less energy and maintenance. But it is significantly higher initial material cost.
But when you have to rebulb every 5 years or so in a hazardous area with higher cost labor than found in residential/commercial, not to mention dealing with reactor vessels over 100 ft tall, it pays for itself.
I am an electrical engineer, specialized in power systems working in the oil/gas/petrochem industry for a couple decades.
I am a buyer/specifier of industrial lights (and a lot more complicated electrical gear), not a supplier or manufacture.
Okay. I understand your perspective better now. Thanks.
CFL bulbs were a crappy hoax foisted on us by our masters in Washington DC. They fail quite frequently, don’t save as much energy as an LED, you can’t dispose of them in the trash and you create a hazmat zone if you break one.
LED bulbs have evolved through capitalist innovation. LED bulbs actually save a ton of energy, are becoming quite affordable and I have never seen one fail. I have a few security/night lights that have been on for 5 years.
As usual, free market wins.
Yes, it is about the money.
“The vendor also projects a 30% decrease in stadium cooling costs”
The stadium is in AZ not Minneapolis. Cooling is a major expense.
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