Sports facility lighting
More and more leisure activities are now available in the hours of darkness. |
That means more lighting, more light immissions – and problems in terms of environmental protection, annoyance to local residents and even road safety.
In view of the diversity of the sports and areas involved, the list of specifications for lighting such facilities is complex, and the planning process will normally require individual consulting.
http://www.ltg-aussenbeleuchtung.at/pages/aussenbeleuchtung/sportstaetten...
- Illuminated ski trail in Kitzbühel
Codes and guidelines
In the countries of the European Union, sports facility lighting is the subject of European standard EN 12193. The Austrian Institute for School and Sport Facilities (ÖISS) has issued additional guidelines including a "Lighting Guide for Outdoor Facilities” and “Photometric Requirements of Stadium Lighting Systems".
So far, little attention has been paid to ecological aspects in the codes, which fail to adequately address questions of true need and the environmental footprint.
The Tyrolean Environmental Ombudsman has drawn up a position paper on the subject of illuminated ski trails, which includes proposals for more eco-friendly solutions.
PDF (in German - Positionspapier zur Beleuchtung von Schipisten)
Light sources, luminaires and operation
Targeted lighting must be provided with the help of full cut-off luminaires and optimised lighting installations designed to avoid light scatter.
- Playing field illumination
For reasons of energy efficiency and ecology, the use of high-pressure sodium lamps and LEDs is recommended. Where white light is necessary for technical reasons, such as the use of television cameras, the metal-halide lamps employed to date should be replaced by light-emitting diodes with as low a blue proportion of light in the spectrum as possible.
The level of illumination must be selected on the basis of true need. Less light is required for training sessions, for example, than for a competition. Time limits should also be set to the lighting period.