LED Stadium Lighting To Shine At Super Bowl
When the Seattle Seahawks face off against the New England Partiots at this upcoming Super Bowl, LED stadium lighting will illuminate the field. Scheduled for Feb. 1st, the game will be the first NFL championship match that has ever been lit with LED lights.
The LED lights were installed last fall at University of Phoenix Stadium. The Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers were the first to play a game on Sept. 21st, 2014 under the new lighting system.
The LED stadium lighting will significantly increase the light on the field and will produce a more vivid picture on the screen for the 110 million plus expected viewers of this year’s game. The light will shine in a more uniform manner than the legacy system, creating less shadows and a clearer view of the action taking place on the field. Another advantage of LED lighting is the fact that they don’t flicker, which will lead to less distractions during slow-motion replays.
There will be 312 LED fixtures installed to replace the 780 metal halide lights. The new LED stadium lighting will use just 380,000 watts compared to the 1.24 million watts needed to power the old system. Combined with savings generated for lower air-conditioning costs, most venues that choose LED stadium lighting enjoy a 75% reduction in overall energy consumption. Further, the system will age more gracefully than metal halide lights, which take on a reddish hue and lose brightness over the years.
The University of Phoenix Stadium was originally opened in 2006. With its innovative design that includes a retractable roof and field, it’s recognized as one of the most advanced stadiums in North America in terms of its engineering. This multi-purpose facility previously hosted Super Bowl XLII in 2008. It also hosts the annual Fiesta Bowl, and numerous international soccer matches. The stadium seats 63,400 fans, but is expandable to seat 72,200.