How many lumens do you need for sports lighting?

Relationship between Lumens and Illuminance

Lumens is the total light output of a light source, while illuminance (Lux) is the luminous flux received per unit area (1 Lux = 1 lumen/㎡). The lumen requirement of a sports venue needs to be calculated based on the illumination standard and venue area. The formula is:
Total Lumens = Target Illuminance (Lux) × Venue Area (㎡) × Utilization Factor (0.4-0.8) × Maintenance Factor (0.7-0.9)

Sports lighting‌ refers to providing appropriate lighting conditions in sports venues to ensure that athletes, referees, spectators, TV broadcasters, and photographers can watch the game clearly. Sports lighting is not only related to the normal competition of athletes but also involves many other aspects, such as spectators, TV broadcasts, and advertising displays.

Sports lights allow people to exercise at night or when natural light is scarce. Its importance cannot be overstated. Whether the sport is played in an international stadium or a local football stadium, lighting cannot be ignored. If you are considering buying motion lights, this article will answer any questions you may have about lumens. Sports lighting helps to meet the actual needs of athletes and spectators and capture high-quality television broadcasts. It is also difficult to operate stadiums without adequate lighting.

1. What Is Lumen?

Lumens can be used to quantify the amount of illumination provided by any type of lighting. Lumens are related to candlelight and represent the brightness of a standard candle, equivalent to an Angle of one square meter. If the light source is obscured by the right absorbing hemisphere, the system will begin to emit half of its luminous flux. Simply put, lumens are units used to measure the amount of visible light contained in a defined beam or Angle or emitted by a light source. The amount of lumen or candela a light source emits depends on its spectrum, which is measured by the normal response of our eyes.

2. Difference between Lumen and Lux

The difference between lumen and Lux is one of the most fundamental differences to understand. The difference between the two is that Lux considered the region in which the light was distributed. A flux of 1,000 lumens provides 1,000 lux illumination. It will be concentrated in an area of one square meter. If the same 1,000 lumens are spread over 5 square meters, the resulting lighting will be dimmed. A source emitting 1 watt of light would provide a luminous flux of about 683 lumens. In all, a lumen corresponds to at least 1/683 watts of visible light, depending on the distribution of the spectrum.

3. Lux to Lumen Calculation Formula

A Lumen is a unit of measurement for luminous flux. The amount of light emitted by a source is measured in microvolts (V). The unit of the lumen is denoted by the symbol Lm. The intensity of the point light source is 1 crown. The outgoing luminous flux is 1 lumen. Since the average light efficiency of LED lights is 150lm/W, the calculation for the lumens of 1000W stadium lights is 1000W multiplied by 150lm/W, which equals 150,000 lumens.

To convert Lux to lumens, you can also use a lumen-to-lux calculator. Because light disperses as it leaves the emitter, the farther it travels, the more light it disperses and the less intense it is.

3.1 Measuring in Square Meters

To calculate lumens in square meters, you must consider the illuminance Ev in lux, which is equal to the luminous flux of lumens. So the luminous flux V is equal to the illuminance Ev in Lux (lx) times the surface area A in square meters (m2). Therefore, the formulas listed below are derived.

ΦV(lm) = Ev(lx) × A (m2)

3.2 Square Footage Calculations

 

In addition to square meters, you may also want to use square feet to calculate lumens. V lumens (lm) is equal to 0.09290304 illuminance Ev Lux (lx) times surface area A square foot (ft2). The formula is shown below.

ΦV(lm) = 0.09290304 × Ev(lx) × A(ft2) (ft2)

The specific calculation table may be related to the following link: Lux to Lumen Calculator

4. How many lumens are required for sports lighting?

4.1 Football Soccer Field

Reference link for Guide to Football Field Lighting Design

4.2 Tennis Court

Reference link for Guide to Tennis Court Lighting Design

4.3 Baseball Court

4.4 Basketball Court

Reference link for Guide to Basketball Court Lighting Design

4.5 Badminton Court

4.6 Volleyball Court

5. Lumens and Watts

Lumens and watts are also measured when determining the lumens required for motion lighting. It needs to measure the amount of electricity generated by the light source. For example, a 100-watt light bulb consumes 100 watts of electricity for every second it is on. The more watts, the higher the bill, because the more electricity is consumed.

6. How Do I Convert Lumens to Watts (W)?

Consider that the conversion from the lumen (lm) to a watt (W) is very simple. Watts can be calculated using luminous efficiency and lumens. Lumens and watts represent different quantities. This indicates that you cannot convert lumens to watts. Lumen to watt conversion formula: P watts (W) is equal to luminous flux (V) lumens (Lm) (lm). It will then be divided by luminous efficiency per watt lumen (lm/W). The following formula will be derived.

P (W) = ΦV (lm) / η(lm/W)

7. Importance of sports lighting

Need for athletes to play normally: Athletes need enough lighting to ensure clear vision in the stadium to avoid poor lighting affecting their performance. Generally speaking, the larger the stadium, the faster the speed, and the smaller the ball, the higher the lighting standard.

The need for spectators to watch the game: Spectators need higher lighting levels to watch the game, especially TV broadcasters and photographers, who need higher lighting standards to ensure the clarity and quality of the game screen.

Needs for color TV broadcasts: With the development of color TV technology, lighting standards are also constantly improving to meet the needs of high-definition broadcasts.

Needs for print media: Newspaper, magazine, and other print media reporters also need good lighting to report on the event.

Need for advertising display: Advertisements in stadiums also need good lighting to ensure that the audience can see clearly.

8. Technical requirements and standards for sports lighting

Illumination uniformity: The lighting of the sports venue needs to ensure uniform illumination throughout the venue to avoid obvious light and dark areas. The BWF stipulates that the illumination of the competition venue should reach more than 500 lx, and the uniformity should not be less than 0.7.

Glare control: Glare is an important factor affecting the visual comfort and performance of athletes. High-quality lighting fixtures should have good glare control capabilities to ensure that the light is soft and not dazzling.

‌Color rendering: The color rendering index (CRI) is a measure of the ability of a light source to restore the true color of an object. The lighting of the sports field should choose lamps with a color rendering index higher than 80 to ensure that athletes can accurately judge the trajectory and position of the ball.

‌Energy saving and environmental protection: Modern sports venues pay more and more attention to energy saving and environmental protection. Choosing energy-efficient lighting fixtures can not only reduce operating costs, but also reduce the impact on the environment.