Castellbisbal Council, in Barcelona, put forward the proposal for the renewal of all lighting at the city’s municipal sports complex. The goal was to modernise the existing installations, prioritising the visual comfort and safety of players and users, as well as compliance with current regulations.

The action was part of a campaign to improve the energy and sustainability of public street lighting launched by the council, to progressively replace the old discharge lamps with a new LED solution with latest generation control systems that would save energy and reduce CO2 emissions.

Carandini was the supplier of 56 T-MAX luminaires and 16 ATHLOS floodlights to update all the lighting at the sports complex, which has a football pitch, three tennis courts, a fronton court and an indoor hockey pitch. The company was also responsible for the installed control system (Controlux Sport), a wireless solution for managing any sports area.

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE INSTALLATION

The “Illa esportiva” municipal sports complex had inefficient, non-sustainable luminaires that entailed high maintenance costs. Turning the lights on and off was a slow, ineffective process that did not comply with current regulations or the requirements for each sport.

The installation was managed in person from the control panel and was divided by zones.

PROJECT GOALS

The client had two requirements. To update all the lighting at the sports complex with a more efficient and sustainable LED solution, and to install a control system that could integrate the current two systems into one.

This required a custom designed lighting project aimed at providing uniformity and low glare levels. It also had to include a smart, wireless and remote management system to create different atmospheres and make it easier and more convenient to dim, turn off and turn on lights.

PROPOSED LIGHTING SOLUTIONS

The products chosen to update the lighting were T-MAX for the tennis and fronton courts and the hockey pitch, and ALTHOS for the football pitch. Both are based on LED floodlights with a long lifespan, low consumption and a sturdy mechanical design (IK08 and IK09) suitable for lighting large areas.

ATHLOS

The Athlos floodlight guarantees great performance and precision, and is designed for large spaces that require lighting from a great height. It is sturdy (IP66/67 and IK08) and can incorporate 1 or 2 modules, offering different luminous fluxes which, added to the built-in optics, provide excellent uniformity and visibility. Up to 6 photometric configurations and a fork with adjustable position and inclination.

T-MAX

It is a flexible, compact luminaire available in three sizes and with up to 15 different installation methods. It is highly resistant to impacts and water ingress (IP66, IP69K) and withstands strong winds and vibrations (1.5 G). It has ten different photometric configurations and several luminous fluxes. It also includes a matte white light recuperator that reduces glare and increases efficiency (lm/w).

Recycling rate of 97.37% and low carbon footprint: 0.0189Kg kW/h. It is also certified Night Friendly as it is sensitive to the welfare of people and animals.

Both luminaires include a standard Zhaga connector (D4i) so that they can connect to any smart control system such as Controlux Sport. The use of standard components also makes maintenance easier and reduces costs.

TECHNICAL LIGHTING ANALYSES

Technical lighting calculations of the installation were carried out with Dialux, considering the different types of lighting established for lighting in sports areas by current regulations.

A study was carried out for the three areas: the tennis and fronton courts, the football pitch and the indoor hockey pitch.

In the case of the tennis and fronton courts, an average uniformity of 80% was achieved with average illuminance throughout the area of 323 lux (Figure 1).

For the indoor hockey pitch, average uniformity was 71% with average illuminance of the area of 751 lux (Figure 2).

Results for the football pitch are shown in Figure 3. Average uniformity of 65% with average illuminance of the area of 230 lux (Figure 3).

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

CONTROLUX SPORTS 

The control equipment installed, Controlux Sports, is based on Bluetooth Low Energy 4.0 (BLE) communication. BLE is a cable-free technology that enables the luminaires to be paired, forming a wireless mesh that links them.

This system works with any type of dimming (DALI1, DALI2, O10V, TRIAC, etc.) and does not require specific communication wiring between the luminaires and the switchboard.

Its main advantage is that it can control the entire installation (point-to-point, if necessary) using an APP compatible with iOS and Android systems, and with no need for specific knowledge. For example, you could control lighting on the football pitch remotely from the fronton court thanks to the mesh created between communication nodes.

The app also displays the status of each light point when you cannot see it (on, off, dimming %, etc.). It is free and can be downloaded onto as many devices as necessary by staff at the installation, applying restrictions on use and changes according to the client’s required hierarchy.

Carandini has also installed a gateway to access the network remotely from anywhere in the world via the internet. Thanks to this system, Castellbisbal Council can control and monitor lighting at the sports complex.

RESULTS ACHIEVED

All sporting events require good lighting for optimum play, for the best results and for the enjoyment of athletes and spectators.

LED technology has evolved enough to provide energy efficient lighting for sports that limits pollution and light spill.

This update of the lighting at the “Illa Esportiva” municipal sports complex in Castellbisbal means that users can enjoy more pleasant and better illuminated facilities.

The results achieved are detailed below:

• The new installed lighting complies with regulations and with all visibility, performance and energy efficiency requirements.
• Light pollution and glare have been minimised.
• Light has been directed where needed, thereby no longer disturbing the neighbours.
• 4000k colour temperature.
• Excellent uniformity between 0.65 and 0.80.
• Great security and visual comfort while playing.
• Instant light, avoiding waiting times while old technologies heat up.
• The Controlux Sport system allows for the wireless and remote management of the entire sports complex from the same control network, making it easier to dim the lights, and turn them on and off.
• The lighting installed is more sustainable: recyclable and environmentally friendly solutions.