Outdoor Sports Court Lighting Design

• Contemporary outdoor sports courts require attractive design, comprehensive facilities, and suitable lighting for enhanced viewing and functionality for athletes, spectators, and broadcasts.
• Effective lighting is crucial for competitions, audience comfort, and TV broadcast quality.
• Inadequate lighting can significantly hinder a sports court's functionality.

Standards for Outdoor Sport Court Lighting Design

• Standard outdoor tracks and fields are divided into outfields, midfields, and infields.
• The runway defines the midfield, typically with 9-10 lanes (1.22-1.25 meters wide).
• The infield is within the runway.
• Outdoor track and field lighting standards focus on illumination and lighting quality.
• Lighting quality standards include glare, color temperature, color rendering index, light directionality, and energy efficiency.

Case Study: College Outdoor Sport Court Lighting Design

• The College court lights requirements include amateur training, competitions, and large events.
• The court is 183 meters long, 100 meters wide, with an area of 18,300 square meters.
• Main light poles are 30 meters high, sets of 40 units at 400 watts each.
• Auxiliary light poles are 15 meters high, sets of 8 units at 200 watts each.
• The lights have a 70-degree projection angle.
• Total power output is 35,200 watts, glare rating is approximately 30.
• Side lighting configuration offers improved glare management and enhanced vertical illumination.
• A higher angle reduces glare but decreases vertical illumination.
• The elevation angle (β) of flood lights near the sideline should not exceed 25° to balance horizontal and vertical illumination.
• Two sets of flood lights are positioned along the court's side.
• Flood lights are arranged nearly continuously, extending past the baseline for adequate end illumination and vertical lighting.

Illumination Standard

• Lighting standards align with Class III sports field requirements.

Illumination Uniformity

• Achieving uniform light distribution is essential due to the large area and extensive movement range.
• The ratio of minimum to maximum horizontal illumination should be ≥ 0.5.
• The ratio of minimum to maximum vertical illumination should be ≥ 0.4.
• The ratio of vertical to horizontal illumination must be ≥ 0.25.
• Vertical illumination in the audience seating area should be ≥ 0.25 of that on the field.

Glare Limitation

• Minimizing glare is crucial for creating a bright and comfortable environment.
• Glare considerations include light installation height, projection direction, athlete movement, and audience viewing angles.
• The elevation angle of the lowest visible part of the lamp in the field's center should be above 30°.
• Glare index (CF) for large competition venues should not exceed 50.
• Glare index (GF) for practice venues should not surpass 60.

Color Temperature and Rendering

• Color temperature and rendering determine the light's suitability for various applications.
• Color temperature should range from 3,000 to 6,000 K, with >4,000 K necessary.
• Higher color rendering index (CRI) enhances color reproduction for television broadcasts.
• International competitions and TV events require a CRI of 80-90.
• Domestic and international competitions/training venues require a CRI of 60-80.
• Training venues require a CRI of 40-60.
• Outdoor sport court lighting should have a CRI of at least 80.

Light Source Lamps

• Artificial lighting options include halogen tungsten, metal halide, LED, high-pressure mercury, and sodium lamps.
• LED lamps are preferred for their compact size, light beam control, efficiency, color rendering, lifespan, and low costs.
• LED lamps are the top choice for outdoor sport courts.
• Energy efficiency is crucial, necessitating high efficiency, color rendering, and longevity.

Light Pole Placement

• 30-meter poles are at the intersection of the field's center and sideline at a 15° angle.
• They are also at the intersection of the longitudinal center and sideline at a 5° angle.
• 15-meter poles are on either side of the stands, parallel to them.

Light Pole Height

• The light pole height impacts illumination and glare.
• To minimize glare, the height is set between 22° and 25° based on the projection angle towards the field's center.
• This reduces visible light sources, decreasing glare.
• The relationship between light source height (h) and horizontal distance (a) is h = 0.4a.
• A horizontal distance of 74m results in a light source height of 29.6m and a 30m pole.

Calculation Outcomes

• After determining illumination levels, glare index, pole location, and height, the number of lamps and illumination requirements are established.
• 96 lamp sets are chosen: 40 sets on each 30m pole and 8 sets on each 15m pole.
• The average horizontal illumination is 1,255 lx, vertical illumination is 1,298 lx, and glare value is 30.

Installation Guidelines

• To minimize glare, high pole lamps must be angled 10°-12° outside the bottom line and 5°-8° outside the side line, with a projection angle exceeding 25°.
• The positioning of lamp poles must not obstruct the audience's view.
• Light pole height typically exceeds 25 meters, canopy walkway height should be at least 30 meters.

Illuminance Measurement

• Choose a representative area or measure the entire venue.
• For symmetrical setups, measuring 1/2 or 1/4 of the area is sufficient.
• Illuminance measurement points should follow venue specifications.

Glare Calculation

• Glare significantly impacts lighting quality.
• According to CIE NO. 83, the maximum glare index (GR max) should be below 50.
• A lower glare rating indicates better glare control.
• The glare rating (GR) in various directions should be assessed, with GR < 50 being acceptable.
• Carefully select, install, and arrange lamps, and enhance the background illumination.

Installation, Operation, and Maintenance

• After setting up adjustable flood lights, mark projection positions for future maintenance.
• Avoid altering the aiming point of original flood lights during other sports events.
• Establish two separate lighting systems, each controlled according to its specific requirements.