Soccer club consumes 60% less energy

New LED lighting for K. Zandhoven S.K. 

K. Zandhoven S.K. is a soccer club from first provincial. The Royal Belgian Football Association (KBVB) disapproved its old gas lighting. Consequence: the club was no longer allowed to play league matches in the evening. The board contacted lighting specialist VNS Benelux from Westmalle to install new, strong and energy-efficient LED lighting.

Led: only alternative to gas lamps

The KBVB requires provincial soccer clubs to achieve an average luminance of 80 lux and uniformity of at least 75% throughout the grounds, with a minimum of 60 lux at 41 defined points. 

Manager Olivier Proot: "Like in Zandhoven, at more and more clubs the old gas lighting is failing. Those bulbs are no longer produced. They need to switch to LED lighting, but are afraid of the cost."

Energy and cost savings

"That high cost is a misconception that keeps making the rounds. Because after installation, they save an enormous amount of energy. In Zandhoven, the eight old fixtures together consumed 19.2 kilowatts. We replaced them with eight LED fixtures that together consume 7.68 kilowatts. That's an energy and cost savings of 60%. Clubs that really don't have the space to purchase LED can rent our lighting. After five years, it then automatically becomes the club's property."

Installation and adjustment in one day

VNS installs an LED lighting installation in one day. Olivier Proot: "We remove the old lighting, install the LED lights, connect them, and check the club's electrical system. In the evening, the new lighting is adjusted. Each LED fixture consists of twelve LED modules. Each module is directed by the installer with a laser to the right point on the field. In this way, we guarantee the required light intensity at each of those 41 points. 

Then we measure each point with a calibrated light meter and achieve a luminosity even higher than requested."

Operation with app

Zandhoven chose to control the new lighting installation with an app. "Wherever they are: the club's people can always switch the lighting on and off directly and choose which fixtures to leave on at what strength. Lighting only one half of the grounds or having the fixtures only on 50%: it's all possible."