Chelsea to use Philips' LED floodlights at Stamford

Philips has provided LED pitch lighting for Chelsea Football Club, making Stamford Bridge the first top flight football club stadium to complete an upgrade to pitch lighting.

The Philips ArenaVision LED floodlighting system is designed to provide footballers, fans and TV broadcasters with the best possible experience and supports the latest Premier League requirements for TV broadcasting. These include lighting standards for high-definition super slow-motion replays, avoiding the flicker synonymous with conventional lamps. Also, unlike the previous metal halide system, the new LED solution can be instantly switched on and off without the need for a warm-up period.

Eric Rondolat, CEO of Philips Lighting, comments, “The world’s first ever floodlit football match took place in England, so as sports lighting goes digital it is only right that the lighting standard is again being set there. We are witnessing another technology milestone in the modern football game.

“Our LED pitch lighting meets the new stringent broadcast criteria of the English Premier League in helping to deliver high-definition, flicker-free, super-slow motion images and ensures that Chelsea delivers the best possible viewing experience to the 40,000-plus fans in the stadium as well as those at home.”

The solution includes a dedicated user interface and a control system allowing quick, easy and reliable monitoring of the system and switching between optimal lighting configurations thereby providing complete flexibility and the ability to switch and dim each floodlight individually. The Philips ArenaVision LED control system can also be used to create special entertainment lighting effects that would normally require dedicated stage-lighting, providing the opportunity for the floodlights to be integrated into pre- and post-match light shows to help build the atmosphere and excitement in the stadium.

In addition to supporting better quality broadcast images, the club will also benefit from maintenance savings due to the long life of the LED solution. Typically, metal halide floodlighting lamps should be replaced every three seasons to maintain the lighting levels required. The Philips LED system is expected to last in excess of 10 seasons.

The new lighting was installed during this summer’s break, in time for the start of the new football season. In addition, the club is also upgrading its lighting at its training ground, installing the same family of Philips LED floodlighting to deliver a similar lighting performance when training as on match days. With the new system it is possible to light specific areas of the training ground to different illuminance levels to create the ideal practice environment for players.