7 reasons why your tennis court needs led lights

Metal halide lights have been an established staple in sports lighting. When compared to older incandescent lights, metal halides were renowned for their efficiency and brightness. Whilst metal halides have served their purpose well for some decades, lighting technology has continued to evolve and now LED lighting is now considered the gold standard in sports lighting.

LED's have proven to be much more than just the latest trend in lighting, so if your tennis club is still using metal halide lights, then here are just some of the reasons why you should seriously consider making the switch to LED lights.

1. LED's last longer 

The average lifespan of a metal halide lamp is 20,000 hours whilst the average lifespan of an LED light fixture is approximately 100,000 hours. Not only do LED lights last almost five times longer, they also retain at least 70% of their original lighting power throughout this 100,000 hour lifespan. On the other hand, metal halide lamps typically lose 20% of their initial brightness within the first six months of use.

2. LED's are brighter 

LED's not only last longer, but are often brighter to begin with. A key selling point of LED lights stem from the fact that a 1000 watt metal halide bulb emits the same brightness as a 400 watt LED bulb. This means that by switching from metal halide to LED lights, you're saving a heap of wattage, and a heap on electricity bills, a decision that both the environment and your wallet will thank you for! 

3. LED's don't need frequent maintenance 

Because of the depreciation and shorter lifespan of metal halide lights, they require frequent maintenance and replacement in order to keep your club's lighting up to standard. Contrastingly, LED lights retain their lighting quality throughout their longer lifespan, so they do not need such maintenance. 

4. LED's are cheaper 

Yes, the upfront cost of LED lights is higher than that of the traditional metal halide, however, over time, the savings greatly outweigh the upfront costs. As mentioned in point 2, LED lamps require significantly less wattage to achieve the same amount of brightness as you would get with a metal halide lamp, thus allowing you to save on your electricity bills. Additionally, as iterated in point 3, there are virtually no maintenance costs associated with LED lights, which is another big long-term saving. For a real life example of how switching to LED lights can save you up to 50% on your lighting costs over the long term, read about the lighting project we did for the Portarlington Tennis Club. 

5. Less spill light

The light produced by metal halides is omnidirectional, meaning that light is produced in every direction. This is problematic when lighting outdoor areas like tennis courts and football ovals, as this lack of directional focus increases the amount of unwanted spill light in the area. By contrast, the light in LED lamps is directional, meaning that light can be concentrated in a certain direction, thus minimising the issue of obtrusive or spill light. 

6. No 'warm up' time required

For a full sized sporting ground, metal halide lights generally need to be turned on half an hour before night play can begin. During this time, the lights haven't reached full illumination, but the energy used during the 'warm up' time still goes towards your electric bill. This is not the case with LED lights. LED lights reach full illumination instantly after turning on and  conversely, LED's do not require a 'cool down' period after use either. 

7. Retrofitting is easy 

Many LED lights, including our HAWKeye LED light fittings, utilise the same structures as traditional metal halide lamps. Therefore, the process of switching to LED lights is relatively pain-free and non-intrusive. In fact, most retrofit jobs done by the team at Next Generation take less than a day. 

Making the switch from metal halide lighting to LED lighting is a relatively easy process that will save you money  and enhance the long-term lighting quality of your tennis courts. Not only do you end up with lights that are brighter, these lights also last longer and save energy without frequent maintenance. What's not to love? There are many great LED options out there, but if you're looking for an LED light fitting that is made with the unique specifications of tennis courts in mind, look no further than our HAWKeye LED lights . Enquire here if you would like to retrofit your old lights or install new lights.