Patriots-Seahawks Championship Game to Be the First One Ever Played Under LED Lights
January 20 2015 - 09:05AM
Business Wire
University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale,
AZ Offers State-of-the-Art Ephesus LED Sports Lighting for the
Benefit of Players, Fans and TV Viewers
It’s not the first time a championship football game will be
played at University of Phoenix Stadium and the two teams will not
be there for the first time. But for the first time ever, the big
game will be illuminated by high performance LED stadium lights
from Ephesus Lighting, Inc., the leader in providing LED lighting
solutions for sports facilities.
Earlier this season, University of Phoenix Stadium became the
first NFL venue to light its playing surface with LED lighting. The
lights have been a hit with fans, players, broadcasters and
facility operators.
“This year LED sports lighting proved to be ready for primetime
as we illuminated more than 1,000 sporting events with our Ephesus
LED stadium and arena lights,” said Mike Lorenz, President of
Ephesus Lighting. “It’s fitting that the biggest sporting event in
the world will be lit by our LED lights, the future of sports
lighting.”
Ephesus fixtures, which are Powered by Cree® LEDs, provide a
significant increase in illumination compared to the traditional
metal halide lights that were previously installed at University of
Phoenix Stadium. LED lighting also provides brighter and more
uniform light which eliminates shadows on the playing surface,
creating a better stage for players and fans, both in the stadium
and watching on high-definition television.
The Ephesus installation is well-suited to HDTV broadcasting and
feedback from broadcasters this season has been very positive. Not
only is the light brighter and more uniform across the playing
surface, but the new lighting ensures that colors are reproduced
more accurately. Since broadcasters do not need to open the
camera’s aperture as wide to let in more light, they can present a
clearer picture, show greater field depth, zoom in closer and even
offer more detailed slow motion replays.
“The capabilities of LED technology have changed the way we view
sports lighting,” said Joe Casper, Founder and CTO of Ephesus
Lighting. “There is no doubt in our minds that both the fans in the
stadium and millions more watching on television will see the game
in a whole new light thanks to our ground-breaking system.”
University of Phoenix Stadium installed 312 Ephesus Stadium
fixtures to replace the 780 metal halide fixtures. The new system
uses just 310,000 watts of energy as compared to the 1.24 million
watts needed to power the previous system for a 75% reduction in
overall sports lighting energy consumption.
Additionally, LED lights can be turned on and off with the flick
of a switch, whereas metal halide fixtures require a 20-minute
warm-up period. This on/off feature allows facility operators to
create light shows for fan entertainment, and, if a power outage
were to cause a blackout, like it did in 2013 at the Superdome, the
LED lights can be turned back on immediately with the flick of a
switch.
“As the host venue for the 2015 Super Bowl, we are excited about
demonstrating the benefits of LED technology to a global audience,”
said Peter Sullivan, General Manager and Regional Vice President
for Global Spectrum at University of Phoenix Stadium. “The Ephesus
Lighting LED solution has improved lighting for the athletes, fans
and broadcasters, all while reducing energy consumption and
eliminating conventional sports lighting maintenance expense.”
The University of Phoenix Stadium, with its retractable roof and
field, is unlike any other stadium in North America, and a marvel
of design, engineering, and technology. This multi-purpose
facility, which opened on August 1, 2006, previously hosted Super
Bowl XLII in 2008, two BCS National Championship Games (2007 &
2011), the annual Fiesta Bowl, and numerous international soccer
matches. The 63,400-seat stadium, which is expandable to seat
72,200 fans, is owned by the Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority
(AZSTA) and operated by Global Spectrum.
Since lighting the first sports venue with LED technology in
North America in 2012, Ephesus Lighting luminaires have been
operational for over 300,000 hours in more than 100 indoor and
outdoor sports and entertainment venues across North America.
About Ephesus Lighting
Ephesus Lighting, Inc. is a US-based company that manufactures
high-output LED lighting solutions for challenging applications in
the industrial and sporting markets. Ephesus is focused
on innovating advanced LED solutions that will enrich and
illuminate the world, by creating brighter, more vibrant and more
sustainable environments. Ephesus Lighting is Powered by Cree®
LEDs. Cree® is a registered trademark of Cree, Inc.
For more information, visit www.ephesuslighting.com, follow us
on Twitter @EphesusLighting or contact us at 315-579-2873 or
info@ephesuslighting.com.
Media:Doug DrotmanEphesus
Lighting631-462-1198 or doug@drotmanpr.com