Jung KNX intelligent controls have helped Gateshead International Stadium score savings on the installation and future maintenance of the lighting on its practice pitches. The 11,800-capacity stadium is used for a range of sports including athletics, soccer, rugby league and American football.
When the 3rd generation football pitches were added to it some 300 metres from the main arena they needed to be controlled from the building’s reception. Systems integrator Durable Technologies ran a single KNX bus underground from the reception and linked it to the 14 lighting pillars around the practice pitches using 2 core communications cable. A conventional, hard-wired installation would have involved installing several kilometres of (230V) controls cables. But by using the KNX system not only was this cable eliminated from the installation but in addition each column was sub-addressable allowing for groups of luminaires at the top of the column to be controlled individually. For example, if only a part of the pitch was in use then only the lights projecting in the right direction need to be turned on. The new system was not only easier to install but is also more flexible.
A Jung touch screen has been installed at the reception, which acts as the main control station. This allows individual sets of lights to be controlled so that if only a small number of pitches were in use, fewer lights are used. Timers that ensure safe lighting are available when players leave which also automatically switch lights off at the end of the evening to avoid nuisance to neighbours.
“The Jung KNX system is so simple to operate on a day-to-day basis and has benefits in terms of reliability and maintenance” says Durable Technologies managing director Alex Carter. “The use of timers and daylight sensors reduces the actual amount of time that lights are on, saving energy and helping to extend their working life which cuts maintenance and lamp replacement costs.”