Iconic Allianz Arena to Slash Energy Usage by 60 Per Cent Thanks to LED Energy Savings
The caretakers of Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena must be lit up with joy at the prospect of the huge savings they’re set to make thanks to LED lighting technology. The club is set to slash its lighting energy usage by around 60 per cent thanks to technology developed by Philips.
A Truly Modern Stadium
Bayern Munich FC is already renowned for having one of the most space-age stadiums across the globe, and it is now set to further strengthen its high-tech credentials when it installs 380,000 ultra-efficient LED lights developed by technology giant Philips.
The 71,000-seater stadium is famed for its breath-taking wall of lights, which extends the length of the arena, wrapping the sporting spectacle in a bright halo of illumination. This stunning feature famously projects the team’s red and blue colours on match days, urging its home team onto victory.
Now the club is attempting to enhance the functionality of their wall of light whilst also reducing its environmental impact, and their deal with electronics giant Philips looks set to achieve that. Current estimates suggest that the switch will make the stadium’s wall of light 60 per cent more efficient than the current system, which will equate to a staggering reduction in both running costs and negative environmental impact.
Allianz Arena’s Deal with Philips
The deal between the electronics magnate and Bayern Munich FC is the crowning glory of a three-year agreement which will see Philips become the football stadium’s official sponsor. The manufacturer will install 8,000 Philips ColorGraze fixtures on the wall of lights, with 380,000 separate LEDs.
As well as slashing energy usage and saving the football stadium’s caretakers a significant amount of money, the new technology will also allow the broadcast of animated images on the stadium’s outer shell. Roger Karner, the managing director of Philips Lighting in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, has said that: “We will expand the palette from 3 to 16 million colours. There will be plenty of light scenarios possible with which the Allianz Arena will be able to create unique moods.”
Looking to the Future
The deal between the high-tech stadium and the manufacturer is only the latest in a high-profile coup for the LED lighting sector, which has been widely and often celebrated as a more effective and environmentally friendly alternative to conventional lighting systems.
Although exact figures have not been released, Philips has stated that the use of controllable LEDs will cut Bayern’s lighting energy use by around 60 per cent and reduce their carbon emissions by over 360 tonnes per annum. This will be a significant boon for those who maintain the stadium, as will the expected reduction in maintenance costs attributable to the longer lifespan of LED lighting.
LED technology is undeniably turning itself into a mainstay of the modern world, and Allianz Arena is clearly looking to the future by embracing it. The long-term prospects of an LED-dominated world are astounding, and the consideration of technology and its impact on the environment is becoming an undeniable feature of contemporary society. Allianz Arena has clearly seen the change in the tide and decided to swim with it rather than battle against it. The only question now is how long it will be until other stadiums start following in their footsteps.