Paddle tennis is one of the sports that has become more widespread in recent years, rivalling in popularity even activities such as running. As in others where the game can be played at high speed, visibility of the court and especially of the ball is essential for both participants and spectators.
How to light paddle tennis courts
As we pointed out at the beginning of this article, lighting is essential for the practice of this sport. It must be uniform and arranged in such a way that it does not obstruct vision of the players, the referee or any spectators.
How many lumens does a padel court need?
Undoubtedly one of the fundamental questions when analysing this type of installation since, as we know, with the advent of LED technology we must look at the lumens and not the watts to know the amount of light emitted by a luminaire. In this case, however, the question should be rephrased as: What is the minimum level of illumination required?
Lighting level is measured at ground level and in lux, not lumens. The number of lumens in a luminaire tells us how much light it emits, not how much is incident on a given point.
In compliance with the UNE-EN 12193 standard, which we will see in detail later on, we will differentiate between several minimum horizontal lighting levels required. These depend on the level of the competition and the location, depending on whether it is indoor or outdoor, of the court.For example, for an outdoor track for recreational use we will need an illuminance of 200 lux with a uniformity of 0.5. On the other hand, in an outdoor court where professional level competition takes place, such as the World Padel Tour, the requirements increase to 500 lux and 0.7 uniformity.
It should be borne in mind that, in competitions broadcast on television, the specific lighting requirements that must be met in order to provide quality images are higher than the minimum requirements of the standard.
Reducing glare
Glare is a phenomenon that we have already discussed and which, in general, makes vision difficult and can severely limit it.
In padel, unlike tennis, both the lob and the smash are very common strokes. This means that players are constantly looking up in order to follow the trajectory of the ball.
For this reason, it is essential to carefully consider how we minimise the effects of glare in our lighting system and, above all, to use luminaires with optics specially designed for this purpose.
Location of floodlights on the court
It is normal to place two light points on each “long” side of the court and outside the court enclosures.
Standard UNE-EN 12193 lighting of sports facilities
As we have already briefly mentioned, the UNE-EN 12193 standard is the reference standard for all lighting projects in sports facilities. It defines how the lighting should be not only at a quantitative level (illuminance and uniformity) but also at a qualitative level (glare and colour rendering).
Types of paddle tennis court lighting according to lighting requirements.
The standard differentiates the requirements according to the level of competition by establishing three types of lighting:
- Lighting Class I: Competition at the highest level. Usually national or international. Usually held in large venues with many spectators.
- Lighting Class II: Medium level competition. Regional and local competitions or high competition training.
- Lighting Class III: General training, physical education and recreational activities.
Of course the requirements are different for indoor and outdoor competitions, therefore the levels for each case would be as follows:
Indoor padel court lighting levels
| Type | Light level(lx) | Uniformity |
|---|---|---|
| I | 750 | 0,7 |
| II | 500 | 0,7 |
| III | 300 | 0,5 |
Outdoor paddle tennis court lighting levels
| Type | Light level (lx) | Uniformity |
|---|---|---|
| I | 500 | 0,7 |
| II | 300 | 0,7 |
| III | 200 | 0,6 |
Paddle tennis court led lights and recommended luminaires
When it comes to choosing the best floodlights for padel court lighting, it is best to opt for products from the range of floodlights for stadiums and sports facilities. With power ranges from 50W to 1250W they can be used not only in paddle tennis courts and other types of sports facilities but also in outdoor areas where high power and durable lighting is required.
How much can you save by lighting a padel court with LEDs?
Undoubtedly, an extra motivation for replacing track lights with LEDs is the savings in energy consumption that are achieved and how this is reflected in the electricity bill.
One of the most common replacements is the replacement of spotlights, usually eight 400W metal halide lamps with 150/200W LEDs.
Considering a use of 4,000 hours per year and without taking into account the extra consumption of the equipment, which is much higher in the old lamps, we would have:
Halogen lamps
Quantity: 8 spotlights
Consumption: 400W/floodlight
Usage: 4000 hours/year
Annual consumption:
12,800 kWh/year
150W LED Spotlight
Quantity: 8 spotlights
Consumption: 150W/floodlight
Usage: 4000 hours/year
Annual consumption:
4,800 kWh/year
62.5% savings
200W LED Spotlight
Quantity: 8 spotlights
Consumption: 200W/floodlight
Usage: 4000 hours/year
Annual consumption:
6,400 kWh/year
50% savings
As we can see, we can save around 50-60%. If we add to this the maintenance and replacement costs of conventional bulbs, which are much less durable than LEDs, there is no doubt that updating the lighting in a paddle tennis court is a highly recommendable investment that will pay for itself quickly.
Other advantages of LED lighting for padel courts
While lower energy consumption is enough to justify the change, LED technology allows us to enjoy other advantages, for example:
Instant on
Unlike other traditional solutions, the LED does not need to heat up to emit light at maximum output. This allows us to resume play without waiting for any unexpected interruption such as a power outage.
Increased durability
As we know, the lifetime of LED luminaires is far superior to that of other technologies. This allows us to significantly reduce replacement costs compared to less durable solutions.
Absence of harmful materials
LED spotlights, unlike other options such as HPS, fluorescent, etc. do not incorporate substances such as mercury. A highly polluting element that can pose a risk to both human health and the environment.
The paddle court
According to the Superior Sports Council in the regulations on sports and leisure facilities (NIDE), which establish the conditions for the design and construction of such facilities, we have that:
The paddle tennis court is rectangular and has an indoor dimensions of 20m x 10m.
The court has two types of enclosures depending on the type of rebound they offer: regular (tempered glass or conventional walls) or irregular (metal mesh).
The enclosures are raised between 3 and 4 metres around the court.
The clear height between any element such as the ceiling or luminaires and the pavement must be at least 6m over the entire playing surface.
The regulation also specifies how the other elements of the court should be, for example: the height of the net, what orientation the outdoor facilities should have or how much the ball should bounce.
There are no more excuses for continuing to use obsolete lighting systems in padel courts and not taking the step towards the most efficient lighting on the market. Remember that at Ledkia you have an expert team of professionals who can advise you throughout the process.