Super Bowl 2015 will be first to take place under energy-efficient LED lights
Sunday's big game will be the first Super Bowl played under energy-efficient LED lights that use 75 to 85 percent less power than traditional bulbs.
The lights at the 72,000-seat University of Phoenix Stadium, which will be hosting the game, were upgraded last year. Ephesus Lighting company replaced over 780 old metal halide bulbs with 312 new LED fixtures.
"We're saving almost a million watts from before," Ephesus Lighting president Mike Lorenz said.
The company has installed these LED lights in other venues and sports stadiums before, but this is the first time they've done a project in an arena this size. It is also the first NFL stadium to be lighted entirely by LEDs.
Lorenz said that although the cost to buy and install the LEDs is greater than for traditional lights, it costs much less on the operations side. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the LED lighting costs about $47 per hour to light the field, compared to $186 per hour using the halide bulbs.
"It's a win-win when you can be sustainable and reduce your operating cost at the same time," Lorenz said.
While the old light bulbs take a lot of energy to heat up, LED light uses a semi-conductor chip to create more light with much less energy. They come on faster, too. LEDs go on instantly, while metal halide lights can take up to 20 minutes to warm up.
Lorenz says that the quality of this lighting will affect the fans, the broadcasting, and the players. At this year's Super Bowl, he'll be sitting in the seats witnessing the stadium light up first-hand.
"It's an emotional time to be in the stadium to see what was accomplished," he said. "To see it pay off with a spectacular show like the Super Bowl is really exciting," he said.