A state-of-the-art LED system has been installed at Kansas City Royals’ Kauffman Stadium just in time for the 2018 MLB season, replacing 600 existing metal halide fixtures.
The new system – Total Light Control (TLC) for LED by Musco Lighting – is expected to result in significantly improved player and fan visibility, greater energy efficiency, and a heightened entertainment experience with new special effects capabilities. Its implementation follows the installation of a new grass field at The K last autumn.
The new system, its 412 LED fittings lifted into place by helicopter, has several distinctive features, including custom optics designed around the LEDs to achieve exceptional uniformity and create a stage-like setting; patented glare control technology to eliminate glare from affecting players and fans; and DMX integration that allows individual fixtures to synchronize with music to create cutting-edge light shows and celebrate home wins.
The Royals expect to reduce energy consumption at The K by 59%. The amount of CO₂ emissions will drop by nearly 6,700 metric tons over the next 25 years – which equates to removing more than 1,400 cars from the road for a full year. A 15-year warranty covering parts and labor means the Royals won’t have to handle any maintenance on the system, or pay for it, until the year 2032.
Todd Burrow, Royals director of engineering, said, “The cost savings alone make this such an important upgrade to an already beautiful stadium. But everyone, on the field and in the stands, will benefit from better lighting at The K.”
Completed in 1973, Kauffman Stadium has a capacity of nearly 38,000 and is regarded as one of the best examples of modernist stadium designs.
April 4, 2018
