The catalyst was EIF’s promotion to the Veikkausliiga
EIF's rise to the Veikkausliiga brought with it the requirement to update the Arena lighting to meet the league's standards, as Veikkausliiga games are televised. "When this local EIF football team entered the league, there was a clear message that the lighting had to meet the league's requirements," Andreas Talling says.

Why C2 SmartLight?
Raseborgs Energi is familiar with the C2 SmartLight control system because it is already in use by the city. "C2 is already in use here in Raseborg, both in terms of street lighting and at sports venues, so it was an easy choice," explains Talling. The requirement to use the C2 control system was already mentioned in the tender request.

More than just lighting
The main goal of the project was to update the lighting to meet the league's requirements. In addition, the Arena's user comfort was improved and energy consumption was reduced. "The goal was to create modern and energy-efficient lighting that serves both players and spectators," says Talling. However, the lighting was only part of what was done, the Arena's artificial turf has also been renewed, a heating and irrigation system has been installed in the Arena, and more covered grandstand space is being built in the Arena.

The smoothness and successes of cooperation
Talling recommends C2 SmartLight for other similar projects as well. "The cooperation has always worked well with C2," Talling assesses. The project's biggest successes were staying on schedule and updating the lighting to meet the league's requirements. "We got all the blocks in place and the lighting working on time," he adds.

Shared Vision: Automated Lighting
In Raseborg, the goal is to fully automate the lighting, which is exceptional compared to traditional solutions. "The city's will is that the system works completely automatically according to the settings made in the system and no local controls are made," Talling says. In the future, lighting will be controlled directly according to field bookings, which will make the process even smoother and more efficient.

2024 was the year of football in Raseborg - new fields and growing junior activities
Raseborg's Sports Service Manager Julia Salmela describes the year 2024 as “the year of football” and mentions that investments in the sport’s facilities have been significant in the city. In addition to developing the Tammisaari Savings Bank Arena, three smaller practice fields were built around the existing artificial turf field in Karjaa, and a new artificial turf is under construction in Västerby. Although the local team EIF was relegated to the First Division at the end of the season, Salmela says that the facilities are now in place for future promotion attempts, and the region’s football culture is growing strongly: “EIF’s youth program is the largest in the area, and hopefully, players will rise from there to the league team.” Additionally, the goal is to fully automate the lighting of sports facilities according to field reservations, which would improve user convenience and reduce the need for extra supervision. “We have been very satisfied with the C2 SmartLight system,” Salmela adds.

Project effects and energy efficiency
The result of the project had a significant impact on energy efficiency. "The new leds are more energy efficient, so the savings are significant," Talling says. In addition, there is now less disturbing light in the environment than before, which also improves the experience of the residents of the area. "There are other values ​​than just energy saving; the interference light has decreased significantly," Talling points out. In games, the lighting is now at 100% level, while at other times it is at 25% level. "We think that even less than 25% would be enough, it will still be optimized," he adds.

Pioneering in lighting control
C2 SmartLight Oy:n Myyntipäällikkö Jani Lind korostaa, että Raaseporissa ollaan edelläkävijöitä valaistuksen ohjauksessa. “He ovat edelläkävijöitä siinä, että haluavat tehdä kaikki ohjaukset käyttöliittymän kautta, mikä sopii meille hyvin,” Lind toteaa.

This project shows how close cooperation and innovative solutions can achieve significant improvements in lighting quality and energy efficiency.