Raseborgs Energi brightened the lighting of Ekenäs Säästöpankki Arena following EIF's promotion to the Veikkausliga
When Ekenäs Idrottsförening (EIF) moved up to the Veikkausliiga, the renovation of the lighting and control of Ekenäs Säästöpankki Arena became relevant. Andreas Talling, Electricity Network Manager of Raseborgs Energi Ab, tells how the project was implemented on a fast schedule and what successes were experienced along the way. With the project, league-level automated and on-demand lighting was implemented for Areena, while energy efficiency was improved and disturbing light in the neighborhood of Areena was minimized.
Picture: Andreas Talling, Raseborgs Energi
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," says Andreas Talling.
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.
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's Sales Manager Jani Lind emphasizes that Raseborg is a pioneer in lighting control. "They are pioneers in that they want to do all the controls via the user interface, which suits us well," says Lind.
This project shows how close cooperation and innovative solutions can achieve significant improvements in lighting quality and energy efficiency.