Sports facility · Lighting
Lighting in sports facility: what the SRI measures
For lighting, the SRI does not measure the lamp but the control: does the light switch off when nobody is there, and does it dim with daylight. This is often the cheapest domain to score points in.
In short
- 1Sports halls and swimming pools use lighting in large spaces with varying occupancy.
- 2This page shows how the Smart Readiness Indicator assesses lighting control for this building type.
- 3The Lighting domain carries the highest weighting factor of three out of three here.
Weight of this domain for this building type
Which services count
| Service | Lowest level | Highest level | Advice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Occupancy control for indoor lighting L-1a · A · 4 levels | Manual on/off switch | Automatic detection (manual on / dimmed or auto off) | highest level |
| Control artificial lighting power based on daylight levels L-2 · 5 levels | Manual (central) | Automatic dimming including scene-based light control (during time intervals, dynamic and adapted lighting scenes are set, for example, in terms of illuminance level, different correlated colour temperature (CCT) and the possibility to change the light distribution within the space according to e.g. design, human needs, visual tasks) | – |
Worked example
If everything in this domain is at level 0, the domain contributes nothing. At the highest level for all services, the indicative total score for this building type rises by about 4 percentage points (from 33 to 37 percent, with all other domains at level 1).
Why does lighting carry such weight at sports facilities?
The Smart Readiness Indicator (SRI) assigns the highest weighting factor to the Lighting domain at sports facilities: three out of three. Sports halls and swimming pools have large, high-ceilinged spaces where lighting determines a substantial share of electricity consumption.
Occupancy varies considerably. A hall may be empty or full during training or competition. Control systems that respond to these changes deliver relatively high savings per euro invested.
Which smart-ready services are assessed?
Within this domain, the SRI examines two smart-ready services. The first is presence control for indoor lighting (L-1a). It measures whether lights turn on and off automatically based on detection, or are operated manually only.
The second service is artificial lighting power control based on daylight level (L-2). This service assesses whether lighting automatically dims when sufficient daylight enters, up to scene-based lighting control where light scenes adjust automatically to the situation.
What does this mean for functionality level?
Both services are classified into functionality levels from 0 to 4 (for L-2) or 0 to 3 (for L-1a). Level 0 represents fully manual operation. Higher levels indicate automatic detection or automatic dimming.
For a sports hall with many separate courts or rooms, per-zone presence detection is often the first step. Football pitches, gymnastics halls and swimming pools each have their own occupancy patterns.
Why is this domain relatively affordable to improve?
Of all nine domains within the SRI methodology, lighting is typically the domain where the most significant steps in functionality level can be achieved with limited investment. Sensors and dimmable fixtures cost relatively little compared to, for example, heating systems.
For municipal ownership, which is common at sports facilities, this domain can therefore be a logical starting point when first improving the score.
What this means for you
- Owner
- Invest first in presence detection per court or room and in daylight-dependent dimming, as this domain carries the highest weight for sports facilities and delivers a higher functionality level relatively quickly. For municipal ownership, this often fits within a limited maintenance budget, because the necessary sensors and control systems are cheaper than modifications to climate systems.
- Tenant
- As a user of the sports hall or swimming pool, you will mainly notice that lights turn on automatically when you enter and turn off when a court is empty, without needing to operate a switch yourself. When daylight is sufficient, lighting can dim automatically, which does not reduce comfort during training or competition.
- Advisor
- Assess this building type specifically per zone or court to determine which detection level is present, because sports facilities often combine multiple rooms with different uses under one roof. Take account of the weighting factor of three out of three for this domain, meaning improvements here have relatively significant influence on the overall score.
Next step
Want to know where your building stands?