Balancing performance lighting and natural needs at Red Bull Football Academy

February 12, 2020

The training grounds of the Red Bull Football Academy in Salzburg, Austria have been outfitted with environmentally friendly floodlights from Signify and STICH

Salzburg’s Red Bull Football Academy is a top-notch training facility, with graduates of its programmes plying their trades in top-flight leagues around the globe.

Providing their students with superior training in optimal conditions is their number one goal, but the academy also sought a way to carry on late-night and early-morning trainings that weren’t disruptive to the nocturnal creatures populating the surrounding area.

Enter Signify and floodlighting specialist STICH.

Sadio Mané, former Red Bull Salzburg player CREDIT: The Kop Times

Balancing performance lighting and natural needs

Artificial light from outdoor facilities – such as sporting grounds – is often a challenge for nocturnal animals and insects: light pollution alters the nighttime habitat, negatively impacting reproduction behaviors and reducing populations.

For example, insects such as moths are highly sensitive to lighting with a high proportion of blue in the color spectrum. The Vereins zum Schutz der Umwelt (Association for the Protection of the Environment) recommends warm white light tones that don’t exceed 3,000 Kelvin.

The Signify headlights are part of the first LED floodlight system in Austria meeting these special requirements.

Functional, efficient, and nature friendly floodlights

In addition to the environmental aspect, the academy’s LED floodlights offer advantages compared to conventional floodlights. These include lower energy consumption, a longer life, and less glare for residents and the environment. These floodlights demonstrate how it’s possible to meet customer needs while at the same time respecting the environment.

These floodlights demonstrate how it’s possible to meet customer needs while at the same time respecting the environment."

For Signify, this isn’t the first case of animal-friendly lights. In 2018 the Dutch town of Zuidhoek-Nieuwkoop installed bat-friendly lights, emitting a red color and using a wavelength that doesn’t interfere with the bat’s internal compass, fundamental for safe nighttime navigation.

From bats to moths to people, Signify’s lighting solutions can meet the needs of multiple parties. And for the Red Bull Football Academy, their on-pitch wins now translate into a win for the surrounding winged creatures, who can now conduct their nightly business unbothered.

About the author:

Darko Monzio Compagnoni

Integrated Communications

For further information, please contact:

Signify Global Integrated Communications
Neil Pattie
Tel: + 31 6 15 08 48 17
Email: neil.pattie@signify.com

About Signify

Signify (Euronext: LIGHT) is the world leader in lighting for professionals, consumers and the Internet of Things. Our Philips products, Interact systems and data-enabled services, deliver business value and transform life in homes, buildings and public spaces. In 2023, we had sales of EUR 6.7 billion, approximately 32,000 employees and a presence in over 70 countries. We unlock the extraordinary potential of light for brighter lives and a better world. We have been in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index since our IPO for seven consecutive years and have achieved the EcoVadis Platinum rating for four consecutive years, placing Signify in the top one percent of companies assessed. News from Signify can be found in the Newsroom, on X, LinkedIn and Instagram. Information for investors is located on the Investor Relations page.

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