Company Announcement - Fans attending the World Hockey League in Belgium, or having it on TV, have not been disappointed in terms of action and goals scored. The first five match days saw no less than 93 goals in only 17 matches. AAA-LUX LED floodlights played a major role in ensuring optimum vision.

The World Hockey League started on 20 June as is being held in Antwerp, Belgium. For the second time in a row the International Hockey Federation has asked AAA-LUX to illuminate the tournament. “The tournament is this year illuminated with LED floodlights that have specifically been designed for illumination fields in a stadium environment,” AAA-LUX Marketing and Sales director Michel van Dooren says. “The high quality illumination is required as this tournament is a qualifier for the 2016 Summer Olympics. Both players and fans demand the highest quality illumination to experience the best conditions possible.”

It is the first time in history that an international tournament is illuminated by LED floodlights that have been designed for this purpose.

“AAA-LUX also had the scoop by illuminating the 2013 European Hockey Championship. The latest AAA-LUX LED technology we had available at that time, was used to illuminate that tournament. But the technology has continued to evolve over the past two years, which has enabled us to develop a luminaire that is specifically designed for the high-demands of the stadium environment.” The temporary stadium in Antwerp is illuminated by 60 LED luminaires. “24 AAA-LUX LED luminaires have been placed on 8 masts of 18m each to provide the illumination that is normally required for hockey. We have added an additional 36 LED luminaires on four platforms to ensure the illumination provides the quality that is required to have proper TV registration,” Rene Eekhoudt of AAA-LUX partner Oostendorp BVBA explains. Oostendorp BVBA did the entire installation. “The luminaires are a mixture of LED luminaires AAA-LUX offers to illuminate a sports field and includes the AAA-LUX STAD, a LED luminaire AAA-LUX specifically developed to illuminate a stadium environment,” he adds.

Stadium environments require a specific kind of illumination. “Stadiums are illuminated by luminaires that maintain the illumination quality on the field, despite being positioned further away from the action. They also generate more and better quality vertical light to contribute to the TV registration,” Michel van Dooren explains. “Until recently this was the last frontier to achieve in terms of high-power LED illumination. It makes AAA-LUX very proud to break this barrier too. This is perfectly in line with our history and ambition of continuously pushing the boundaries in terms of high-power LED illumination.”

Once the tournament has been finished the LED luminaires will be handed over to Dragons Hockey club, the owners of the club. “The club will benefit from the reduced energy consumption of the AAA-LUX LED luminaires, as well as the quality of illumination they produce and the flexibility in use that can be achieved,” Eekhoudt continues. Dragons also hopes to benefit from another advantage. “The 2013 edition of the tournament was held at hockey club Braxgata, a club not too far away from Antwerp. Their ground has become the training ground for the national teams mainly because of the quality of illumination. Being able to host the national teams has certainly a few added advantages from which the club can benefit. This includes the positive image it creates towards aspiring members and the additional exposure it can generate for the sponsors. Dragons hopes it can reap those rewards too.”