Floodlighting at 3000 kelvin: what applies and what it brings

Many nocturnal insects are particularly strongly attracted to short-wave, blue light. Warm white light of 3000 K or less contains less blue.

Municipalities, funding programmes and nature conservation authorities often set 3000 K as the upper limit for outdoor lighting, including sports ground floodlighting. The reason given is mostly insect and nature protection, but not every requirement states this explicitly.

With the Insektenschutzgesetz (Insect Protection Act) of 2021, § 41a was added to the Bundesnaturschutzgesetz (Federal Nature Conservation Act). It is intended to protect animals and plants from the adverse effects of lighting.

According to the Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), however, the provision only comes into force with an ordinance under § 54(4d) and (6b) BNatSchG. The federal government has announced this ordinance as part of the National Biodiversity Strategy by 2027.

For planning today this means: there is no nationwide 3000 K obligation yet. However, requirements can arise from the building permit, state law, the development plan, the nature conservation authority or funding conditions.

In practice the requirement mostly comes from where the system is built or funded. In Germany, the technical annex of the Kommunalrichtlinie (Municipal Guideline) for sports facilities gives a colour temperature of at most 3000 K as a rule, and up to 4000 K in exceptional cases if the sport requires it. Another example is the state of Lower Austria: the appendix to the funding application for LED floodlighting on full-size pitches requires, for competition and training, a colour temperature of at most 3000 K, colour rendering of at least Ra 70 and no upward light emission (ULR 0).

Ask the municipality, the funding body and the lower nature conservation authority before planning. We take the requirements into account from the start.

Warm white light looks more yellowish, neutral white light cooler. For the standard values of DIN EN 12193, colour temperature is not decisive. What matters are illuminance, uniformity, glare and colour rendering.

Warm white LEDs are somewhat less efficient. At the same illuminance, this can mean more power or an additional floodlight. How much can only be determined by the lighting calculation with the LDT of the 3000 K version.

The industry points out that colour temperature is only one building block. In its 2022 position paper, the Zentralverband Elektrotechnik- und Digitalindustrie (ZVEI, German Electrical and Digital Industry Association) considers restricting colour temperature to at most 3000 K for insect protection alone to be of little help. Light distribution, brightness and control are more important.

At least as important is where the light falls and how long it burns:

• Light only on the pitch: alignment, suitable optics and glare shields, no light upwards
• Only as much light as necessary: dimming for training, partial lighting of individual areas of the pitch
• Only as long as necessary: switching off after training, time programmes

All our products are available in 3000 K: the STL963, STL1443 and STL1500 floodlights, the Series 16 mast luminaire and the 07v5 ECO and 07v6 high-bay luminaires. Competition facilities and stadiums can also be lit in warm white with them.