3.0 Sports Halls and Daylighting

3.1 Context

With the advent of artificial illumination many sports moved indoors to allow people to play all year round in a stable environment with protection from the weather. When sports halls became common place, the use of glazing was either removed entirely or was very limited. Reasons for this include:

In a climate of perceived cheap energy, unlimited resources and infinite ability for the atmosphere to absorb the associated pollution, this became the norm for sports hall design. Examples existing all over the country.

However, there have been several sports halls constructed where daylighting has been admitted into the space; saving the need for artificial lighting to be used all the time. This can, if properly designed and managed, have amenity, cost and a range of broader design benefits. The opportunities are however rarely exploited. The focus of this document is to identify opportunities for designers to emulate and, where possible, improve on these examples to produce sports halls where daylighting can be used as the main source of lighting during the daytime. This is to be without detriment to fitness for purpose and without adversely affecting, and preferably benefitting, affordability.

The problems identified above are not unique to indoor sports as glare can also be a problem from poorly designed artificial lighting. Neither are outdoor sports an exception. Stadiums have to be designed in such a way that direct sunlight, especially low, winter sun, does not interfere with games such as football, rugby and cricket. Sports halls, if they are to be daylit, are more critical, due to the types of sports played in them.

However, new approaches are required to meet expectations for efficient, attractive design. Careful design is necessary to ensure that there are no conflicts between daylight and play, if sports halls are to make use of daylighting. Much can be gained by an overview of the issues involved such as visual needs and glare as a precursor to seeking design solutions. In addition, a review of energy issues can assist in determining the financial implications of daylighting.

3.2 Human Vision

Humans require uniform lighting levels for sports. The degree of uniformity of colour and in time and space depends on the sport, the level of play and any special requirements of the participant.

The human eye is an extremely complex and sensitive organ. It is capable of seeing objects under moonlight (0.1 lux) and in intense sunlight (100,000 lux), a difference of one million to one.²² It is not capable of rapid adaptation.

The retina, at the back of the eye, is made up of light receptors called rods and cones. The rods are light sensitive and the cones respond to colours. Under dim lighting conditions only the rods operate, giving objects a black and white appearance. The brain makes it possible to sometimes see colours, as it fills in the missing details from memory. The cones are mainly concentrated at the centre of the retina and start functioning at higher illuminance levels. This explains why an object needs to be stared at directly to see it in detail. Peripheral vision is mainly made up of rod vision, which is highly sensitive to movement but not detail. To see an object clearly in the dark it needs to be viewed from the side of the eye, where the rods are located.

The limited adaptation of the eye can be experienced when walking into a building after being outside in bright sunshine. It takes a short while for the eye to adjust. This is due to the retina adjusting its sensitivity and the pupils dilating to let more light onto the retina under the dimmed lighting levels. It is this area of vision that is of most concern to daylighting design in sports halls, as it emphasises the need for the light levels to be as uniform as possible.

People involved in fast moving sports, such as badminton and table tennis are particularly vulnerable to changes in light quantity. If balls or shuttlecocks move into the path of a sunbeam, for example, then their tracking ability is severely diminished. The impact and extent of inconvenience depends on the level of play and becomes critical at highly competitive levels.

3.3 Energy Efficiency

Buildings utilise at least 56% of the UK’s annual energy consumption. 31% of the energy is used for lighting and electrical machinery.²³ Energy savings to be gained by the correct utilisation of daylighting are very significant in economic and environmental terms.

The present cost of electricity and poor conversion efficiency from primary energy at the power station means that heavy reliance on artificial lighting is expensive and environmentally damaging. Pricing regimes mean that savings during daylit hours are particularly economic and peak demand tariff cost savings are also a target for potential savings. In traditional sports halls the requirement for lighting is 100% of the time that the hall is in use and dry sports centres use 11% of their total energy for lighting.

Fig. 3.1 shows the amount of CO₂ production for the different fuel sources, and how electricity is significantly the greater polluter. Hence the need to focus on electrical lighting, and related electrical building services equipment, in seeking environmental mitigation strategies²⁴ .





			Energy costs in the sports and recreation sector are currently estimated to be over £600 million per year (equivalent to 40,000 million kWh/year of primary energy). As a direct result of this energy consumption, over 9 million tonnes of CO₂ are released into the atmosphere each year. In a typical sports centre, the cost of energy is second only to that of labour, accounting for at least one-third of the total annual running costs. Studies show that an average centre could reduce its energy consumption by 30%, with the savings giving a total payback on investment of less than 3 years. At least half of this potential saving can usually be achieved by a combination of relatively simple measures, for which the payback is far better than 3 years.²⁵ There are several other factors that should be considered when designing to save energy. These include: • High standards of insulation; • Air-tight construction; • Efficient heating systems; • Efficient appliances; • Intelligent use and control. • Passive ventilation and heating strategies • Moisture control.
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