NEWS

• The U.S. Open at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, New York, has adopted DarkSky-certified LED lighting to minimize light pollution.
• It is the first professional sports venue in the world to earn this certification.

HIGHLIGHTS

Features of the Lighting System

• Wedge-shaped, shielded LED lamps direct light only onto courts, reducing skyward glare.
• Installed across 17 tournament courts and 5 practice courts.
• Lights operate at 25% brightness during non-tournament play.
• Certified by DarkSky International, a nonprofit working to preserve night skies globally.

Environmental Concerns of Light Pollution

• Artificial night lighting disrupts:
  • Bird migration patterns.
  • Nocturnal species like frogs, bats, and fireflies.
• Sports field lighting is particularly harmful due to high brightness and cool temperature emissions.
• Even best-designed systems contribute some degree of light pollution.

Implementation and Costs

• Renovations began over the past decade, replacing metal halide bulbs with LEDs.
• Costs: DarkSky-compliant lighting is 5–10% more expensive than traditional systems.
• Requires more fixtures due to targeted illumination design.
• Installation usually aligned with regular maintenance/renovation cycles.

Wider Adoption

• DarkSky International has certified 30+ venues since 2019, including high school football and youth soccer fields.
• Sports lighting company Musco plays a major role, illuminating 3,000+ venues annually worldwide.
• Certification process: Proposal approval → Installation → Post-construction light measurement.