The project has been requested by KTE Kosárlabda Klub Ltd, an outstanding basketball club of Kecskemét, which is Hungary's eighth most populous city. The city owns an excellent sports facility, the Messzi István Sports Hall what is a place for domestic and even international competitions and where the team plays their basketball matches regularly. It has three standard courts that match IHF, EHF handball, FIBA basketball and CEV, FIVB volleyball court international classifications. The sports hall is suitable for television broadcasts and it has 1830 seats, 200 stands and 6 VIP lodge. The investment was implemented by the KTE Kosárlabda Klub Ltd. within the framework of TAO's sports development program, in cooperation with the owner of the sports hall, the County Municipality of Kecskemét.
The previously installed traditional metal halide lighting system was outdated and it proved to be energy inefficient, moreover it no longer fit for the lighting standard. The Messzi István Sports Hall needed a lighting system that meets the requirements of international standards, contributes significantly to the experience of the fans and can deliver high-quality television broadcasts – besides all of these, the new lighting system’s operation had to be cost effective.
SZA-CO Kft., one of Tungsram's most important partners in Hungary, was responsible for the project The modernization of the sports hall’s lighting system was realized on several levels but the most important of all was the playing court’s illumination. The outdated 1 000 Watt metal halide floodlights have been replaced by 28 ABVG2 LED fixtures with DALI drives and 277 Watt energy consumption and 52 AHIX LED floodlight with 300 Watt energy consumption. The LED technology has many benefits that include reduced maintenance costs as LEDs have long lifetime. The Tungsram ABVG2 lamps have an average lifespan of 60,000 hours, while the AHIx floodlights have 110,000 hours compared to the 8,000 hours lifetime of traditional metal halide bulbs. The luminaires provide high-quality, natural white light on the court that facilitates the easier visibility and identification of colors because of their great color rendering. The applied LED fixtures and floodlights are equipped with DALI drivers, thus the sports hall could install a lighting control system that allows them to adjust the lighting level or create various lighting scenarios. The controllability of the light is advantageous for events that requires lower illumination level, such as trainings, since the built-in control system allows the desired illumination to be achieved by reducing the luminous flux of the LED luminaires and not by switching off certain fixtures. With this solution, the luminaires will be exposed to less heat, helping them to increase their lifespan. Because of the previously mentioned setting of light scenes, different light effects can be achieved, such as flash or race, which are spectacular after scoring or during the entry of teams.
Owing to this state-of-the-art solution, the new lighting system meets the international lighting requirements for color TV broadcasting. In addition to the better light quality, the sports hall operator can save considerable costs and energy. The Tungsram LED luminaires save up to 50% energy compared to traditional metal halide lamps, and the maintenance cycle of the luminaires has dropped to one tenth.
However, it is more important a new, modern system have started its operation which provides real world-class that has a truly world-class scenery and experience. According to these qualities the athletes, visitors and guests, can use the sports hall among high standard experiences. All things considered, the Messzi István Sports Hall can serve as a more attractive venue for large domestic and also for international events.
