The inhabitants of Eindhoven have probably not escaped it, the air above the Philips Stadium regularly turns bright pink in the evening. That resulted in many beautiful pictures, but also an environmental check from the municipality. Because no matter how beautiful that pink glow seems, the municipality of Eindhoven is not exactly happy with it. PSV has since been tapped: the lamps can now burn for two hours a day.
Before the municipality started to interfere, the club used the pink lighting daily from six in the morning to midnight, with the exception of match days. That is eighteen hours a day. That the pink glow did not go unnoticed was also evident from the media attention, which frequently shared stories and pictures of the pink air.
From eighteen to sixteen hours
The municipality also saw the glow and took action: “In mid -February an environmental check took place and PSV was informed of the applicable light standards and environmental legislation,” said a spokesperson. Among other things, it is concerned about animals that suffer from light: “We think that light nuisance for Flora, Fauna and Wonendenden must also be limited, also in the city.” “”
Since December 2024, the municipality has received nine reports of light nuisance and will take action. For PSV that means: the installation must be out of the evening and seven in the morning. Of the eighteen hours that the grass got light, sixteen hours are now left.
Residential tower next to the stadium
It is unknown to many that (colored) artificial light is harmful to people and nature. Anyone who, together with the municipality, is worried about light nuisance is a light expert and chairman of the Licht nuisance Ellen de Vries expert group. “Through artificial light, and the 24-hour economy, we sleep for one and a half to two hours shorter than good for us. There is a clear relationship between artificial light and overweight, increased risk of breast cancer, diabetes, alzheimer’s and disruption. “
A flat is currently being built next to the PSV stadium. De Vries: “The people who are going to live there really have to realize that they have pink light in their house during the evening. I think that’s a very bad thing.”
Why pink lamps?
PSV uses the lamps to have the grass recover properly. The reason PSV switched to the pink lighting is two -fold: “It is a more sustainable system than the previous one. Due to rain, frost and of course use, sports fields have to endure much in the winter. The new system repairs the damage to the fields as efficiently as possible, so that you can play quickly again, “says a PSV spokesperson.
It is indeed true that the pink LED lighting uses 50 percent less energy than the old lighting system. Only that energy saving is at the expense of nature and environment, according to Ellen de Vries. “LED lighting may yield more energy saving, but taxes the environment 20 percent more. There is only one very sustainable lamp, namely the lamp that is not burning. ” The light expert is certainly happy that the municipality takes this problem seriously: “Eindhoven is seriously busy with darkness.”