Dark Sky Compliant Sports Floodlights: What Is Full Horizontal Shielding (FHS)?
Sports floodlights need to provide sufficient illumination while controlling glare, spill light, and unwanted upward light. Dark Sky requirements and full horizontal shielding are therefore increasingly considered when designing lighting for sports fields located near residential areas, roads, wildlife zones, or environmentally sensitive locations.
What Does Dark Sky Compliance Mean?
Dark Sky principles aim to reduce unnecessary outdoor light pollution while maintaining the illumination required for the intended activity.
For sports lighting, this can involve controlling:
- Upward light
- Light spill beyond the field
- Glare toward nearby properties
- Excessive brightness
- Unnecessary operation during unoccupied periods
The exact requirements depend on the applicable local regulations, certification program, site conditions, and lighting design.
What Is Full Horizontal Shielding?
Full Horizontal Shielding (FHS) generally refers to a shielding approach that limits light emitted at or above the horizontal plane.
A shield or visor can block unwanted portions of the beam and reduce direct visibility of the light source from certain viewing angles. This can be particularly useful where sports fields are close to residential buildings, roads, or neighboring properties.
However, shielding can also change the fixture's photometric performance. The final lighting calculation should therefore use the actual shielded configuration.
41SL LED Sports Floodlight
The FORTOMO 41SL is available in 300W, 400W, and 500W , producing approximately 45,000–75,000 lumens at up to 150–170 lm/W .
It offers 7°, 15°, 25°, 35°, and 45° beam angles , allowing designers to select optics according to pole height, field dimensions, and aiming requirements.
For projects where glare or light spill is a concern, an appropriate beam angle can be combined with a suitable shield or visor to direct more light toward the playing surface.
Does FHS Reduce Lighting Performance?
It can. A shield may block part of the optical output and modify the beam distribution.
Therefore, designers should check:
- Average illuminance
- Minimum illuminance
- Uniformity
- Glare
- Light spill
- Upward light
- Beam distribution
The goal is to reduce unwanted light without compromising the required sports lighting performance .
Other Ways to Reduce Light Pollution
Shielding is only one part of a complete solution. Sports facilities can also use:
Accurate aiming: Directing fixtures toward the playing area rather than surrounding properties.
Appropriate optics: Narrower beams can help control light where long-distance projection is required.
Dimming and scheduling: The 41SL supports DALI, 0–10V, PWM, DMX512, and Synapse , allowing lighting output to be adjusted for training, competition, and standby operation.
Suitable CCT: Lower-CCT options may be considered where local environmental or dark-sky requirements place restrictions on blue-rich light.
Dark Sky Design for Global Sports Projects
For football fields, tennis courts, cricket grounds, and community sports facilities, Dark Sky-oriented design should be evaluated as a complete photometric solution rather than simply adding a visor to a floodlight.
The 41SL 300–500W LED sports floodlight provides flexible optics, high output, and multiple control options for international sports lighting projects. The appropriate shielding, CCT, aiming angle, and control strategy should be selected according to the project's local requirements.