Sports Field Floodlighting in Germany: Costs for New Systems and LED Retrofits, Funding and a Real Project
What a floodlighting system for a sports field costs in Germany: LED luminaire prices per lighting class, typical totals for a retrofit and a new system, running costs per hour, the 25% federal grant and a real club p...
Short answer: the luminaires are the smallest part of the bill. For a full-size football pitch you need about 8 LED sports field lights of 750W or 1000W for training level (75 lux) and 16 of 1000W or 12 of 1500W for regional competition (200 lux); see the current price of the LED sports field lights. Published German cost examples put a complete retrofit on existing masts at around €57,000 and a new system with masts at €77,000 to €102,000. The federal Kommunalrichtlinie covers 25% of the lighting, or 40% for financially weak municipalities. Below: the luminaires per lighting class, what drives the total, running costs, funding and a real club project.
- LED luminaires for a football pitch: 8 × 750W or 1000W (class III, 75 lux), 16 × 1000W or 12 × 1500W (class II, 200 lux), 27 to 37 × 1500W (class I, 500 lux); see the current price of the 750W, 1000W and 1500W sports field lights.
- Complete systems cost far more than the luminaires: masts, foundations, cabling, installation and structural checks make up most of the total.
- A retrofit on existing masts is the cheapest route, provided the masts pass a structural check.
- Running cost (calculation example, assumptions: electricity price €0.30/kWh, 6–8 kW installed for training level, 15–20 kW for 200 lux): about €1.80–2.40 per hour for training level, €4.50–6.00 per hour for 200 lux.
- Funding: 25% from the federal Kommunalrichtlinie (40% for financially weak municipalities); sports clubs can apply. Apply before the work starts.
What do the LED luminaires cost?
The lighting class under EN 12193 decides how much power you need. The table uses the installed power that a full-size pitch typically needs per class and our current prices for Germany, including VAT. The exact number of luminaires always follows from a lighting calculation.
| Lighting class | Use | Installed LED power | Example | Current price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class III, 75 lux | Training, lower leagues | 6–8 kW | 8 × 750W or 8 × 1000W | 750W · 1000W |
| Class II, 200 lux | Regional competition | 15–20 kW | 16 × 1000W or 12 × 1500W | 1000W · 1500W |
| Class I, 500 lux | Higher leagues | 40–55 kW | 27 to 37 × 1500W | 1500W |
Current price per luminaire: see the 750W, 1000W and 1500W sports field lights. Lux values, uniformity and glare limits per class are in How Many Lux Does a Football Pitch Need?
LED sports field lights for clubs
What does a complete system cost?
The trade portal Sportplatzwelt publishes cost examples for German football pitches. They show where the money goes: not into the luminaires, but into masts, foundations, cabling and labour.
| Project | Published total |
|---|---|
| Retrofit, class II, 12 luminaires replaced one-to-one on existing masts | approx. €57,000 |
| New system, class III, 4 masts | approx. €77,000 |
| New system, class III, 6 masts | approx. €84,500 |
| New system, class II, 6 masts | approx. €102,000 |
Source: Sportplatzwelt, Kostenbeispiele Flutlicht. Compare those totals with the current luminaire prices: a club that buys the luminaires directly and has a local electrician install them on sound masts pays a fraction of a turnkey offer.
Retrofit or new system?
- Retrofit: the old luminaires are replaced one-to-one on the existing masts. This works when the masts pass a structural check, the cabling is sound and the mast positions suit the pitch.
- New system: needed when there are no masts, when the masts fail the check or when the club moves up a lighting class that the old layout cannot deliver.
- What drives the price: number and height of masts, foundations and groundworks, cable routes, the lighting class and the controls.
A real project: TSV Aubstadt
The football club TSV Aubstadt replaced 32 old floodlights of 2,500W with 32 LED sports field lights of 1500W on its existing 16 m masts. The pitch now gets at least 400 lux, compared with 250 lux on average before.
- Connected load: 48,000W instead of 80,000W, 40% less.
- Electricity: 27,200 kWh and €10,608 less per year.
- Investment in the luminaires: €31,186, half of it covered by funding.
- Payback: after about one and a half years.
The full figures are in the project report TSV Aubstadt: LED sports field lighting.
Running costs per hour
Calculation example (assumptions: electricity price €0.30/kWh, class III system of 6–8 kW, class II system of 15–20 kW): running cost is installed power times the electricity price. A class III system costs about €1.80–2.40 per hour, a class II system about €4.50–6.00 per hour. Dimming to training level cuts this further on match-level systems. Run your own numbers in the LED Payback Period Calculator.
Funding in Germany
The federal Kommunalrichtlinie funds the renovation of outdoor and sports field lighting with a grant of 25%, or 40% for financially weak municipalities and applicants from lignite regions. Municipalities and non-profit sports clubs can apply. The lighting must be designed to EN 12193 by a qualified planner and have a control that suits the use, for example two levels for training and matches. The application must be submitted before the work starts. Details: klimaschutz.de, funding for lighting.
Many federal states and state sports associations run their own programmes, some of which can be combined with the federal grant. The German Olympic Sports Confederation keeps an overview: DOSB, funding for sports facilities. Check the current conditions before you order.
Frequently asked questions
What does a floodlighting system for a football pitch cost?
Published German examples put a new system at about €77,000 to €102,000 and a retrofit of a class II system at about €57,000. The LED luminaires themselves are the smallest part of the bill: see the current price of the LED sports field lights.
What does it cost to convert floodlights to LED?
If the masts and cabling can stay, you pay for the luminaires, the installation with a lifting platform and the structural check of the masts. A training pitch takes about 8 luminaires of 750W or 1000W; their current price is in the sports field lighting collection.
Is there funding for LED floodlights?
Yes. The federal Kommunalrichtlinie pays 25%, or 40% for financially weak municipalities, and sports clubs can apply. State programmes can come on top. Always apply before the work starts.
How much does an hour of floodlight cost?
Calculation example (assumptions: electricity price €0.30/kWh): about €1.80–2.40 for a training-level LED system of 6–8 kW and about €4.50–6.00 for a 200 lux system of 15–20 kW.
Can we keep the existing masts?
Usually, if a structural check confirms it. LED sports field lights are often lighter than old floodlights but can have a different wind surface, so the check is required.
- Sportplatzwelt, Kostenbeispiele Flutlicht (cost examples for new systems and retrofits of football pitches).
- Nationale Klimaschutzinitiative, klimaschutz.de: Kommunalrichtlinie, funding for outdoor and sports field lighting (25%, 40% for financially weak municipalities).
- EN 12193:2018 – Light and lighting – Sports lighting (lighting classes).
- Clightstore project data: TSV Aubstadt, 2026.
Last checked: November 2026, Nick Cuppens, Clightstore.
Send us the pitch size, the mast positions and heights and the lighting class you need. We prepare a free DIALux lighting plan to EN 12193, which you can use for your funding application, and a no-obligation quote at direct-import prices. 5-year warranty, delivery in 2–5 working days.
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