- AZ Alkmaar
AZ Alkmaar uses Aaa-lux led light technology to develop yought
AIMING HIGH
The story of AZ Alkmaar reads like a fairy-tale. The modest club from Alkmaar, close to
Amsterdam, thrusted into the spotlight in the mid-1990’s when a businessman took over the reins of the club. His wealth, combined with the vision of the management team that consisted of many former top-athletes, managed to establish the foundation. The club also invested heavily in its facilities. In 2006 it opened a new stadium and in the autumn of 2016 its training facility became reality. The training centre of AZ Alkmaar boasts several artificial and natural grass fields. The majority of the fields are illuminated with AAA-LUX LED technology. “The AAA-LUX luminaires produce a light that matches daylight quality. Good quality illumination that matches daylight is important for players in their quest to make it to the first team,” Michel van Dooren of AAA-LUX says “Players always require the best visibility possible in order to be able to act and react. It takes a goalkeeper, for instance, 0.5 to 0.7 seconds to respond to a penalty kick taken. Before he can do so, he’ll have lost 0.15 to 0.2 seconds already to get into motion. As it takes a penalty 0.45 seconds to cover the distance from the spot to the goal line, the ability to stop the penalty kick much relies on the ability by the keeper to see and predict the action of the player. The quality of the light is vital in this.
ROAD TO SUCCESS
The LED luminaires at the training centre of AZ can provide illumination in different intensities. “This allows AZ to always illuminate its training sessions or matches according to the standard for the particular event without having to pay huge energy bills.” The luminaires also have an additional benefit. “AAA-LUX luminaires produce continuous, flicker-free light. This contributes to the quality of the video recording that captures the player or session, enabling the coaching staff to see more detail and be able to judge players much better. ”The facility is living up the promises Robert Eenhoorn, AZ’s general manager, made when he revealed the plans for the centre. “This complex will put us in a better position to develop and support our players,” he said back in 2015. “Our talented players will here be able to use the most innovative facilities and applications when training.” World renowned manager Louis van Gaal, who managed the club from 2005 to 2009, also lauded the standard of the facility. “A real environment for top sports,” he said when he was asked for his opinion during the official opening. “It is inevitable that, with everything in place like a vision, people and facilities is in place, things will only get better.” In that regard it can be said that the only thing that will go down at the AZ Alkmaar training centre is quality illumination from the AAA-LUX LED luminaires in the mast, and the total energy bill at the end of the month.