Sports stadiums are generally huge structures which require significant levels of electrical infrastructure to power the lighting, broadcasting and operational equipment needed to host an event to thousands of people.
Superbowl LXVII took place at New Orleans’ Superdome on February 3rd, 2013. The biggest sporting event in the US generated more drama than usual this year, as the stadium was left in the dark for more than 30 minutes following a power outage.
The consequences of a power failure for sports clubs can be critical. For UK football teams, the postponement of a scheduled match can result in huge financial losses, including TV revenue and fines imposed by the FA.
Governing bodies now enforce strict regulations on backup power. Edition 2018 of UEFA’s Stadium Infrastructure Regulations states that: “to ensure that matches can proceed in the event of a power failure, an independent backup power supply must be available and able to provide at least the following average horizontal illuminance…” with levels varying from 350Eh(lux) to 900Eh(lux) depending on the category of the match.
To protect their assets from potential power outages clubs are urged to invest in protection systems from a trusted supplier. A generator set provides back-up power protection, when combined with a UPS this back-up solution ensures there is no break in supply. Combine this with a bulk fuel tank and this solution will continue to power the key services it is connected to indefinitely (providing the fuel tank topped is up and the equipment is maintained professionally).
Installation and maintenance solutions nationwide
As a successful national provider of back-up power and service and maintenance solutions, PPSPower is a leading supplier for various football stadia across the UK. The firm has provided installations of back-up generator and UPS systems for several professional clubs in both new and historic football grounds, including Rotherham United’s New York Stadium (newly opened in 2012), Swansea City’s Liberty Stadium, Burnley’s Turf Moor (in use since 1883) and Ross County’s Victoria Park.
Stephen Peal, Managing Director of PPSPower, explains how the firm has provided expert services to various football clubs and enjoys ongoing relationships with several teams:
“Football clubs look for a straight-forward approach to back-up power solutions, with minimum disruption and ease of access to the installation. We try to adopt an early involvement approach with our customers, for example at Rotherham we installed our system as part of the build of the new stadium meaning we could work closely with the developers to identify the best location for the system.
“Our engineers are specialists in performing installations at all kinds of commercial sites, including sports grounds. A key consideration for them is gaining access to the system and this is often incorporated in its design. For example, at the Liberty Stadium we delivered a bespoke fuel system due to space and the remote location of the fuel tanks.”
PPSPower’s successful installations have resulted in ongoing maintenance contracts, with on-call repair and maintenance services, planned preventative maintenance and upgrade installations for several football clubs.
Stephen adds: “Customer service comes first and every member of our team, be that sales, co-ordinators or engineers, understands the importance of first-class service in our industry. With such high-stakes in powering sports stadiums, we need to provide assurance to the customer that we can deliver successfully and keep their site powered in the event of a mains failure.
“We employ a multi-skilled team of mechanical and electrical engineers that are based nationwide, and we also benefit from being part of a wider group of power solution companies, meaning we have access to a range of resources and supplies. These resources mean we have all the capabilities needed to provide high quality back-up power solutions in sports stadia, amongst many other sectors.”
PPSPower can provide a full ‘turnkey’ service for stand-by power systems including decommissioning and removal of existing equipment, any associated mechanical and electrical works, installation of digital control systems and full generator commissioning and testing. Working carefully with customers in a variety of sectors, the company develops cost-effective solutions that maximise the reliability of their back-up power systems.