How much energy does LED lighting use on a professionally built padel court?

LED lighting on a professional padel court generally uses between 600 and 1,200 watts per court, depending on the number of fixtures, the lighting level and the location. For an indoor padel court with four 150-watt fixtures, you quickly reach 600 watts per court. For outdoor courts, where more lux is required and fixtures are heavier, that figure goes up. Below we answer the most frequently asked questions about energy consumption, costs and payback period of LED lighting on padel courts.

How many watts does LED lighting on a padel court need?

A professional padel court generally needs four to six fixtures, each with a power of 100 to 200 watts. The total power per court is therefore on average between 600 and 1,200 watts. The exact wattage depends on the required lux level, the mounting height and the quality of the fixtures.

For an indoor padel court the conditions are more favourable: there is no daylight to take into account, the height is limited and the reflection from walls and ceiling contributes to the light distribution. Four 150-watt fixtures are often enough for an indoor court to achieve a good lighting level.

For outdoor courts the situation is different. A dark surrounding area, higher mounting points and no ambient reflection mean you need more power or more fixtures. Six fixtures of 150 to 200 watts per court is a more realistic standard there.

How many lux is required for a professional padel court?

For recreational play on a padel court, a minimum illuminance of 300 lux applies. For competitive use and tournaments the standard is higher: at least 500 lux, measured on the playing area. For television broadcasts or international tournaments, the requirement can rise to 750 lux or more.

Lux is a measure of the amount of light that actually falls on a surface. It says something different from watts: watts are the consumption, lux is the result. Modern LED lighting is very efficient at converting watts into lux, which considerably reduces energy consumption compared with older lighting technologies.

A good lighting plan requires a lighting calculation per location. The mounting height, the beam angle of the fixtures and the layout of the court together determine how many lux end up on the playing area. A fixture at four metres' height illuminates differently from the same fixture at eight metres.

What does it cost to run LED lighting on a padel court per hour?

With a total power of 800 watts per court and an energy tariff of around €0.30 per kilowatt-hour, one hour of lighting costs about €0.24 per court. With six courts lit at the same time, you arrive at around €1.44 per hour. Over a year with four hours of use per day, that rises to well over €2,100 per year for six courts.

This calculation is indicative. The actual rate you pay for electricity differs per contract and connection size. Commercial sites generally pay a business tariff, which can vary widely by region and supplier. Even so, the calculation gives a good idea of the order of magnitude.

What this means in concrete terms for operations: if you rent out a court for around €15 per hour, the lighting costs are less than two percent of the rental income. LED lighting is therefore a relatively small cost item in the total operation of an indoor padel court.

What is the difference in energy consumption between indoor and outdoor padel courts?

Outdoor padel courts generally use more energy for lighting than indoor courts. The reason is simple: outdoors there is no ambient reflection, the mounting points are higher and the light has to cover a larger area without the help of walls or a ceiling. The power required per court is on average 30 to 50 percent higher outdoors than indoors.

On an indoor court, walls, ceiling and floor act as reflective surfaces. Light that falls on a white or light-coloured wall bounces back to the playing area and contributes to the total illuminance. This means you can achieve a higher lux level with fewer watts than outdoors.

Outdoor courts also more often have to deal with wear on fixtures from weather influences. Fixtures for outdoor use must have a higher IP rating, which increases the purchase price, but also affects the service life and efficiency. When building a padel court outdoors, it is wise to take this into account when choosing fixtures.

How does the choice of fixtures affect energy consumption?

The choice of fixtures has a direct influence on the energy consumption of LED lighting on a padel court. Fixtures with a high light output per watt, expressed in lumens per watt, achieve the same lux level with less energy. The difference between a cheap and a high-quality fixture can amount to up to 30 percent lower consumption at the same light intensity.

Relevant factors when choosing fixtures include:

• Light output (lumens per watt): the higher it is, the more efficiently the fixture converts energy into light.
• Beam angle: a focused fixture illuminates the playing area more precisely, so less light is lost outside the court.
• IP rating: outdoor use requires a higher protection class, which affects the construction and the efficiency.
• Colour temperature: for sports applications, neutral to cool white light (4,000 to 6,500 Kelvin) is the most suitable for ball visibility.
• Dimming function: fixtures with a dimming function make it possible to light at lower power during training sessions or quiet hours, which directly delivers savings.

Cheaper fixtures seem attractive at purchase, but in practice lead to higher energy costs and a shorter service life. Over a period of ten years, the difference in energy costs between an efficient and a less efficient fixture can be greater than the difference in purchase price.

When does LED lighting pay for itself on a padel court?

LED lighting on a padel court generally pays for itself within two to four years, compared with older lighting technologies such as metal halide lamps. The payback period depends on the number of operating hours per year, the energy tariff and the difference in consumption between the old and new situation.

For a new-build project the comparison is different: you are not comparing with an existing situation, but looking at the total operating costs over the service life. LED lighting lasts an average of 50,000 to 80,000 burning hours, which at four hours per day amounts to more than 30 years. Replacement costs are therefore minimal.

An example calculation: suppose that for six courts you opt for high-quality fixtures with a total power of 800 watts per court instead of 1,200 watts. The difference is 400 watts per court, or 2,400 watts for six courts. At 1,500 burning hours per year and a rate of €0.30 per kilowatt-hour, that delivers a saving of well over €1,000 per year. Over ten years that is more than €10,000 purely in energy costs.

The payback period also depends on subsidies and tax schemes. In 2026 there are various options in the Netherlands for energy-saving investments in sports facilities. When investing in LED lighting, it is wise to check which schemes apply to your situation. More insight into the total cost of an indoor padel court helps in making a well-founded investment decision.

How I-Padel helps with the choice and installation of LED lighting

At I-Padel we supply and install LED lighting as part of the complete turnkey package. We do not choose a standard solution, but tailor the lighting installation to the specific situation of your site. In concrete terms, that means:

• A lighting calculation per court and per location, so that the required lux level is actually achieved.
• Advice on the right fixture type for indoor or outdoor use, including IP rating and beam angle.
• Choice of fixtures with a high light output per watt, which keeps energy costs low in the long term.
• Optional: dimming functionality for savings during training sessions or off-peak hours.
• Full installation as part of the total package, without separate contractors or coordination problems.

We produce the steel structure of the padel court entirely ourselves and deliver the complete project from foundation to handover. This allows us to coordinate lighting, structure and installation, rather than having three different parties do that separately.

Want to know what LED lighting costs as part of a complete padel court, or would you like an indication for your specific site? Get in touch for an initial exploration, we are happy to think along with you, without obligation.

Frequently asked questions