An LED system will illuminate the field inside the new Minnesota Vikings stadium, officials announced Wednesday.
The lights, from New York-based Ephesus Lighting, have color-tuning technology and lower energy needs than traditional lighting.
Two football stadiums in the U.S. have converted to LED, but the Minneapolis site will be the first to install such lighting in initial construction.
Vikings officials say they've kept an environmentally friendly focus during the $1.1 billion project's planning and construction phases. The new lights are projected to consume 75 percent less energy than a traditional system.
A ribbon of lights across the top of the stadium also will give operators new flexibility to create mood, said Joe Casper, chief technology officer for Ephesus Lighting.
The stadium, set to open in July 2016, will seat up to 64,000. In addition to being the Vikings' home field, it will be the site of the 2018 Super Bowl and the 2019 NCAA Final Four.
JESSICA LEE
