The "impossibly green grass" at Lambeau Field can be traced in large part to a "new system of artificial lighting employed to counter the meek late-autumn sunshine in Wisconsin," according to John Branch of the N.Y. TIMES. The artificial lighting system used at Lambeau is a "burgeoning technology, designed by the Dutch firm SGL -- Stadium Grow Lighting." SGL Founder & Managing Dir Nico van Vuuren "tweaked a system he built for growing roses." The system in essence is a "complex grid of retractable arms lined with hundreds of greenhouse-type light bulbs." After a trial run in '10, the Packers "bought nine MU360 units, as they are called, enough to cover half the field." Packers Fields Manager Allen Johnson "used the lights 24 hours a day from October to early December, moving them every other day between games." Not only did the lights "cast a warm and eerie glow from inside Lambeau Field through the night, they extended the growing season for the grass well past the normal date of dormancy." Johnson said, "The payoff and the benefit is now. We have a more full canopy and more grass than we would without it. The green color is a side benefit. That’s aesthetic. The main benefit is stronger, healthier grass, thicker grass in places where it’s usually difficult to grow." SGL, which "does much of its business on European soccer fields, is just now making inroads in North America." The MLS Red Bulls "purchased three of the units" for Red Bull Arena. Red Bulls Dir of Grounds Dan Shemesh said, "The year before, it was definitely brown and it didn’t look right. You could always tell the south end: the air was colder, the soil was colder, the grass was thinner. It didn’t need to be mowed much." That changed in '11, "thanks to 24 hours a day of artificial sunlight provided by 1,000-watt bulbs, used mostly in the spring and fall." Other North American franchises "have expressed interest in the systems," particularly MLB teams that play in ballparks with retractable roofs. The Astros "have joined the Packers and the Red Bulls as the only professional American franchises to use the system" (N.Y. TIMES, 1/14).
