Malmö FF takes next step in sustainability with LED grow lighting technology

Stadium Manager Jerry Wihlborg balances sustainability with profitability at Malmö FF

This time, we take a closer look at pitch maintenance from a management perspective. We speak with Jerry Wihlborg, stadium manager of Malmö Fotbollförening. He shares insights into his role at the club, how he balances sustainability with profitability, his decision for LED grow lighting technology, and how to create the right formula to win prizes.

A stadium manager’s perspective

Jerry Wihlborg has been the stadium manager of Malmö FF’s Eleda Stadium for five years, overseeing every aspect of the stadium’s operation. “I’m responsible for everything in our ‘house’, from the grass to the lighting systems, as well as dealing with renters and managing our offices,” he explains. His role involves managing a venue that serves multiple purposes beyond football, including hosting meetings, fairs, and other events. However, the pitch is considered holy ground, and not just because the Pope visited Eleda Stadium in 2016. “The pitch is very important to us because our focus is on football. We’ve won the prize for best pitch three years in a row now, and we’re very proud of that because, in the end, we are a football club.”

When asked about the most challenging aspects of his role, Jerry highlights the delicate balance between sustainability and profitability. “My work has a lot to do with energy management and sustainability. The biggest challenge is combining sustainability with profitability. I try to find ROI (return on investment) in every decision I make, but that is not always possible. Sometimes, when it’s not possible to make a sustainable choice profitable, you have to make a statement. In those instances, I prefer to prioritise sustainability over profitability.”

The sustainability challenge

Sustainability is clearly a central theme at Malmö FF, and it’s a crucial aspect of Jerry’s daily operations. The fact that the club owns the stadium gives them a unique advantage, allowing them to implement sustainability initiatives with more freedom. “We can take more initiatives because we control all our decisions ourselves. A forward-thinking approach helps in attracting sponsors, and we can also demand more from them on this topic. That way, we can not only work on sustainability ourselves but also encourage others to do so.”

Jerry provides several examples of the sustainability initiatives they’ve implemented: “We changed to waterless urinals, saving about 750,000 liters of water per year, and we’ve also switched the floodlights to LED; although the ROI for this is many years, it’s a good step forward as we lower costs and save energy. We are transitioning all the lights in the stadium to LED, including the grow lighting system, which is why we’re partnering with SGL for this upgrade.”

Transitioning to LED grow lights

Jerry’s expertise in grass maintenance might not be on a Champions League level, as he admits, but he worked closely with the head groundsman to make the decision to switch to LED grow lighting technology. “The reason we chose LED is that we can adjust the heat and light from 0 to 100%, making it possible to save energy while using it. I also believe that LED is the future of grow lighting technology, and we think that this is the right time to make the switch from HPS.”

However, the transition to LED isn’t happening all at once. “We work with a budget, so we can’t make the complete switch to LED in one go. That’s why we’re implementing it in phases over the upcoming years. I can already see from the data in the SGL Portal that we’re using a lot less energy per rig than with HPS. I know that this will save us a lot of energy in the future. It will be very beneficial for us.”

Malmö FF is ready to start using the LED grow lights in the last and crucial part of the season, and Jerry is already looking forward to seeing the benefits. “Right now, if we start using the LED grow lights in September, we only need to use the lights. We can leave the heat from the infrared turned off in the spring and summer, which means we won’t use much energy for a significant part of the year.”

The right formula for success

Malmö FF has won the prize for the best pitch in Sweden three times in a row, so what is their secret? Jerry sums up their success formula: “As mentioned, we have a big advantage in owning the stadium ourselves and being able to make our own decisions. We also have the right people for the job; our Head Groundsman Magnus and I are obsessed with the data and proudly call ourselves real ‘nerds’, in the best possible way of course. The last and biggest factor is that we’re now using the LED grow lights which give us a significant advantage. Not every club is using them and that’s why we’re winning these kinds of competitions. I think we have found the right formula for success!”