3 things you need to know to optimize your parking lot

2020-05-15

As an enterprise or property manager, the safety provided by parking lot lights equipment is a very important consideration. Each parking lot has a different layout, so companies cannot use the same method when illuminating parking lots. When buying commercial lights for a parking lot, please consider these most basic elements and incorporate design, lighting quality and energy efficiency into your parking lot lighting layout.

When designing the lighting layout for a parking lot, it is usually affected by the space. When buying lighting equipment for a parking lot, we must consider the location of these lamps and the type of lamps used. In order to let you better choose the right parking lot lights, we provide 6 different light distributions to give full play to the lighting equipment.

I: The lights are distributed in two directions, suitable for trails and sidewalks.

II: The lights are distributed horizontally, suitable for wide sidewalks, ramps and entrance lanes.

III: The lights are distributed horizontally, suitable for street lighting and parking lots.

IV: The lights are distributed horizontally, suitable for parking lots and commercial lighting.

V: The circular light distribution is suitable for road and commercial parking lot lighting.

VS: The light distribution is square, suitable for intersections, commercial parking areas and central roads.

The installation height of the parking lot lamps is between 13 feet and 20 feet, and in some cases can reach 36 feet. The spacing of LED parking lot lights depends on the installation height. The higher the luminaire, the fewer fixtur are required. When finalizing the installation height and spacing of the lamps, the lumen output of the parking lot lights needs to be considered. For car dealerships and large commercial parking lots, it is suitable to use light fixtures with high lumen output. In 2007, the North American Society of Lighting Engineering (IES) adopted BUG (backlight, glazing and glare) as the basis for luminaire classification. BUG evaluation system, which sets the lumen and the direction of the light emitted by each watt of the lamp. The BUG value standard determines the maximum lumens emitted by lamps required in different areas. Compared with other lighting fixtures, the BUG value is a criterion for judging the control of stray light by lighting fixtures.

When designing the parking lot lighting layout, it is necessary to consider the impact of natural factors such as surrounding gardens and trees on the parking lot lighting to determine the location of the fixtures and avoid shadows. For the area around the building that needs to be illuminated, the area wall light is the most suitable choice near the entrance and exit passages and door passages.

The parking lot light quality requirements depend on the time of day and space usage. For example, a parking lot in a community does not require as much lighting as a car dealer's parking lot. Color temperature is one of the considerations for parking lots. Car parks in communities and parks are suitable for the use of metal halides and high-pressure sodium. Such lamps often have a warmer color temperature. The LED bulb emits a higher color temperature (5000K or 6000K white light), making it more suitable for large commercial parking lots or car dealerships.

Inch candlelight is a unit of light that falls on the ground and is expressed in foot candles (fc). The light emitted from the light source falls on 1 square foot of ground, equivalent to 1 lumen per square foot.

High-lumen light is not equal to high-quality light. The parking lot lighting standards require fixtures to evenly illuminate every corner of the parking lot. Uniformity is expressed as the relationship between the lowest brightness value and the average brightness value of a specific area. If the average light intensity is equal to 3 inches of candlelight and the minimum light intensity reading is 1 inch of candlelight, the ratio will be expressed as 3: 1, and we recommend that the uniformity of light in most parking lots be 3: 1. If the light contrast is too high, it will cause glare to the security camera. The image seen by the security camera will contain shadows and the details in the image cannot be seen. The high contrast of the light makes it impossible for the vehicle and pedestrians to see each other clearly, which poses a safety hazard. This problem is avoided by using uniformly illuminated parking lot lights.

With the advancement of LED technology, the energy-saving effect of commercial lighting equipment is remarkable. LED lighting technology has completely changed the concept of lighting. LED lighting is synonymous with energy saving and efficiency. Compared with traditional HID lighting fixtures, the power consumption of LED lighting is greatly reduced. The most common parking lot lighting control for energy-saving parking lots is photoelectric tubes. This device automatically turns off the lighting equipment when the sunlight is sufficient, thereby reducing waste of energy and saving most of the electricity originally used for lighting for business owners. expenditure.