Converting your parking lot to an LED lighting system offers a wide variety of benefits to all different types of industries, including schools, real estate offices, apartment complexes, and so forth. Upgrading your parking lot lighting to LED makes the space look better, but it also makes the space safer by brightening it up considerably. LED lighting also saves you a lot of money because it requires less energy than traditional lighting.
TerraCast Products offers a wide selection of parking lot lighting fixtures, all equipped with LED bulbs. Our resin-based poles and other lighting fixtures outlast the competition by a longshot.
Benefits Of PolySteel Poles
Traditional poles made from steel or aluminum cannot last that long without starting to rust or corrode. All it takes is a few dogs coming by and lifting their legs for the corroding process to begin. Powder coated or enamel-baked lighting fixtures only last so long before small cracks in the surface begin to unravel the whole pole by allowing moisture direct access to the metal inside.
Our light posts are made from a proprietary blend of resin that is combined with galvanized steel and industrial-strength plastic foam. Combining these materials creates a superpower lighting fixture that is pretty much impervious to the same elements that damage other materials.
Our resin products are made right here in the USA using a rotational molding process. The core of the post is made from galvanized steel in order to give it added strength. This core is encased in thick protective layers of polyurethane foam, another light plastic that isolates the core and gives the lamppost its shape. The outer quarter-inch of the pole is coated in Linear Low Density Polyethylene (LLDPE), this gives the planter its final shape and detailing.
Our parking lot lighting fixtures provide:
-Unmatched durability
-No corrosion or rust
-Impervious to natural elements that most other light post materials are easily damaged by.
Learn more about our uniquely dependable commercial lighting fixtures for parking lots: https://www.terracastproducts.com/resin-vs-metal/
Incentives To Design Energy Efficient Lighting
Electrical companies often offer special incentives for redesigning energy efficient parking lots. For instance, SDG&E has The Outdoor Lighting Standards, a set of guidelines pertaining to minimum efficacy requirements, maximum allowable power levels, minimum control requirements, and mandate cutoff times for large luminaries. They offer incentives for redesigning an energy efficient parking lot that follows the outlined guidelines.
The SDG&E manual reads that parking lots that qualify include “uncovered outdoor parking lot lighting design… in compliance with the 2008 Nonresidential compliance manual, chapter 6 and have an overall lighting power density (LPD) of .08 watts per square foot or less.”
Check with your local energy company to find out what sorts of incentives they offer for installing energy efficient parking lot lighting systems.
FEMP Requirements
Selecting FEMP-designated equipment is the first step to installing energy efficient parking lot lighting. Roadway luminaries and parking lot luminaries must have an LER of 65 in order to be classified as FEMP-designated. You can calculate LER by dividing the total light leaving the luminaire by the input power.
LER = total light leaving the luminaire ÷ input power
An assortment of lamps, ballastas and optics may be used to outfit parking lot lighting but LER still needs to be calculated. If LER is not specified, you can estimate it using the following equation:
LER = luminaire efficiency x lamp lumens ÷ lamp + ballast input watts
Industry Specific Specifications For Parking Lot Lighting
Parking lot lighting design is often dependent on the use of the parking lot. For instance, a National Park is not going to be held to the same lighting standards as a secure federal facility. According to the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IES), “light levels for basic parking lots and higher light levels for parking facilities where enhanced security is required.”
3 Big Benefits To LED Parking Lot Lighting
#1. LED Lighting Saves You A Lot Of Money
One of the first things you’ll notice after switching from traditional bulbs to LED lighting is the dramatic drop in your electricity bill, offering serious money saving benefits. You could reduce your total electricity usage by over 50%. Some people see up to 80% reductions in total energy usage. A very achievable 74,390 KW reduction in energy usage translates to an incredible drop in 83,000 pounds of greenhouse gases. So not only are you saving money but you’re also helping to save the environment—a win-win. LED lighting saves so much money that you can calculate a return on investment in as little as one year or less. You’ll also experience reduced maintenance costs because it takes so much longer for LED bulbs to burn out and require replacement.
#2. High Quality Light
Considering LED lighting is cheaper than other types of lighting it comes as a surprise to some that the light it produces is of much higher quality. LED lighting is bright and leaves fewer dark gaps in between fixtures.
Just because you have more fixtures or higher level lighting does not mean it is better quality lighting. Most security cameras are approved for use in low and high level lighting. The main limitation is in contrast ranges. It’s all about creating uniform lighting, which is exactly what LED lighting is great at. LED lighting provides a clearer image on security cameras as well as for people physically in the parking lot at night.
#3. Improves Camera Footage
Security cameras can be more productive when they capture footage beneath bright LED lights as opposed to other types of lighting. That means you have a better chance of catching someone that vandalizes or steals from your property. It also gives you more control in general over the safety of everyone that frequents your parking lot.