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What Benefits Can You Expect From LED Parking Lot Lights?

Quick Answer

They can improve visibility, support controls, reduce maintenance visits, and lower energy use when designed with good photometrics.

LED Parking Lot Light Benefits

LED parking lot lights can improve visibility, reduce maintenance visits, support controls, and lower energy use when the layout is designed correctly. The benefits come from photometrics, optics, pole placement, shielding, CCT, and commissioning, not the LED label alone.

What to Check First

  • Review pole locations, mounting height, target light levels, uniformity, and dark spots.
  • Use distribution type, shielding, and controls to manage glare and spill.
  • Document wattage, CCT, photocell, dimming schedule, and aiming after installation.

Application Decision Table

Use CasePractical Guidance
Customer parkingComfort, uniformity, and wayfinding matter.
Employee lotsControls, camera zones, and after-hours use may matter.
Perimeter areasShielding and spill control are often the main design issues.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Overlighting the lot to hide poor spacing.
  • Ignoring neighbor complaints and high-angle glare.
  • Replacing fixtures without checking pole condition and voltage.

Benefits That Need to Be Designed In

LED parking lot lights can improve visibility, reduce energy use, lower relamping needs, and support photocells, timers, dimming, and motion controls. Those benefits depend on the layout. Poor aiming, wrong optics, excessive wattage, or missing shields can create glare and spill light even with efficient fixtures.

BenefitDesign check
Energy savingsCompare system watts, operating hours, controls, and utility rates.
VisibilityCheck uniformity, pole spacing, mounting height, and color quality.
MaintenanceReview driver quality, surge protection, warranty, and access.
Neighbor comfortUse shielding, aiming, correct optics, and responsible CCT where needed.

More Details to Consider

What Benefits Can You Expect From LED Parking Lot Lights? *Updated 10/10/23 with current data and edits. LED parking lot lights are a smart choice for businesses and property owners who want to improve the appearance, safety, efficiency, and sustainability of their parking areas. LED parking lot lights have many advantages over traditional lighting sources, such as metal halide (MH) or high-pressure sodium (HPS) lamps. Here are some of the benefits of LED parking lot lights. • You are going to save money.

LED parking lot lights are up to 70% more energy-efficient than old metal halide or high-pressure sodium lamps. This means that you can use a lower wattage LED light to replace a higher wattage conventional light and still get the same or better illumination. For example, a 300-watt LED light can replace a 1000-watt MH light, and a 150-watt LED light can replace a 400-watt HPS light in many lots - HPS puts out plenty of raw lumens, but its yellow light has a low S/P ratio, so the eye reads the whiter LED as brighter. This translates into significant savings on your electricity bills and carbon emissions. • They will hold their brightness.

Metal halide lamps can lose substantial light output over time, while well-designed LED parking lot lights usually hold useful output longer when heat and power quality are controlled. This means that you do not have to worry about replacing or adjusting your lights frequently, which can also save you money on maintenance costs and labor. • You have more beam angle choices. LED parking lot lights come in different beam angles to suit different applications and preferences. You can choose from regular wide-angle beams for general lighting, or narrow-angle beams for focused lighting.

Narrow-angle beams can reach farther away and create a more dramatic effect, while wide-angle beams can cover a larger area and create a more uniform effect. • You have less maintenance for you. With long rated service lives, LED parking lot lights remove routine bulb and ballast changes, though fixtures should still be inspected on a normal maintenance schedule. They are also more durable and resistant to weather, vandalism, and shock than conventional lights. This means that you can enjoy reliable and hassle-free lighting for years to come. • You have more controls to choose from.

LED parking lot lights offer more options for controlling and customizing your lighting. You can choose from a basic photocell, which will turn the light on at dusk and off at dawn automatically, or a motion sensor, which will turn the light on when it detects movement and off when there is no activity. Motion sensors can enhance security and save more energy by reducing unnecessary lighting. Improve the Safety at Your Business. Installing LED parking lot lights can help you protect your business from potential threats and risks.

A poorly lit or unlit parking lot can make vehicles, pedestrians, edges, and activity harder to see after dark. It can also expose your employees, customers, or visitors to accidents or injuries due to poor visibility or tripping hazards. By switching to LED parking lot lights, you can improve the lighting quality and coverage of your parking area, making it safer and more secure for everyone. You can also support visibility for customers, staff, cameras, and patrols by reducing dark areas and harsh shadows.

A well-lit parking lot will also benefit your customers and the pedestrians who use it. It will create a safe and comfortable space for them to walk, park, or access their vehicles. It will also reduce the chances of collisions or conflicts between pedestrians and drivers by improving the visibility and awareness of both parties. A well-lit parking lot will also enhance the accessibility and convenience of your parking area for people with disabilities, seniors, children, or other vulnerable groups. Improve The Aesthetics Of Your Business.

An illuminated parking lot with powerful, yet cost-saving LED retrofit lights will also contribute a great share towards improving the aesthetics of your entire business arena. It will create a positive vibe in the minds of clients visiting your business. It will also showcase your brand image and reputation as a modern, professional, and environmentally conscious business. It will also demonstrate your commitment to customer satisfaction and loyalty by providing them with a pleasant and welcoming experience.

If you wish to gain a better professional status for your business, you should go for DLC listed lights, not just for the parking area, but also for other areas in your business. DLC listed lights are certified by the DesignLights Consortium (DLC), which is a non-profit organization that promotes high-quality and energy-efficient lighting solutions for commercial applications. DLC listed lights meet the highest standards of performance, quality, and reliability in the industry. They also qualify for various rebates and incentives from utility companies and government agencies that support energy conservation initiatives.

By choosing DLC listed lights for your parking lot and other areas in your business, you can show your customers and competitors that you are a leader and innovator in your field. In short, you might think parking lot illumination with LED lights will be an extra mile to go. But, this extra mile will heighten the overall professionalism, design, security and safety for your business, your employees, your clients and all others visiting your business.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the benefits of LED parking lot lights?
They can improve visibility, support controls, reduce maintenance visits, and lower energy use when designed with good photometrics.
Do controls matter?
Yes. Dimmers, sensors, timers, photocells, and schedules can change the value and performance of an LED project.
What should I check before ordering?
Check lumens, voltage, rating, mounting, controls, CCT, CRI, warranty, and installation requirements.
When should I ask for help?
Ask for help when wiring, photometrics, rebates, mounting, code, glare, or fixture compatibility matters.

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Dara Greaney

About the Author

Dara Greaney

Dara Greaney is founder and CEO of LED Light Expert with deep expertise in commercial LED lighting, retrofits, and photometric planning.

Editing by David Peguero

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