Parking Lot Lights Case Study - Nextgen III Motion Sensor Flood Lights

Church Parking Lot LED Retrofit — Our Lady of Fatima Church

Our Lady of Fatima Church in San Clemente, California contacted us for a complete LED lighting retrofit of their parking lot and building areas. The church had aging 250-watt metal halide fixtures that left dark areas and used more energy than the LED retrofit target.

Before Installation — Challenges

• Eight pole-mounted 250-watt metal halide fixtures
• Poor visibility, particularly at rear building entrance
• High energy consumption
• Dark areas creating visibility concerns

Solution Implemented

We designed a comprehensive solution combining multiple lighting strategies:

• Eight 150-watt NextGen III LED lights with motion sensors — Mounted on existing poles to replace the old metal halides
• Two 300-watt LED fixtures — Mounted on building without motion sensors for continuous illumination
• Two solar lights — Added for rear building area for further energy savings

Motion Sensor Configuration

The motion sensor strategy maximizes energy savings:

• 30% brightness when no motion detected (idle state)
• 70% brightness when motion is detected (active state)
• Automatic dimming reduces energy consumption significantly during low-activity periods

What to Review Before a Similar Retrofit

For a parking lot retrofit like this, start with the current fixture wattage, pole height, mounting style, voltage, and the areas where people feel unsafe or visibility drops. Those details help determine whether the project should reuse poles, add wall-mounted fixtures, use motion sensors, or add solar lighting where trenching power is expensive.

The lesson from this church project is that the right layout is rarely one fixture type everywhere. Pole lights handled the main parking area, building-mounted fixtures supported the entrances, motion sensors reduced wasted energy, and solar lights solved a rear-area power problem.

Energy Results

The retrofit achieved impressive energy savings:

• 60% reduction in energy consumption at full brightness
• Up to 80% reduction with motion sensor dimming capabilities enabled

Professional Resources and Layout Review

• Photometric study conducted to forecast light distribution and coverage
• Aerial drone footage documenting before and after installation
• Video includes footcandle readings and motion sensor range demonstration
• Coverage analysis shows improved uniformity and visibility

This installation demonstrates practical LED conversion methodology for commercial parking lot applications with energy optimization through smart motion-sensing technology.

Solar Parking Lot Lights — Rear Building Installation

In addition to the LED pole lights and wall packs, two solar parking lot lights were installed at the rear building entrance where running electrical would have been costly. The Everan solar street lights provide off-grid illumination without a fixture-level utility connection — charging during the day and lighting automatically at dusk.