Why Good Parking Lot Lighting Is So Important

There’s one interesting thing about parking lot lighting – most people don’t notice its quality unless it is bad. If a parking lot is well-lit, drivers and pedestrians find it easy to navigate – and they also feel safe. On the other hand, if it is poorly lit, people feel unsafe and the rate of crime and accidents goes up.

If your business is located inside a commercial building with a parking lot, you should know that your clients’ experience begins in the parking lot. Parking lot lighting is a crucial factor for a business at night. If the parking area outside your business premises is poorly lit at night, customers will not park, stop, or shop.

A well-lit parking lot can enhance safety and security and improve aesthetics, attracting potential customers to your business. It sends a clear message to customers that your business is open and they can come in to shop.

Consider this, you go out of your way to make your business premises look good and to keep it up to par with customer expectations and strict standards. But then you ignore the parking lot. Big mistake! The parking lot is just as important as the interior.

It is an extension of your business premises and gives your customers and visitors a first impression of your business, whether good or bad. Good lighting speaks volumes about your business as a whole, but there are more reasons why high-quality lighting in your parking lot is so important. Here are 3.

It Helps Prevent Accidents

According to the National Safety Council, numerous accidents occur every year in parking lots. As people walk in unfamiliar territory, they can easily slip, fall, or get seriously injured if the lighting is bad. Those driving in the parking lot may be unable to see clearly and may crash into objects or collide with other vehicles.

If you manage a commercial property or have a business in a commercial building, it’s up to you to keep the space in good condition. This doesn’t just mean cleaning up spills or filling in floor cracks, it means providing good lighting both indoors and outdoors. If someone has an accident on your premises, you may be held liable. Some businesses have been sued because people got injured or tripped due to inadequate lighting.

People driving in your parking area should be able to see pedestrians, other vehicles, potholes, and other obstacles. The better pedestrians and drivers can see when they are in your parking lot, the lower the likelihood of accidents. Proper illumination helps pedestrians and drivers to see well enough to avoid situations that could lead to accidents. It also prevents your customers from getting lost as they visit your business premises.

Lowers the Crime Rate

If a criminal is scoping out your business premises with the intent of vandalizing or breaking in, they will be less likely to carry out their plan if the building is well-lit both indoors and outdoors. Crime and darkness go hand in hand. Criminals are more likely to conduct their criminal activities in a dark area because it keeps them hidden and they can carry out their work without being seen.

When your customers, visitors, and employees are unable to detect any movement in the parking lot, they can easily get assaulted or mugged.Their vehicles may also be broken into or stolen without the knowledge of the security staff (as surveillance cameras will be unable to capture video footage clearly).

To be broken into or stolen without the knowledge of the security staff (as surveillance cameras will be unable to capture video footage clearly).

High-quality parking lot lighting can make the area safer for your customers, employees, and business associates and reduce your legal exposure. It is also a great way of showing your customers and prospects that they are always welcome at your premises no matter the time of day.

It Reflects Well On your Business

Installing high-quality LED lighting is an excellent way to advertise your business. Just like the interior, the exterior of your business premises reflects your company and its values. Good lighting makes your clients, employees, and business associates see your company as a warm, welcoming place.

When your parking lot is poorly lit, your customers’ confidence in your business goes down and fewer people visit your business premises at night, which may have a negative impact on your sales. Just one incident of violence, theft, or assault can lose you the trust of your customers and employees – which is the last thing you want.

If you use video surveillance, high-quality LED lights will allow your cameras to capture better footage, enhancing the security. Think of your business, the bottom line, the area’s safety and security, and the people who sustain your business – your customers and employees. Make them feel cared for, not totally neglected.

Benefits of (LED) Parking Lot Lighting for Commercial Spaces

Changing all the light fixtures in your parking lot may seem like a costly, time-consuming venture, but it isn’t. Switching to LED technology is totally worth the money and time. Light emitting diodes have become common features in parking lots across the country. Businesses, organizations, and institutions use them instead of inefficient high intensity discharge lights and fluorescents

Here are 6 great benefits of LEDs Smaller Impact

If you are looking for a way to reduce your company’s environmental footprint, LEDs should be your top choice. They do not contain dangerous components which are harmful to the environment. Fluorescent lights and some high intensity discharge lights contain mercury and have to be disposed of by professionals. LEDs do not need to be handled with extra care during disposal. They also don’t pose a health risk if they happen to break.

LED lights have a long lifespan and consume less electricity than conventional lighting systems, lowering the demand from power plants and decreasing greenhouse gas emissions. Research has also showed that LEDs cause less ecological damage than other lighting technologies. They also generate less heat.

Financial Savings

LED technology helps you to save money in three ways: by reducing energy consumption, lowering light maintenance, and offering high quality light (which means you’ll need fewer light fixtures). The biggest benefit of LEDs is their low power consumption. They consume less than half of the energy traditional light sources consume and produce higher-quality light.

LED parking-lot lights usually consume between 65 and 450 watts, unlike HID lights which consume between 250 and 1000 watts. In addition, LEDs don’t use ballasts (which also consume a lot of electricity). As soon as conventional lights are replaced with LEDs, power consumption goes down by up to 75%. If lighting controls are added, energy consumption can go down by up to 90%.

LED lights lower lighting maintenance costs because of the way they generate light. They use semiconductors to produce light, so their light output goes down gradually over time. Individual LED bulbs are comprised of numerous small LED chips and don’t work as hard as traditional lights to produce adequate light. This helps prolong their lifespans. Thanks to their long lifespans, LEDs don’t have to be replaced for years. The same cannot be said for HID lights which use fuel sources to produce light. Their efficiency decreases as the fuel gets used up.

The third money-saving benefit of LEDs is that you may need fewer fixtures. Parking lot lighting poles normally have 1 or 2 fixtures and those installed in busy areas can have up to 4 fixtures. If you use traditional lighting technologies like HIDs, you may need more fixtures for the parking lot to be well-lit at night, because these lights lose their brightness very fast. But since LEDs generate better light, you may only require a few fixtures to produce the same amount of lumens (light) produced by conventional lights.

Lower Maintenance

One of the biggest disadvantages of HID lights and fluorescent lamps is that they need a lot of maintenance. These lighting systems have a life expectancy of 15,000 to 25,000 hours, which means they must be frequently replaced. Replacing these lights can be time-consuming and labor-intensive, depending on where they are installed. The lights also use ballasts which do not have long lifespans and must be replaced when the lights are being replaced.

Another downside of HIDs is their high rate of lumen depreciation. These lights lose most of their brightness (lumens) long before they reach the end of their lifetimes. Their lumen depreciation process is also not straightforward as the lights start to shift colors as they get old. They usually have to be changed when their efficiency decreases as most commercial spaces need maximum illumination.

LEDs have a long life expectancy (50,000-100,000 hours), and retain 70% of their brightness for their entire lifespans. They don’t use ballasts or shift colors as they get old and are virtually maintenance-free.

Better Performance

LEDs have a higher Color Rendering Index than traditional light sources and easily reveal the real colors of objects. They don’t just ensure that a parking lot is well-lit, they make sure that drivers and pedestrians can easily see objects or obstructions as they drive or walk around. These light fixtures come in a range of color temperatures and can enhance the eyes’ perception of brightness.

LED lights have a multipoint design and dispense light evenly across a parking lot. What this means is that people who are close to the lights or far away from them will be able to see clearly as there isn’t a big difference in light levels no matter the distance. Metal halide lamps, which are frequently used in parking lots, create very bright spots underneath them and the light levels decrease significantly as one moves away from the light fixtures.

The Light Is Controllable

One of the greatest things about LEDs is that their light output is easy to adjust. When you pair them with automation and sensor technology, you can save even more money. Lighting controls make sure that parking lot lights are only on when they need to be and considerably change the way electricity is consumed.

LEDs are highly flexible and you can increase or decrease their light output without having to change their housings. But if your parking lot lighting poles have metal halide lights and you need to change the lights to make the parking lot brighter at night or to follow municipal lighting codes, you’ll have to get rid of the lamps and reflectors. Additionally, high intensity discharge lights cannot be used with lighting controls as they have long warm up and cool down times.

Falling Prices

When LED technology was first introduced to the market, the lights were very expensive and only a handful of businesses could afford them. But as more manufacturers joined the LED bandwagon, the prices gradually went down. These days, LEDs are very affordable and rebates and incentives offered by utilities and the government make them even more affordable.

Rebates and incentives make switching to LED technology a less expensive venture as they drastically reduce the initial costs of an upgrade. Utility companies have various rebate programs for LED lighting and offer incentives and cash rebates for commercial LED lighting projects.

While the rebate programs depend on the specific area, utility companies generally give rebates for the installment of new energy-efficient lighting units or for the energy savings delivered. These companies usually give incentives and rebates to reduce the demand for power on the grid.

But as LEDs become more affordable, the rebate amounts offered by utilities also decrease. This is why you should carry out your LED conversion project sooner than later. Putting off the project for even a few months may mean missing out on a good check.

Buy (LED) Parking Lot Lights

As you can see, LEDs offer an economical and effective way to light up your parking lot. Don’t spend a lot of time and money on traditional light sources that only drive up your power bill – get LEDs. You will also feel great about lowering your company’s environmental footprint and landfill waste.

source https://www.thelightingcenter.com/why-good-parking-lot-lighting-is-so-important/