Take any urban area, and you’ll be able to find a parking lot. And when it comes to illuminating those parking lots, whether they serve a shopping center or the employees of a private business, pole-mounted lights are standard, and so are the HID (high-intensity discharge) fixures. But while parking lots are ubiquitous, those illuminated by LEDs are not — and it’s a shame. Here are three reasons to upgrade parking lot lighting.
Improved Energy Savings
Someone is paying to keep the lights on in a given parking lot, and the standard HID lamp is costing them. Roughly 30% of the energy that comes fro a HID light is infrared, making it wasted energy. These high-powered lighting sources consume a lot of energy, and the product is basic, low-quality light. LEDs have cornered the market in terms of energy efficiency, consuming up to 80% less power than an HID fixture, and lasting around three times longer. That’s a huge savings in annual electrical costs.
Reduced Maintenance Needs
HID lamps consume a fuel source to produce light. Not only do they need a longer length of time to warm up to full power, there are major costs associated with maintenance. HID parking lot fixtures are typically designed to last between 10,000 and 20,000 hours before a new lamp becomes necessary. But it’s just not just the cost of the replacement bulb — you’ll be on the hook for electrician labor costs as well. If you’re doing this every two to three years, depending on how many and how long your parking lot lights are on, those costs will add up quickly.
LEDs, on the other hand, last much longer, making maintenance needs limited to the occasional cleaning. Plus, while LEDs will have lumen depreciation over time, just like HID fixtures, it happens much more gradually.
Better Lighting
One of the big drawbacks to HID fixtures is their delayed warm-up period — up to ten minutes. After being switched off, they also need time to cool after they’ve been shut off before they can be turned off again. As an omnidirectional light source, HIDs produce light in 360 degrees, requiring reflection and light redirection that creates a spotlight affect directly beneath the fixture. The farther from the pole you go, the less light there is. LEDs avoid this problem thanks to an even distribution of light, as well as a number of options that can boost the visual perception of brightness. In terms of your parking lot, this is an important consideration. You want employees and customers to feel safe, with enough light to walk and drive comfortably.
Considering an Upgrade?
Whether you’re considering upgrading your parking lot or high bay lighting to LED, Have Lights Will Travel can help. There are so many benefits to LED retrofits, and we can show you exactly how your business will save in terms of energy and maintenance. Contact us today for more information.