How To Choose The Best Solar LED Parking Lot Lights

Most commercial and recreational properties come with parking lots. These are, at times, restricted spaces for visitors, customers, and employees’ cars. These days, businesses tend to offer 24/7 services, a change that develops the need for illumination at night. Choosing the best solar LED parking lot lights from a variety of products can be a thrilling experience. Using the best solution in the market will enable you to increases your business appeal by giving your visitors, customers, and employees a greater sense of safety.

You will agree with me that good lighting determines the visibility and safety of the parking lot.  There is something special about the increasing demand for Solar Led Parking Lot Lights. Before we get to that, you need to know how to choose the best from a variety of parking lot lighting solutions.

Meeting your Lighting requirements

After cost, the other most crucial consideration in parking lot lights is brightness. Long gone are the heydays of a high-pressure sodium (HPS) and metal halide lamps. Nowadays there are eco-friendly and efficient LED lamps that can produce the highest amount of lighting for every watt of electricity it consumes.

We are always on the wrong choosing LED lamps based on the wattage capacity. Even though the wattage is what you should look for in the lighting fixture, you need to start your design from the intensity of the light.

Experts in lighting solutions tend to start with the number of lumens before they make a decision on the amount of wattage. The Luminous efficacy of the bulb should help you determine the amount of wattage you should use.

Using the number of lumens and the luminous efficacy of the LED lamp, it is easy to determine the amount of wattage you need to light up your parking lot. If you wish to know the actual illumination levels displayed on the surface of your parking lot, then use footcandles(Fc).

In this context, the best solar LED parking lot light should meet the amount of wattage that you need for your project. The wattage capacity for most parking lot lights ranges from 50W to 300W. Some companies will allow you to choose between replacing the lamp or the entire light fixture, whichever is affordable offers the best the market can provide.

Besides delivering the right amount of light and consuming less energy, your selection should also explore the storage.  The battery size you pick should be able to support the power demands of the lighting system. Furthermore, the storage device should be able to charge faster even in less favorable weather.

Color Temperature

Your lights should be shielded from glare and detrimental human or environmental effects. The American Medical Association (AMA) suggest that considerations should be made to minimize and control the blue-rich ecological lighting.

Most people go straight for the bright white light but don’t seem to consider the effects on the eyes such as glare. The parking lot lighting system should be intelligent enough to avoid health and environmental impact.

AMA recommends the use of Light Emitting Diode (LED) lighting with low blue light emissions. A color temperature (CT) of less than 3,000 K is safe for driving and better for human and environmental health.

In case you wish to use LED lighting with a CCT higher than 3000 K, then considerations should be made to provide dimming capabilities for off-peak periods. This is possible with the use of a dusk-to-dawn photocell sensor or installation of a dimmer switch.

Long span

Assuming a usage of 12 hours per day, Solar LED parking lot lights with an 80000 hours lifespan will last for more than 18 years. This is achievable if you choose a lighting system that has more serviceability.

Besides lighting, the long span of your parking lot lighting system is also determined by the storage (battery) and light source (solar panel) life span. In the same light, you need to pick a product with an  IP rating that offers protection against adverse natural effects such as a storm or heavy rain.

Adjustable mounting and style

When choosing a solution for your parking lot, pick lights that use slip fitter mounts with adjustable lamp heads. Also, the mounting should be adaptable to fit any pole diameter during installation and provide you with a higher downward light spread.

Your mounting style dictates the distribution of light on the area being lit. The amount of light produced should be uniform across the entire lot. If you can get the solar parking lot lights up to the correct height, then it should light up a bigger space.

The higher, the better, the more the light will illuminate the area. For instance, when using Solar LED parking lot lights of 200 watts, you have an installation height range of between  15 and 20 feet.

Solar and Battery requirements

When you think about the quality of light, you should also remember the source and storage of energy. When selecting a solar panel and battery combination, go for the one that offers a higher milliampere-hour(mAh) capacity.

Certification

The best Solar LED parking lot lights are ETL certified and DLC listed. Everyone needs a reliable and effective product. The power-saving nature of the lighting system should be able to last at most 5 rainy days on economy or conservative mode.

Solar LED Parking Lot Lights: Conclusion

With the best solar LED parking lights, you won’t have any problems with security concerns such as someone breaking in your car. How you choose your parking light will determine the level of satisfaction and benefits you will obtain from both the solar and LED technology.

Before making a rushed decision, it is best if you buy one and analyze the effectiveness of your choice.  The benefits of solar and LED technology are long-term, which might take some time to materialize. If you feel that you will need more help in choosing the best solution for your parking lot, then contacting an expert is the right move for you.