How to Choose the Best Commercial Solar Parking Lot Lights

Our world is so vehicle focused that it has become a necessity for most businesses to have a parking lot. As you know, safety is also a priority for you as a business owner if you want to have a parking lot. One of the ways of doing that is providing lighting for the parking lot. This can be done by making use of solar parking lot lights.

Although investing in a commercial solar parking lot lights requires a huge outlay initially in terms of cost. However, it is a long-term investment that will pay off in the long run with a supply of renewable solar energy at “zero” cost. When planning for the parking lot, you can either buy the lights and solar panels separately and install or buy an integrated solar street light.

Guide for choosing the best commercial solar parking lot lights

To pick the best commercial solar parking lot lights, there are specific criteria to consider such as lighting power density, light layout, color qualities, efficiency, desired results, efficacy, and light distribution. These factors need to be considered prudently to get the desired result for your parking lot.

In almost all cities, there are always requirements to be satisfied before installing parking lot lighting. These requirements control the amount of light to prevent excess, timing, height, and brightness of the lamps. In this article, we will provide you the guide on the components to watch out for when you want to buy your solar parking lot lights.

Passive Infrared (PIR) Motion Sensor

This is a component of most solar parking lot lights as it helps with conserving battery life. Every object that has a temperature that is above absolute zero gives out heat energy that emits infrared radiation. The PIR sensor is programmed to measure the infrared light, which enables the sensor to sense movement.

Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs)        

LEDs utilize tiny microchips to create light in the diode. This is a very effective means of producing light and they don’t burn out quickly compared to other sources of lights used in solar light fixtures. Instead, LEDs undergo what is called lumen degradation in which the light dims out slowly over time. Nevertheless, the takes longer to happen, which means there is no need to change LED lights often after installation. Therefore it is advisable to opt for LEDs light when choosing your solar parking lot lights.

Luminaire

Technically, a luminaire is the whole set of lighting which includes the light bulb or the bulb along with other parts made to protect, distribute, and position the light as well as connecting the light bulb to a source of power. Additionally, you can refer to the guideline provided by the government in your country regarding the installation of parking lot luminaires. This will provide you clearer requirements when deciding the solar parking lot lights to go for.

Luminaire Efficacy

Lumen efficacy rating is crucial to choosing a solar parking lot lights as it points out the amount of light been generated compared to the amount of energy consumed. The unit of measurement is lumens per watt (lm/w). Simply put, it is the light output divided by power input. It is not always advisable to go for high lumen solar lights. Additionally, attention should be given to the way the luminaire focuses its light.

Create a plan

It is essential to know the luminaires you intend to acquire or change, note the light fixture height along with general info on the light. This will help you make a better decision when choosing your solar parking lot lights. You have to put into consideration the quantity and quality of the lights needed for your facility. Each facility has its own lighting requirements. There should be uniform lighting across the whole parking lot because lights at high contrast levels can affect surveillance footage.

It can also cause blind spots as well for pedestrians and vehicles, which is bad for the security of the parking lot. When creating a plan you must have it mind that if you are buying less powerful models, which are, however, more efficient then you will need more lights of such during installation. Additionally, it is advisable to make use of controls such as fixed response switches, bi-level outputs to turn off certain luminaires during the off-peak periods. Doing so will help conserve energy and operate your solar lamps for a longer time.

Levels of Illumination

There are recommended level of illumination that applies to different lighting uses and the recommend light levels are measured in footcandles (fc). This is the basic unit for measuring the light falling on a surface. You can use a handheld light detector to take measurements. For example, the minimum to watch out between the brightest and darkest area is a 4:1 ratio (bright/dark), however, a 3:1 ratio is even better. Footcandles allow you to know the amount of illumination an area of the park is receiving. Another important parameter is the color temperature (the unit is degrees kelvin), this has an effect on the way the light will appear in the parking lot.

Solar panel-battery combination

For solar lights, the solar energy harvested is stored in the battery, which will in turn power the lights at night. It is crucial to watch out for the light fixtures that have a battery with large milliampere-hour capacity along with a solar panel to match. Look at the battery to solar panel ratio at the same time check the luminaire energy draw. Make sure the panel is powerful enough to charge the battery and the battery is strong enough to operate the light for long hours.

Solar Parking Lot Lights: Conclusion

It is not an easy feat as a business manager to decide on the solar parking lot lights to use for your business. However, parking lot lights are essential for the security of the business premises and opting for solar lights eliminate unnecessary overhead cost in the long run. Start your free inquiry about Solar Street Light Now!