While many property owners are aware of the cost-saving and energy-efficiency benefits of converting the lights in their buildings from halogen to LED lights, you’d be surprised how many overlook the lights in the parking lot.
While the lights in a parking lot may not use as much energy as a building’s interior lights, you might be surprised at how much difference a parking lot LED retrofit can make for your property. Not only will you save money on electricity, but LED lights also produce a warmer, less harsh light than halogen lights, improving your property’s nighttime aesthetic.
Why Is Parking Lot Lighting Important?
If you own or operate a building or commercial property, the safety of employees, tenants, and visitors should be your number one concern.
The last thing that any person wants to do after a long day is walk back to their car in a dark or dimly lit parking lot. Not only would this make any person reasonably uncomfortable, but it could also lead to people getting assaulted or even hit by a car that couldn’t see them.
Prevents Car and Pedestrian Accidents
Just as roadway lighting prevents car crashes, your parking lot lighting can help avoid pedestrian injuries and automobile accidents. Accidents frequently happen, especially in the dark. Without bright parking lot lighting, someone could trip on a curb, not see the last step on the staircase, or accidentally walk into a stationary object.
If there’s poor lighting, a driver might not see bollards, a parked car, or worse. Injuries on your property due to inadequate lighting could result in legal troubles. Avoid these hefty expenses by providing ample lighting.
Even if your business doesn’t operate at night, consider early morning shifts where employees arrive before sunrise. Even rainy or cloudy days could cast too much darkness over your lot.
Improves Security
Despite having security cameras or staffed security guards, poorly lit parking lots are a target for those looking to break into cars or rob people on their way to or from their vehicles.
Car break-ins and theft often occur at night in poorly lit areas. Adding better lighting will improve the overall security of your property and lower your chances of car or building break-ins. Perpetrators tend to avoid bright spots to avoid getting caught.
Reflects Well on Your Business’ Image
Businesses that invest in modern, energy-efficient safety solutions show they care about their employees, customers, planet, and the general public. When people see the investment made into the commonly overlooked details of a building, such as the parking lot lights, they’ll get the sense your company pays attention to details.
This attention to detail can help build a stronger reputation for your company.
Issues With Non-LED Parking Lot Lights
The lighting you choose for your parking lot significantly impacts its effectiveness and efficiency. Metal halide bulbs are among the most popular non-LED light option. While they emit bright, cool temperature outputs, they are far from being the ideal parking light bulb for several reasons.
High Energy Costs
Metal halide bulbs waste a tremendous amount of energy. A single bulb emits 10-15% of the total energy generated. This high percentage of unusable energy causes the bulbs to work longer and harder, raising monthly electric bills.
These bulbs also have long warm-up periods causing them to run for unnecessarily long periods of time, jacking up your electricity bills.
Harsh Lighting
Metal halide and non-LED bulbs also emit immensely high temperatures when powering large areas. This means the light they emit is hot and harsh on the eyes. In addition, the fragility of metal halide bulbs mixed with the hot temperatures frequently causes the bulbs to explode.
High Maintenance Costs
Traditional, outdated parking lot lights require continuous, expensive maintenance. It is common for metal halide bulbs to have a life expectancy of 6,000 to 15,000 hours before burning out and needing to be replaced. That equates to one to two years before the bulbs need to be replaced.
Often, metal halide bulbs need to be changed before the end of the lifecycle to avoid discoloration or overheating. Despite the low cost of the bulbs, the constant need to have them replaced by a professional turns a simple lightbulb fix into a costly expense.
Why an LED Retrofit?
An LED retrofit allows you to convert your existing light fixtures to LED fixtures. This means that rather than having to remove and replace your current light structures, you can simply upgrade the fixture so that it can use LED bulbs.
Since not all lighting fixtures can be retrofitted, it’s important to hire an experienced electrical contractor to handle your parking lot lighting upgrade. Our team can analyze your property’s current lighting systems and design an efficient retrofit plan to get you up and running.
Benefits of LED Parking Lot Lights
The U.S. Department of Energy predicts that, by 2035, most lighting installations in the United States will use LED technology. LED parking lot lights boast many benefits for your business, property, customers, and community. After making the change, you can enjoy:
Parking Lot Safety
Dimly lit parking lots pose a threat to pedestrians and drivers. LED lighting near all building doors and staggered throughout the parking lot to illuminate cars make the journey to and from a car much safer.
LEDs emit the best illumination, which increases your property’s safety. The improved visibility that LED lights offer makes it easier for employees to see their surroundings and deter criminals from targeting your parking lot.
Quality Aesthetic
Outdated lights often flicker, appear dingy, and reduce your property’s overall curb appeal. If you imagine a new, expensive building, you’ll likely picture bright, strong lights emanating from the perimeter. Transforming your parking lot lighting solution can make your facility appear more appealing and attractive.
Long Lasting and Durable Bulbs
LED lights can last as long as 50,000 to 100,000 hours, significantly reducing the number of times they’ll need to be replaced. Traditional light bulbs are fragile and often are safety hazards. The heated metal filament and thin glass can easily shatter from a minor incident or overheating.
LEDs are far more durable because they don’t have these fragility risks. The bulbs’ housing is engineered to withstand heavy storms and will continue shining brightly for at least five years. You can install the system once without replacing a single bulb for years.
Energy Savings
Incandescent and halogen bulbs waste energy when emitting light. Heating the filament and depositing the evaporated metal onto the glass consumes excessive power. LED lighting solutions create light 90% more efficiently, so you won’t have to waste money on your energy bills.
Aside from costs, you can also reduce your property’s carbon footprint by opting for the greener choice. Because LEDs require less energy, you can do your part to help out the environment.
Rebates, Tax Credits, and Incentives
Utility companies and other program sponsors, including the U.S. federal government, and individual states, offer incentives, credits, and rebates for investing in energy-efficient solutions such as ENERGY STAR-certified bulbs and fixtures.
If switching to LED lighting helps you reduce your commercial energy consumption by 25% or more, you could be eligible for one or more of these incentives because of your environmental contribution. Not only will you save on future maintenance and repair costs, but you may be able to purchase the initial investment at a lower cost.
When considering your LED investment, we recommend checking with your utility company, local and state governments, and speaking with your financial advisor about rebates or tax credit opportunities.
Color Options
Lighting colors impact how humans think, feel, and function. Popular brands select their primary colors to ignite desires and inspire actions from their potential customers. For example, many fast food chains use red and yellow as their primary colors because these hues typically evoke hunger cues.
The lighting outside of your property can have similar effects. Dim and flickering parking lots may make your occupants lazy, tired, and unmotivated. Brighter lights help increase employee productivity, keep people active, and boost morale.
LED parking lot lights come in many colors that you can adjust to fit your needs. For example, you could pick warmer hues to help occupants feel more relaxed and at ease or cooler tones to keep people awake and alert.
You can also use LED parking lot lights for signifying purposes. The most modern solutions allow you to change colors anytime, so you can adjust the lights for advertisements, warning signals, announcements, and more.
Warranties and Reduced Maintenance Costs
LED lights are durable and long-lasting, lowering the need to maintain them. After the initial investment, the lights should continue emitting bright illuminations for years without any major repairs.
Because LEDs last longer, most retrofit kits have extended warranty periods. If your bulbs malfunction or stop working within the warranty period, the manufacturer will repair the issue or replace them at zero cost.
Unlike traditional bulbs that consistently require expensive replacements, you can depend on LEDs to keep your expenses low throughout the warranty.
Schedule A Parking Lot Lighting Analysis Today!
Transitioning to LED parking lot lights may feel like a major project. However, retrofitting your parking lot lights provides the easiest option to keep your construction costs down while reaping the benefits LED lights offer.
If you’re considering upgrading to LED parking lot lights, contact Suncoast Power today to schedule a consultation with a member of our team. Our experienced commercial electricians are standing by to answer any questions you may have.