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+1 (813) 649-8899Parking Lot Lighting Guide: How to Determine the Right Number of Fixtures and Foot-Candle Requirements
Lighting a parking lot can be a complex project, whether you're working on a new construction or upgrading an existing space. The primary goals are always safety and security. A poorly lit lot can increase the risk of accidents and create potential security vulnerabilities. While converting old metal halide fixtures to LED is a straightforward retrofit, designing a new system requires careful consideration of pole heights, pole spacing, and the total number of fixtures.
This comprehensive guide will walk you through the essential principles of parking lot lighting design, helping you achieve optimal illumination and uniformity.
Understanding Foot-Candles and Light Uniformity
What is a Foot-Candle? A foot-candle (fc) is the most common measurement of illuminance, defining the intensity of light cast on a surface. Specifically, it represents one lumen of light distributed over one square foot. Understanding this metric is crucial for meeting industry standards and ensuring adequate lighting levels.
Recommended Foot-Candle Levels:
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Low-Activity Areas: 0.5 – 1.0 fc (e.g., the far corners of a lot)
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Ideal Range: 2.0 – 4.0 fc (e.g., main thoroughfares and primary parking spaces)
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High-Activity Areas: 5.0+ fc (e.g., entrances, exits, and payment stations)
It is highly recommended to maintain a minimum of 1 foot-candle throughout the entire parking lot to ensure baseline visibility.
The Importance of Light Uniformity Beyond just brightness, light uniformity is a critical factor in a well-lit parking lot. It measures how evenly light is distributed across the area, minimizing dark spots and creating a consistent visual environment. A higher uniformity ratio means less variation between the brightest and darkest points.Pole Height, Spacing, and Fixtures
The height of your poles typically ranges from 15 to 40 feet. This height, along with the spacing between poles and the number of fixtures per pole, will drastically impact the final lighting result.
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Taller Poles: Generally used for larger lots to cover more ground, but local regulations may impose height restrictions.
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Obstacles: Trees, buildings, and other site-specific elements may necessitate additional fixtures on a single pole or a more complex pole layout to ensure even light distribution.
Maximizing Uniformity: Utilizing a variety of parking lot pole mounting accessories and aiming fixtures strategically allows you to customize your lighting design to eliminate dark zones and maximize visibility.
Free Parking Lot Lighting Calculator & Design Service
To simplify your project, we've created a simple calculator to help you get started.
Parking Lot Lighting Calculator:
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Enter the dimensions of your parking lot (length and width).
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Specify your desired average foot-candle level.
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The calculator will provide an estimated number of fixtures needed based on standard LED outputs.
Note: This tool provides a basic estimate. For a precise and optimized plan, we highly recommend a professional lighting layout.
Every parking lot is unique and requires a specialized design to ensure optimized and even lighting. We offer a complimentary photometric lighting layout based on your specific parking lot dimensions and requirements, using our high-performance LED Parking Lot Fixtures.
For personalized assistance or to receive a free quote, please feel free to Contact Us and let us help you design a safe, secure, and brilliantly lit parking lot.
- Michael Tomas
