Commercial parking lots are required to be well lit for safety and security. There are a number of different types of lights available for parking lot lights in Pinellas County FL and choosing the right ones for the situation takes time and factors such as light levels, reduced glare, lumens per watt as well as overall efficiency and costs are extremely important. When purchasing parking lot lights in Pinellas County FL the initial cost of the fixtures is only one factor, lamp life, lamp cost and power consumption over extended periods of time may influence the choice made.
Historically there have only been three choices for parking lot lighting; metal halide, high pressure sodium and fluorescent. Today however there is a new entrant, LED lamps and fixtures. Each fixture has unique features, advantages and disadvantages that must be fully understood and considered in terms of initial and long term cost, the quality and the physical size of the parking lot or parking garage.
Metal halide:
Metal halide commercial parking lot lighting is quite common; these fixtures represent a middle point in price range and offer very good quality in visual lighting effect and color rendering. Unfortunately metal halide lamps have the shortest life expectancy of them all and the lowest lumens to watt rating. If the primary objective is quality and the budget for replacement lamps is sufficient the metal halide lights are a decent choice.
High Pressure Sodium:
High pressure sodium lights are well suited for lighting large parking lots as they have the highest lumens per watt output. High pressure sodium lighting is a cost effective light source for parking lot lighting. Although this type of lighting rates very low when color rendering is the criteria this may or may not be of concern for parking lot lighting where high levels of light and minimal replacement costs are the important factors.
Fluorescent:
Fluorescent lighting is best used in warm temperatures as extremes will have a detrimental effect on the ballasts. These lights approximately the same as high pressure sodium when it comes to cost and power consumption.
LED:
Parking lot lights in Pinellas County FL are extremely efficient, especially when it is a parking garage that is to be lighted. As lights in a parking garage are on 24 hours a day the energy savings of LED lights are substantial, anywhere from 50 to 80 percent less than other forms of garage and parking lot lighting. LEDs are maintenance free, are brighter which increases safety and security.
