1. MORE PERFORMANCE WITH LESS ENERGY
Many parking garages have to be lit 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year. Replacing the traditional High Intensity Discharge (HID) style of fixtures with the lower wattage, high lumen packages of today can realize significant savings for property managers. Ultra high efficiency Luminetworx PoE Parking Garage Lights is one way to accomplish that goal.
2. RETROFITTING TO LED
Successfully retrofitting a parking facility requires a great deal of planning and research. First, be sure to choose a reputable lighting contractor to support your project. Cost savings are important, but taking the bait and choosing low quality, off-shore fixtures could lead to unfulfilled warranties, poor lighting quality and zero onsite support. Luminetworx is a US based company with resellers nationwide that can assist in installing an updated energy efficient lighting solution.
3. LOWER MAINTENANCE COST
Important factors to consider when evaluating proposed light fixtures are the cost of replacement parts, labor and the useful lifespan of the fixture. PoE lighting is the obvious choice due to their long lifetime and relatively maintenance free sustainability. Additionally the integrated smart lighting controls will enhance the already low cost of ownership.
4. CODE REQUIREMENTS
Each city, town and many municipalities have their own sub codes or requirements for each type of parking garage. Ensure that you’ve checked with your local authority to determine the correct requirements. When an engineer has specified a fixture, they have determined that the fixture and options provided in the luminaire meets the minimum requirements of the local jurisdiction. As well, often times the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) standards are used to determine the desired illuminance required. Working with a certified Luminetworx reseller can ensure that your installation is done right and more importantly to local code.
5. HIGH CRI LIGHTING
One of the main challenges of parking facilities is simultaneously ensuring the safety of the pedestrians and vehicles. The color rendering index (CRI) measures a light source’s ability to present an object’s natural color. Having a low CRI could cause pedestrians to lose their vehicles in a sea of cars that appear to have the same color. Additionally, if there are security cameras in the facility, LEDs with a high CRI will provide clear security images – ensuring the safety of pedestrians and vehicles. The proper balance must be a met tot ensure safety security and convenience.
6. AVOID OBSTRUCTIVE LIGHT
Light pollution in the form of glare, light trespass and over lighting can reduce visibility for pedestrians and vehicles. Beyond that, it has a negative impact on human health and the environment. It is important to have a properly designed parking garage that is efficient and effective – providing light exactly where it needs to be for safety and comfort. Additionally my parking garages are open air facilities that let in a lot of natural light during the day. The proper smart lighting controls that can account for daylight harvesting and auto dimming not only help reduce cost of ownership but ongoing maintenance.
7. REMOVE THE “CAVE-EFFECT”
Uplighting will illuminate the parking garage ceiling and eliminate the “cave effect” that can cause a garage to look dark. The uplighting fills in those dark spots, giving the parking garage a more comfortable look. In addition, fixtures with uplighting can provide uniformity to the space, ensuring the illumination is consistent throughout the garage.
8. USE ADAPTIVE CONTROLS
Dimmable LED lighting, when paired with motion sensors and daylight harvesting gives the parking facility a way to manage (and lower) energy consumption. The fixtures can be dimmed or turned up to full brightness rapidly as the occupancy of the facility changes. Additionally, if the parking facility has ambient natural daylight, daylight harvesting can be implemented. Those fixtures can be controlled with photosensors and can then automatically respond to changing conditions helping save even more energy.
9. IP RATED FOR WET LOCATIONS
It goes without saying that water and electricity do not mix. Luminetworx PoE lighting is a low voltage solution that prevents the risk of short circuits but our IP rated water resistant fixtures are the perfect solution. Ingress Protection (IP) ratings can help play a role in maintenance and longevity of the garage luminaries. IP ratings determine the measurement of protection that a LED light fixture will have against liquid and solid objects. For parking garages, a fixture with IP65 or higher will withstand the high wash down pressure when cleaning the garage.
10. CONSIDER VARIOUS LIGHT LEVELS
It is important to consider all lighting opportunities when laying out your parking garage. For example, when entering the parking garage, there is a drastic change in visibility. In order to keep pedestrian and vehicle traffic safe, there should be a transition of light in entrance areas. IES recommends illuminance of at 1-50 lux in all areas of a garage, except vehicle entries and exits. These areas must be at least 500 lux to ease visual adjustment from daylight to indoors. Working with a Luminetworx certified reseller will ensure that your upgrade is both compliant and effective.
To find out more about the Luminetworx PoE Lighting Solution contact us now.