What do churches, office buildings, gyms, apartment complexes, and schools in Jackson, Tennessee all have in common? They all have parking lots and they all need parking lot lighting.
Proper lighting of outdoor loading, unloading, parking, and pedestrian crossing areas is absolutely essential for any business, whether you operate a retail location that’s open to the public, or an industrial facility that’s only seen by your employees and vendors.
Our electrical contractors specialize in commercial electrical lighting solutions, including parking lot lighting. Whether you’re unsatisfied with your current lighting or looking to install lighting at a new property, we can guide you through the entire process.
Evaluating Your Parking Lot Lighting
The first step of the process will be to have an electrical contractor come out to the property in question to perform a lighting evaluation. This step is especially important if your property is more than 10 years old, as there have been many advances in parking lot and security lighting made during that time.
During your parking lot lighting evaluation, the electrical contract will make a note of what lamp types are used in the current lighting system as well as what your needs and desires are for the new system.
Types Of Parking Lot Lighting
- Mercury Vapor: These are a type of lamp that was popular in the 1960s and 70s. It can be spotted by its blue-green light and lack of energy efficiency.
- Low Pressure Sodium: These popular parking lot lights give off an orange-yellow light. Although these lamps don’t last for long, they’re fairly efficient while in use.
- High Pressure Sodium: This lamp was very common in the 1980s and 90s. It can be spotted by its yellow-amber light. There is minimal reduction in the light level produced by this lamp as it ages.
- Metal Halide: Unlike the others mentioned thus far in this list, metal halide lights give off almost white light with a moderate lifespan.
- LED: Light emitting diodes (LEDs) are fairly new to the parking lot lighting scene, but they have many money-saving benefits that are worth considering.
Questions To Ask Your Electrical Contractor
If you’re in the market for a new parking lot lighting system, it’s important to take your time to compare all of the options. Your electrical contractor should be able to answer all of your questions quickly and efficiently, and if they don’t, you may want to think about hiring a new one!
- Light Intensity: How bright is the light?
- Light Uniformity: How consistent is the light level throughout the lighted area?
- Lighting Color: How accurately does the lighting render colors?
- Lighting Efficiency: How much light per watt of electricity does the lighting system deliver?
- Lighting Lifespan: How long do lamps last before they must be replaced?
The answers to these questions will have an impact on the size and scope of the new parking lot lighting that you choose. In some cases, you may have to sacrifice features so that you can satisfy your budgetary restrictions, but here at Delta Electrical Inc., we strive to deliver everything our clients are looking for at a price they can afford. Call us today!