ILLUMINATE A PARKING LOT USING SOLAR ENERGY
Need to light a parking lot by solar? Not sure where to begin? We can help!
Solar powered parking lot lights are a great option when you have no power nearby, or previous power lines have been broken.
The process of selecting the correct lighting system may seem daunting, but we¡¯re here to make it simple for you. Our team is very knowledgeable on our products, and can help guide you into the right system. We have a number of different styles, and many different power options to suite a wide range of situations and budgets.
Creating a photometric plan may be helpful if you are unsure on what solar parking lot light you need, the quantity, the pole heights, and the LED power. This is a service we offer for free. A photometric plan (or layout), provides a visual representation of the coverage from the light poles. The light coverage can vary by the pole height, LED power, and type of light optics being used. We can tailor these options to suite your project. If you already have poles on site, then we will adjust the LED power and optic type to achieve your site requirements.
In order to provide this service, we will need a scaled drawing or image of the site. If this is not available, then in most cases we can use online satellite imagery. We will virtually place the light poles in the site to ensure there is appropriate coverage. If you are working with existing light poles we will need to be informed of the existing height and locations. A completed photometric plan may look like something pictured here:
To help with our planning we may ask you for any light level requirements for the site. This may include a minimum or average foot candle (fc) level. Sometimes local governments will require a parking lot to meet these light levels. They may require a minimum of 0.2 fc, or perhaps an average of 0.5 fc. This gives us some criteria to work by, and therefore place the appropriate number of light poles for required coverage. If you are unsure of this information, or the local government doesn¡¯t provide guidelines, then we may make a recommendation for your site.
While planning a solar lighting project, we must keep in mind the LED power and illumination time. The two variables equate to the overall power consumption, which is best to be kept as low as possible. From our experience the vast majority of our customers find our lower powered LEDs suitable, but there are some cases where the lights must be as powerful as possible. When high power LEDs are a priority, we may find the illumination time will need to be reduced. So before going into the project you may want to think about the timing requirements. Do the lights need to be illuminated all night? Can a motion sensor be used? Will dimming be suitable? Will split timing be a good option? We offer many different lighting schedule options to ensure the system will perform in suitable way. Below are some lighting schedule options.
Keep in mind that lower power consumption keeps equipment sizing and cost lower, and therefore lowers the price of the system.
With the number of systems decided upon, the pole heights and LED power set, we next need to engineer the appropriate size of the solar panel and batteries. This equipment subject to the LED power, the required illumination time, and the winter weather conditions of the install site. The system is designed based on the worst case scenario so you can rest easy knowing your solar parking lot lights should stay on rain or shine.
You have a project in mind? Give us a call. We¡¯ll make it easy for you.
