Guide to Selecting the Right LED Shoebox Light For Your Parking Lot
Choosing a lighting solution for commercial properties and areas like a parking lot requires smart thinking. It is critical to think about how to light up the area while ensuring less maintenance and energy costs. The most rational approach in this situation would be to consider the led shoebox light solution. But, how would you choose the right light for your project? Do you have the time to go through so many websites and look for the best product?
Here is the guide you need to follow to know how to quickly find the most reliable LED lights for your commercial project.
Choosing the Right Led Shoebox Light
Choosing the right led shoebox light for parking lots lighting can be a simple task. You can make the process look really simple and fast by following these simple steps:
1. Do You Need to Upgrade to LED Lighting?
First of all, you need to be clear about it. Do you need to upgrade to the Led lighting? In a few cases, you may not need to switch to the LEDs. Does the parking lot already have lighting or you are going to install the new lights? This question is important because it will define your approach to the project.
For example, you are going to install new lights for your facility. In that case, the local authorities may need you to acquire the necessary permissions regarding the environmental impact. And if it is an old facility with existing lights, then you may have to go through several hoops possibly. Therefore, you need to get in touch with the local authorities to make sure you are not violating any laws or codes.
2. Collect Necessary Information
Once you have decided about the upgrade, your next job should be to collect the necessary information. The information you need to gather for a new facility is different from what you need to gather for a facility that already has lights installed. Here is what you need to know before you buy a led shoebox light solution.
For Existing Facilities:
Facility Type: In our case, we are looking for a lighting solution for a parking lot. You can choose according to your facility types, such as a warehouse, retail, or any other commercial property.
Lamp/Fixture Type: Led lights are available in different types. The most common lamps or fixtures include flood lamps, shoeboxes, and wall packs.
Wattage: If you already have some type of lights installed, then you need to know their wattage. This is important because you will have to choose your new Led lights according to the wattage of your existing lights.
Line Voltage: A led light is specified by the voltage. Therefore, it is important to know about the line voltage before you buy a new led shoebox light for your facility.
It is also important to know what change you are looking for, like increasing/decreasing the output, addressing a particular issue, or what? Another important thing to know is where the fixture will be installed. Do you need to mount it on a wall or pole? Therefore, you should know the mounting style and height.
For New Facilities:
Local Municipality Requirements: First of all, you need to make sure that there are no environmental study requirements from the local municipality. If there are any, then you must fulfill their requirements first. The local authorities can direct you about the things, such as the luxes numbers you can use at your specific place.
Luxes are the measurement units of the light brightness from a specific distance. Heavy lighting disturbs wildlife as well as human populations. You should use the fewer watts number needed for achieving the required luxes numbers. For example, you can replace a metal halide bulb of 250W with an LED of 150W. The LED bulb will produce more light than the metal halide.
If there is no such requirement by the local municipality, then you can ask a local lighting consultant for his help. They will suggest to you the right led shoebox light product according to your specific requirements and budget.
3. Mounting Options
After collecting the required information that we discussed above, your next job should be to decide between the available mounting options. In the case of new lights and pole installation, you should buy lights according to the specifications of the pole. Retrofit poles support entirely new mount styles than the traditional, old shoeboxes. So, you need to select the mounting option very carefully.
Here are the different mounting options to choose from:
- Slip Fitter Mounting
- Straight Arm Mounting
- Trunnion Mounting
The mounts discussed above are the most common types that can work with most scenarios. All other mounts are used infrequently.
4. Choosing Power for Led Shoebox Light
When upgrading from your old metal halide lights to led lights, you can consider the following replacements:
Metal Halide:
- 70Watt > LED 30Watt
- 100Watt > LED 40-50Watt
- 150Watt > LED 60-70Watt
- 175Watt > LED 80-90Watt
High-Pressure Sodium:
- 70Watt > LED 40Watt
- 100Watt > LED 50-60Watt
- 150Watt > LED 80-90Watt
- 250Watt > LED 90-125Watt
If your existing lighting feels too dark or too bright, then you can choose from the above-discussed replacements.
If you are looking for the led shoebox light for your new project, then it would be a little complicated process. In that case, you need the help of a lighting expert who can assess the area and recommend you the perfect lighting solution.
5. The Color Temperature (Light Color)
Next, you need to decide on the color temperature. The color of the LED light is controlled consistently over time. The outdoor lighting color orientation is often 5000k. This is known as the closest outdoor color temperature to natural sunlight. If you need lighting for indoor purposes, like office space, then you can select 4000k. 3000k color lights are widely used in homes. 6500k and 6000k led lamps are also available, but they are used very rarely.
6. Purchasing the Led Shoebox Light
You may think that purchasing your led light is easy. But, getting price quotes and comparing details isn’t enough. There are hundreds of led light companies manufacturing led lights and they all claim that they are the best. While buying your led lights, you should focus on the quality as well as after-sales service.
The manufacturer must offer you reliable service after the sale. Therefore, you need to find the most reliable manufacturer and make sure that they are known for their product quality as well as service. You can go online and read reviews of different manufacturers. This will give you a clear idea about where you should buy your led lights.
7. Installation
Finally, it is time to install your new lights in the parking lot. If it is an upgrade, then make sure that the old wiring is in the right shape. If there are some issues with the old wiring, then you need to hire an experienced electrician who should fix the wiring first. Make sure that the electrician you have hired is experienced enough to work with your existing wiring.
Conclusion
A led shoebox light is a perfect choice for commercial buildings and facilities, such as parking lots. They are a perfect replacement for the old metal halide or high-pressure sodium lights. But before you upgrade to the LED technology, it is important to make sure that it is a feasible decision. Before you buy your new led lights, you must make sure that you are buying the product from reliable manufacturers.
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