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Adequately lighting car parking areas isn’t just important for optimising visibility, but it is also essential for establishing security and controlling glare, which may lead to accidents.
Car parks typically cover a large area, which is why they need to focus on establishing a minimum and constant lux level that is designed to provide maximum efficiency and effectiveness.
This is done using proper optics and the selection of luminaire hardware. The goal is to use hardware that provides low-glare optics and asymmetric distributions that help throw light where needed without focusing it in one place.
Read on to learn more about the best practices of car park lighting that avoid glare and complaints, and how you can use optics and mounting spill controls to improve effectiveness:
Car park lighting designs depend on the layout of the car park, but in most cases, these designs focus on glare control and optimising lighting to reduce the chances of crashes or dark spots.
Since car parks are large, you will need to install hardware strategically so that it spreads light evenly throughout the car park without the chance of dark and bright spots.
Here is everything that you need to know about modern car park lighting designs:
The goal for car park owners is to go with low-glare optics that provide the right lux levels at every corner of the car park. Keep in mind that car parks are optimised to fit as many cars as possible, which is why you will find lanes stretching to the far corners of the car park as well.
Car parks require consistent lighting throughout the area, which is achieved through asymmetrical distribution systems like cut-offs or batwings.
Batwing distribution is a type of light distribution that creates an even and consistent light output across a wide beam angle. This light system allows for greater visibility for larger areas and even covers corners.
The hardware selection should also be done with low glare in mind. Hardware with a low BUG (Backlight, Up-light, Glare) rating is frequently used for car parks because it reduces trespass and glare.
For multi-storey car parks, double-asymmetric distribution systems like floodlights and flat-glass can be used to reduce glare and better spill light control.
Positioning of light hardware according to a standard height is equally important for dispersing light evenly.
Column heights are very important because if you install the lights too high, you can risk spill and glare. Conversely, if you install them too low, you can jeopardise the uniformity of the light across the car park.
The right way to position lights is to go with the “over and between” approach. Light hardware should be placed over and between parking bays rather than just the edges. This discourages deep shadows and dark spots and can improve visibility tenfold.
The tilt must also be accounted for during installation. Minimising tilt towards horizontal spaces can prevent dark spots or uneven lighting. Where a minor tilt is needed, you will have to avoid a direct line of sight to neighbouring properties or roads.
Visors or spill-control attachments are frequently used on hardware to restrict light spill. Louvres can similarly be used to control the spread of light beams and control glare and spills across the car park.
You must also consider the use of appropriate shielding or directional control so that the light stays within the car park instead of spilling outside into the wildlife, neighbouring properties, or outside roads.
Another cost-effective way to improve shielding is to cleverly use shrubs, trees, and hedges to mask lighting structures and reduce visual spillage into the surrounding area. Not only will this strategy improve the aesthetic of the car park, but it will also serve as a great natural shielding.
Smart lights can be placed around the car park to improve efficiency and lower the energy consumption of the car park. For example, light controls such as dimming and time-based schedules can be used to optimise and maintain the minimum lux levels of the car park throughout the day.
During the day, the lights can dim down in areas with a combination of natural and artificial light, while areas that are fully exposed to the sun can have the lights turned off completely.
Daylight sensors can also be placed around the car park to optimise the lighting conditions in the car park. These sensors can pick up ambient light and determine which lights to turn on and at what brightness level to maintain the required lux levels.
At night, PIR sensors are excellent for detecting motion and turning on the lights in a particular zone. However, for car parks, the use of PIR should be used very carefully. For example, for large, single-storey car parks, the use of PIR should be discouraged since people would want to see available spaces.
In multi-storey car parks, PIRs can be useful for saving electricity. The sensors can be placed before the ramp for the next level of the car park. This way, when a car goes up the ramp, the sensor can turn on the lights for the corresponding storey.
The nature of car parks and the flow of heavy vehicles require the lights to function well at all times. To reduce the risk of accidents and increase safety standards, the car park must establish a robust maintenance schedule.
The good news is that professional installation companies like Calder Electrical can not only help you install all the lights according to the industry standard best practices, but they can also offer periodic maintenance through a maintenance contract.
The benefit of going with a maintenance contract is that the installation company will always send out a team of technicians to your car park on time, without you having to call or set a date. The team, being well-versed with all the hardware during the installation, will be able to quickly maintain and even spot issues before they become problems.
This way, you can not only maintain the lighting system of the car park, but you can also ensure that all the sensors and lenses will be cleaned properly so that everything functions at 100%.
There are several factors to consider in car park lighting designs. Here are some of the most important and common pitfalls:
There is a thing as too much lighting. You may think that installing more lights is better, but in reality, you don’t need a lot of light to illuminate your car park.
Most car parks can get by with standard lux levels; however, it is also common for installers to go overboard with the lights, which can result in a waste of electricity and efficiency. The best way to go about this issue is to opt for professional installation.
Calder Electrical uses a systematic approach towards installing lights. Our technicians will first assess the property and use a lux meter to determine the light requirement in the car park. Technicians will then strategically place all the lights to maintain the minimum lux level and illuminate the car park with only the lighting hardware it needs.
You may think that simple floodlights would be enough to illuminate the car park, but floodlights can be a poor choice of optics in this case. Not only do they cause a lot of glare, but they will most likely haphazardly spread the light.
The goal is to spread light uniformly so that it goes to every corner of the car park instead of being concentrated in a single area or zone. The right way to go about this issue is to use shielding, attachments, and leveraging mounting areas to maximise the spread of light beams around the car park.
The goal of maintaining efficiency in the lighting design of car parks is to ensure that all lights are energy-efficient and are turned on only when needed.
Non-dimmable lights are not only bad for your energy bill, but they can also run through their lifespan quickly, which can ramp up your total cost on light fixtures.
The way to combat this issue is to go with controlled lighting systems and sensors. As mentioned above, lighting sensors are designed to provide maximum value by adjusting the lux requirements of your car park.
During the day, the sensors can dim the lights to save energy and maintain a minimum lux level, and during the night, they can operate using the PIR sensors and turn on only when they are needed, like in multi-storey car parks.
When it comes to optimising lighting and energy consumption, you will need to follow a strategy that focuses on placing lights according to various locations in the car park.
To get the most out of your investment, we recommend that you consult with your local electrical company to install all car park lights according to industry standards. Calder Electrical Services is always there to help and can offer a complete lighting solution that will not only keep your car park functional but also aesthetically pleasing.
Here are some of the most common places to install car park lights:
This is one of the obvious and most overlooked places. Entrances need to be properly illuminated in car parks because drivers need to be able to see the direction of the road leading to the car park and the flow of traffic.
Without adequate lighting, drivers can fail to see turns and ramps properly, which can lead to accidents and eventually, complaints. The goal is to brightly illuminate the car park to make it more welcoming.
The ideal way to do this is to set up the lights at a height where they do not cause glare, and the drivers can visibly see a difference in the lux levels when they enter the car park.
The entrance light can also serve as a security measure and can help track cars using the CCTV cameras installed at the entrance.
Ramps must be properly illuminated at every corner. If there is a two-lane ramp with minor separation, then you will have to ensure that the ramp is adequately lit and even the corners are illuminated.
The corners will usually have blind spot mirrors that need to be clearly illuminated so that the cars coming up can see the cars coming down through the mirrors. Without adequate lighting at the corners, drivers may risk scraping their car during turns.
PIR sensors can also be placed on ramps so that the cars coming up can automatically trip the sensors and turn the lights on the level above. This is an excellent way to save electricity and ensure full visibility for multi-storey car parks.
Walkways around car parks need to be illuminated as well. You must provide the full experience to drivers.
By illuminating walkways, other drivers can see people clearly and avoid them, especially if the walkway is joined near the parking lanes. People carry cargo, baby strollers, and all sorts of things, so it is important that you maintain a well-lit walkway for all drivers.
Rooftop illumination is crucial, especially around the corners. This can be done through high-mount lamps and wall-mounted lights if available.
Rooftops require the most lighting because there is less area for the light beams to bounce off, but they are also the one area where you can save a lot of electricity.
By using daylight sensors and PIR sensors, you can ensure that the rooftop is only automatically lit during the night and when the area is occupied. During the day, the lights can automatically turn off.
You may also benefit from using solar lights on the rooftop to save even more energy. These lights can charge during the day and smartly switch from the grid to batteries at night.
Finally, always maintain high luminance near the exits so that drivers can see the flow of traffic and avoid accidents. These lights can also help CCTV cameras pick up on details of the car and driver, which would improve overall safety and security.
We, at Calder Electrical, provide a comprehensive solution for lighting all kinds of properties, including residential, commercial, as well as industrial properties.
We understand the unique lighting needs of car parks and are here to provide you with the best ways to not only properly illuminate your property but also make it incredibly energy-efficient.
We can survey your property and create a lighting design to see if we can not only reduce the number of light fittings but also make the area reach a lighting level suitable for use.
We can also incorporate motion detectors so that the lights in certain areas of the property are only switched on when movement is detected near them.
We can give you an energy calculation to show your current lighting costs and the estimated costs by upgrading to LED lighting, so that you can see how much you will save, normally aiming for a 40% saving.
If you are undertaking a new installation, we can help you create a lighting design suitable for your property’s layout and intended usage. We provide professional LED installation services guaranteed to meet the current wiring regulations.
In addition to this, we also provide electrical testing and maintenance services undertaken by our NICEIC-certified electricians who make sure all your electrical installations meet the current regulations and that all the notifiable work is signed off by the local authorities.
Contact us here or call us on 0800 612 3001 to talk to our leading experts right away!
Photo by Marcus Wallis on Unsplash
