The right parking lot lighting design is more than illuminating the path. It is about encouraging safety, increasing visibility, reducing energy costs, and aesthetics within a public or private complex. As a commercial parking lot owner, residential development manager, or public facility administrator, it’s good business to make educated lighting decisions that will pay dividends in the future.
Let’s explore what to consider when selecting the best lighting solution for your parking area—and how a well-thought-out public space lighting design can benefit your facility.
Prioritise Safety and Visibility
The primary purpose of parking area lighting design is to keep the space safe. Poorly lit parking lots create opportunities for accidents, vehicle damage, and even criminal activity. To ensure maximum visibility:
- Implement high colour rendering index (CRI) LED board lighting to mimic daylight.
- Place lights at the absolute minimum to avoid blind spots and minimise shadows between vehicles.
- Right positioning of light sources to avoid glare and obscurity.
Proper lighting allows for safe pedestrian and driver movement in the space, minimising the risk of falls, collisions, or property damage.
Understand the Layout of Your Space
Before selecting fixtures, consider your size and parking area design. Is your parking area level or multi-level? Is your parking area used at night or only during business hours? Do landscaped aspects or walkways come into play that need to be lit as well?
All these factors will determine your public space lighting design plan. Big parking lots, for example, will call for pole-mounted high-flux pole lights to provide a wide coverage area, and small or multi-story parking garages would be best covered by ceiling-mounted fixtures or wall packs.
In common public spaces between two or more buildings, coordinated lighting that blends smoothly from walkways to parking lots to adjacent buildings ties the area together and makes it more welcoming.
Select Appropriate Light Fixtures
Light fixtures are application-specific. For parking facility lighting design, the most typical ones utilised are
LED pole-mounted floodlights: Offer broad coverage in utilisation for open parking garages.
Wall-mounted lights: Appropriate for building perimeters or canopy-covered buildings.
Canopy lighting: Used correctly in covered areas such as garages and drop-off locations.
Motion sensor lights: Efficient in power consumption while offering security.
Opt for weather-tight, outdoor-grade, and long-lasting fixtures. Smart lights can provide automatic adjustment of brightness based on day or level of occupancy for optimal performance and efficiency.
Opt for Energy Efficiency
With everybody being green-oriented nowadays all over the world, energy efficiency leads public space lighting design. The replacement of existing older or less efficient lights with LEDs will save electricity bills by a considerable sum without increasing your carbon footprint.
In order to save more energy:
- Dim the sensor with motion to lower output when less occupied.
- Place lights where sun is available.
- Let a lighting consultant perform an energy audit and adjust installation.
Aside from a higher initial expenditure, long-term energy conservation and lower maintenance make energy-saving lighting a sound investment.
Review Local Codes and Standards
Most cities have light pollution, fixture height, and brightness codes and regulations. Make sure your parking lot lighting plan meets local codes to prevent fines or expensive rework.
You may also choose to use industry group standards like the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES), which offers best practices for outdoor lighting quality, intensity, and spacing.
Add Aesthetics and Branding
Utility lighting is a utilitarian function—but also creates space appearance and atmosphere definition. A properly installed public space lighting fixture can produce brand presence, curb appeal, and appeal in general to customers and residents.
For instance, warm lighting on doors or colour-changing LEDs at parties will assist in projecting your image and distinguishing your property.
Final thoughts
Whether you are updating an existing lot or constructing a new complex, the choice of an efficient parking lot lighting design is a thin line between safety, efficiency, and beauty. Employing a competent lighting consultant and keeping long-term value in mind, you can establish a secure, well-lit facility with lower cost but enhanced user experience.
From park benches in inner cities to tower blocks, each street lighting scheme must be suited to its own particular users’ requirements. Investing in smart lighting solutions today is a step towards a safer, more sustainable tomorrow.
