What to know when replacing your Parking Lot Lights

In Wisconsin, where it seems to get dark at 4pm for half the year, keeping the parking lot lights on is critical for the safety of your employees, customers, or residents.  Dark parking lots due to burnt out lights or uneven coverage can lead to an increase in vandalism, additional vehicle accidents, and other dangerous situations. Not to mention the negative message it sends about your organization and your apparent neglect of such an important area.

High-intensity discharge (HID) fixtures have traditionally been the choice for parking lot lighting.  These high powered fixtures provide low-grade light, consume a large amount of electricity, are expensive to maintain, and are generally unpleasant to the eye.  As these HID fixtures continue to age, they become even more inefficient to own and operate.  Over the last decade, parking lot owners have started to “see the light” and are changing out these inefficient HID fixtures with high-efficiency LED parking lot light fixtures.

Is it time for you to consider an LED parking lot lighting retrofit project?  Here are 6 signs that it’s time to replace your parking lot lights:

1. Burnt out lights: are your parking lot lights burning out frequently?  Dispatching a utility truck with a lift and a work crew is expensive, so if you find that your lights need frequent replacement, it’s time to consider replacing your current lights with LED parking lot pole lights that have an average life span of 50,000 hours (over 10 years).
2. Uneven coverage – patches of darkness: have you taken a drive around your parking lot late at night to see if the light is evenly dispersed?  With today’s LED technology, we are able to create a lighting pattern that will adequately cover the entire lot without spilling light over to neighboring properties.
3. High energy costs: HID fixtures and bulbs are expensive to operate.  Replacing them with high-efficiency LED lights can cut your utility cost by upwards of 50-75% and can result in a pay-back period for the LED upgrade of less than 5 years.
4. Increases in crime/vandalism: As the parking lot owner you have a responsibility to protect (as best you can) the people who use your lot.  Dark areas in your lot due to burnt out lights or uneven coverage just invites vandalism and increases the likelihood that something bad could happen.  Don’t wait until it’s too late – consider an upgrade to LED lights today.
5. High maintenance: as the HID fixtures continue to age, they require additional maintenance and repairs to keep them operational.  When you combine the cost of maintenance, replacement bulbs, and high energy costs, the decision to change over to LED fixtures becomes much easier to make.
6. Eco-friendly alternative: LED lighting is a much more Eco-friendly option for your parking lot lights.  LED lights do not contain mercury, emit UV rays, and generate less light pollution than their HID counterparts.

At PKK Lighting, we can help your company evaluate your current parking lot lighting solution, the total costs of ownership (including the fixtures, electricity, maintenance, and repairs), and provide you with our recommendations and pricing options.