From Spring 2022 of Connected.
Whether considering lighting for a new parking lot or garage, or retrofitting an existing system, on-site safety is a critical concern. Lighting can impact perspective and create an inviting atmosphere for visitors.
Your facility must provide a safe environment for drivers and pedestrians alike. According to the National Safety Council, more than 60,000 people are injured in parking lots each year. More than 50,000 crashes occur in parking facilities with hundreds of deaths.
To ensure parking safety, parking lighting must provide enhanced visibility to help prevent accidents for both drivers and pedestrians. It must also provide a well-lit environment to ensure user safety and security.
According to FBI data from Crime Data Explorer, parking facilities are the third most common location of violent crimes in the United States. Not only can suitable parking lighting eliminate dark areas where criminals can hide, it can also heighten the ability of security cameras to capture nefarious activities within the facility.
DESIGN IMPLEMENTATION FOR NEW OR UPDATED LIGHTING
To effectively light a parking facility, several design elements must be considered. Each facility has a different size, design, location, degree of natural light (or lack thereof) and more. Here are the key factors to consider when choosing parking lighting that enhances safety:
Light Distribution: While this will vary depending on the facility's design, the light distribution of a fixture is key in deciding where and when it is most appropriate to use. Light distribution involves the direction and the pattern of light leaving the fixture.
There are six types of light distributions to consider for parking lighting.
- Type I: A two-way lateral width distribution ideal for lighting walkways, paths and sidewalks.
- Type II: A lateral width distribution that emits some forward light ideal for wide walkways, ramps and entrance roadways.
- Type III: A lateral width distribution that casts more light forward ideal for roadway lighting and parking areas.
- Type IV: A semi-circular width distribution with the most forward throw ideal for perimeter parking areas and the sides of buildings.
- Type V: A circular distribution ideal for roadways and commercial parking lots.
- Type VI: A square distribution ideal for intersections, a large parking lot and center roadways.
- Mounting height: The spacing of parking lot lighting is dependent on the mounting height. Fewer poles are needed the higher the height of the fixture, which varies from 12'- 35' high. Mounting height is also important in an enclosed parking facility with proper mounting needing to correspond with maximum clearance heights of entry/exit openings.
- Light Quality: The attributes of light quality are brightness and color temperature. Brightness, measured in Lumens, measures the amount of light coming from a source. Color temperature (CCT) is measured in degrees Kelvin, with higher temperatures appearing as cooler light and lower temperatures appearing as warmer light. For example, 5000K is a cool CCT while 2700 is a warm CCT. Cool light makes imperfections and color variations between objects more visible which is useful for parking garage safety.
- Foot-candles: Light intensity is measured in foot-candles (fc). FCs measure the amount of light that reaches a surface area rather than the amount of light that leaves the light source. One foot-candle equals the amount of light needed to saturate a one-foot square with one lumen of light.
- Color Rendering Index (CRI): This index measures color clarity, or how accurately a light source will reproduce colors. It measures from 0-100 with 100 being the most accurate representation of colors in a naturally lit setting.
- Uniformity: While increased brighter light is often thought to be the key for improved parking lighting, the uniformity of the light is more often what is needed. Uniformity will lessen the contrast between darker and brighter areas, thus increasing visibility. Too much contrast can prevent clear views for drivers and pedestrians. Uniformity will also alleviate hot spots that hide details on security footage.
- Lighting Controls: As the amount of light varies throughout the day on a parking lot or in a parking garage, lighting controls can be used to adjust light levels for changing daylight and activity within a parking area, according to the Department of Energy “ Guide to FEMP Designated Parking Lot Lighting .” For example, lighting at a parking garage entrance needs higher light levels in the daytime for eyes to adjust to the darker interior of the facility. At night, light levels need to dim for drivers to transition back into the dark street conditions. Adjusting light levels conserves energy as well as lessens overall costs. Many control options are available such as photo sensors, occupancy sensors, daylight harvesting sensors, digital timers and wireless control systems.
KEEPING STANDARDS UP-TO-DATE
Standards and Codes: As you plan for your parking facility lighting, you must verify your lighting meets municipal standards and safety codes. Each community has standards for parking facility lighting. These may cover requirements for the height of fixtures, the brightness of the light, dimming lights after closing, interference of light on surrounding traffic or nearby properties and more. Sometimes approvals will be required before moving ahead with your project. On a wider scale, resources such as the U.S. Department of Energy , The National Fire Protection Association and the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IES) share recommendations and codes for designing a safe and energy efficient lighting solution for parking facilities.
WHY IS LED LIGHTING THE IDEAL CHOICE FOR PARKING LOT AND PARKING GARAGE SAFETY?
According to RAB Lighting , an investment in high-quality, efficient LED lighting systems for your parking facilities promotes safety and security while also reducing operating expenses. Premium LED fixtures can potentially cut an electric bill by up to 50-70% when replacing traditional lighting. LEDs provide ideal and long-lasting lighting options that enhance comfort and safety while significantly reducing energy consumption. Coupled with a quality lighting control system, such as RAB's Lightcloud®, savings up to 88% are possible with payback in as few as six months. Frequently having a lifespan of 100,000 hours, top quality LED fixtures also provide savings on relamping and maintenance costs.
LED OPTIONS FOR VARIOUS PARKING AREAS
To meet the variety of challenges presented in safely lit parking facilities, an assortment of lighting fixtures and solutions are needed to best fit the parking area. Here are some suggested LED options suitable for various parking related areas.
Parking Lots: A well-lit parking lot requires higher light levels and quality of light to ensure fewer dark spots and more uniform light distribution. LED Area Lights affixed to light poles are a popular choice, including RAB's ALED or Lithonia's ESX1 LED. Area lights often offer mounting options such as pole, wall or slipfitter and come in various lumen packages and light distributions. Accurate spacing of light poles standing 12'-35' is key for uniform light, as is the area of distribution of the light.
Parking Garage Interior: Within a parking garage interior, the IES recommends a low light level for basic parking areas and higher light levels for ramps and even higher levels for entrance areas. Adjustment for daylight hours and occupancy levels is necessary for clear visibility throughout the structure and varies if it is a mostly enclosed structure as in underground parking or is exposed to more natural light as in an open-air structure.
In general, a low-profile, low-glare Garage LED like RAB's IVEPARK® or Lithonia's VCPG is ideal. A garage light fitted with sensor technology can be controlled to dim up or down based on location, occupancy and the presence of natural light. This technology can also often report fixture failure prompting quick repair or replacement.
A Garage LED ideally will include an uplight feature. This casts light above the fixture as well as below it to avoid the cave effect. Cave effect occurs if the light is only directed downwards with little or no light reflected toward the ceiling and upper walls, causing the garage to feel dark and ominous.
In most parking garage interiors, using more fixtures at a lower lumen setting is advised for more uniform lighting. It is very important for lighting to be visible between all parked cars and evenly dispersed on the thoroughfares for driver and pedestrian safety.
Parking Garage Exterior: With increased traffic surrounding a parking facility, exterior parking garage lighting is important for the safety of all users. Perimeters and sidewalks must be well-lit with particular attention paid to entrances and exits. LED Flood Lights are best for illuminating landscaping surrounding a parking facility to deter crime or highlighting the outside entrance to a facility for easier visibility. Styles with field-adjustability for color temperature and wattage are also available and may include an integrated, selectable photocell.
LED wall packs are good choices to brighten the structure's façade. There are traditional and slim versions that cover the footprint of outdated HID wall packs. Full cutoff styles are recommended to direct the light downward and outward to avoid light trespass where it is not needed or avoid brightening the night sky.
Walkways, Paths and Canopies: While we tend to focus on safety within a parking facility, pedestrians need to feel safe and secure traveling to and from the facility as well. That's why lighting for walkways, paths and canopies is important. LED Post Top lights are perfect for pathways and perimeters. Available with circular or square light distribution, square type is especially good for corners.
LED Canopy lights like Lithonia's CNY LED are a good choice for outdoor parking canopies and for covered or enclosed walkways to and from your facility. With a low profile design, these lights are offered with a variety of lumen packages and are available in designs that cover the profile of traditional canopy lights. Choose vandal proof options to further promote safety.
Stairwells: With trip and fall hazards possible, stairwell lighting requires careful compliance with safety codes. Uniform lighting is needed. Plus, life safety standards do not allow stairwells to be dark, even when unoccupied. LED Stairwell lights such as Lithonia's WL4 or RAB's Treadsafe® fixtures come with occupancy sensors to dim light levels when unoccupied. They also have the capability to be controlled via a wired or wireless network for even further control and monitoring.
Top Deck: The top deck of a parking garage can present design constraints since it is generally open to the sky. Top deck lighting must stand up to the weather and must meet dark sky requirements such as not shedding light where not needed and being only as bright as necessary. Pole mounted LED Area Lights that are fully cutoff and fully shielded are often the choice. However, their height may be limited as they can present challenges to service trucks navigating through the garage to make repairs. LED wall packs and floodlights are other possibilities dependent on the structure's design. Lighting with warmer color temperatures are also suggested to minimize brightness.
Alternative LED Solutions for Parking Facility Lighting: If it is not workable to replace your existing inefficient parking lighting with all new LED fixtures, LED lamps inserted into your current fixtures are an alternative that will help to improve safety and appearance within your space while lowering costs and improving operating efficiency. Common examples are Philips HID replacements like LED Corn Cobs and LED High Bays, and Ballast Bypass LED Tubes.
Lisa Baker, Lighting Specialist, contributed to this article.
Choosing appropriate parking facility lighting to enhance safety, while also saving energy and costs, can seem daunting. Make it easy by contacting a Kirby Risk Lighting Specialist for a lighting audit. With our knowledge and resources, our lighting specialists can help you determine your parking lighting safety needs and design a plan to best address your goals and budget.