Specialty and Architectural Lighting — Landscape & Outdoor

Among all the factors to consider when buying an LED outdoor luminaire – here is another: connected controls. Increasingly, commercial building codes are expanding outdoor lighting requirements to include automatic shutoff and modulated light levels based on occupancy or time of day. This level of control, common for commercial interior lighting, may or may not be a code requirement for all projects, but in the future, codes will be in place or user expectations will evolve...

One of the fastest growing segments of the LED commercial lighting market is site, area, street and parking lot lighting. Owners of commercial property and municipalities in particular are looking at LED solutions for new developments or to replace HID fixtures in existing applications. In this post we will look at occupant perceptions of safety, security and visibility in parking lots. Specifically, we will review a study that uses LED parking lot light fixtures to...

Photocontrol devices use photocells to determine ON/OFF status of outdoor lighting based on the ambient light level. While generally understood as responding to visible light, some photosensors also respond to infrared (IR) and ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Normally used for roadway, area, parking, flood and security lighting, photocontrols automatically control the ON/OFF cycle to optimize the effectiveness of the lighting and maximize energy savings. In daylight harvesting applications, the photocontrol is mounted inside the occupied space...

A significant contributor to electrical energy use in the U.S. is outdoor area lighting. Street and roadway lights, walkway and park lighting, surface parking pole mounted fixtures and building mounted wall packs are all designed to illuminate space at night to provide safe passage and security for vehicles and pedestrians. Some of the earliest dedicated LED lighting fixtures were for outdoor area lighting applications. By 2017, LED area lighting has matured to the point that...

Outdoor lighting, whether landscape or building mounted, can add significant visual appeal to both commercial and residential buildings and spaces. When designed and implemented properly, lighting around a building enhances the architecture, showcases plants, rocks and sculpture in the landscape and guides visitors safely to the entrance. In addition, exterior building lighting can improve security. However, it is also easy to end up with outdoor lighting that does none of the above. This post will...

The next time you walk through your downtown after dark take a minute to notice the lights – on buildings, on poles and post tops, along sidewalks. How many of these light fixtures put the illumination only where it is required to meet the purpose of the fixture installation? There is a good chance you will see light spreading well beyond the intended target. Much of the light will be illuminating the night sky, where...

Cities and states can enjoy numerous benefits by switching from high pressure sodium to LED lights in street lighting fixtures and traffic signal lights. These benefits included better visibility for drivers, lower power consumption for street lights, and reduced maintenance when compared to the old lighting technology. On the negative side, switching from yellow light to the whiter LEDs has the effect of keeping people awake at night, depending on their proximity to the light...

If you are anywhere close to the Midwest or Northeast parts of the United States, you've probably had more than your fill of winter. You may even start shivering just at the mention of the phrase "polar vortex." With one of the most brutal winters finally behind us, it's time to assess any damage to your outdoor lighting system and either replace or readjust wires, bulbs, and fixtures. We all know how badly snow, ice,...

The sounds of Spring. Rain and thunderstorms, birds that are finally coming back after a long winter, and ZAP! That's right, it's time to talk about bug zappers, an invention that has come a long way since it was first patented in 1934. How Bug Zappers Work Bug zappers, despite many improvements in safety and insect luring potential, are basically the same as they were when first invented. An ultraviolet emitting light bulb attracts insects...