It is now paramount that contractors make Lumen per watt efficiency the number one consideration in the designing and installation of area lighting systems. Rising energy costs are affecting everything, and new legislation is taking effect that will require a .05 watt per square foot maximum for outdoor area and commercial street lighting projects. This requires you, the contractor, to pay closer attention to area geometry. It is necessary to carefully pinpoint optimal fixture placement locations, and you have to choose fixtures that will deliver more light with less consumption of electricity. As a commercial lighting supplier, we understand fixture placement and operating efficiencies.

Restrictions on glare and light pollution are also getting tougher. Light fixtures made overseas are usually incapable of shielding the eyes from glare or preventing light spillage into surrounding homes and businesses. Only top-quality, commercial pole lights that are manufactured here in the United States can give you the assurance of full compliance with dark sky laws and the warranted protection on equipment that guarantees minimized maintenance and replacement costs for your clients.

PARKING LOT LIGHTS
Parking lot lighting fixtures and lighting poles are two of the most necessary elements of area lighting. Parking lot lights are very heavily regulated in reference to foot candle levels and limitations on the amount of glare produced by the fixtures. Higher poles tend to illuminate larger areas and keep the area’s overall lighting in compliance with foot candle requirements and energy efficiency codes. However, you have to be careful not to use parking lot pole lighting packages that are too tall. Almost every city has dark sky laws that limit pole height to a maximum height. The key to balancing these apparently contradictory legal requirements is to use cut off luminaire designs made from tempered glass lenses and reflectors formed from specular facets. These outside commercial lighting fixtures will minimize glare and to disperse light over greater distances. They also keep power consumption at a minimum while simultaneously increasing the total square footage they illuminate.

ARCHITECTURAL BUILDING LIGHTING
When you set out to light an actual building for your client, area lighting fixtures must accent the architecture without overwhelming it. Ideally, they should keynote only the most important features of a building rather than light the entire building itself. This helps curb energy expenses and eliminate light pollution, and it also creates a secondary effect of keynoting what is truly important to a particular structure with a less is more approach to luminaire installation. For small to medium buildings we have created landscape lighting kits designed for cost effective building lighting.

It is important to install light fixtures at optimal angles of incidence will to get the highest aesthetic results from metal halide flood lighting. You must hide the light source as much as possible so that viewers see the building and do not notice the fixtures. A wide selection of choices in wattages, luminaire mounts, reflectors, and cut off designs are available to can be install practically any size or type of fixture in strategic locations so as to make them virtually invisible to the casual viewer.

LANDSCAPE AREA LIGHTING
In much the same way, landscape area lighting should be approached with a “less is more” design strategy. Focus on illuminating features of the landscape rather than the entire property---which for very large businesses may be dozens, or even hundreds, of acres. Pathways and decorative benches can be lit quite cost effectively with fluorescent lighting bollards. Low voltage bollard fixtures are ideal to use around waterways, commemorative statues, ponds, and fountains. Decorative lighting posts with ornamental fixtures are often chosen to create historical themes or aesthetic elements in key locations without overkill or over spending.

RLLD Commercial Lighting not only provides detailed information on these and many other subjects free of charge to all of our clients, but also publishes information on new technology and industry trends to all who enroll in our online community program. Contact us, search our database or visit our residential lighting blog for more helpful residential and commercial lighting information.

If you have any questions about any of the Focus products we offer, do not hesitate to give us a call at 1-800-239-2939. Our experienced lighting experts are happy to answer any questions you may have, and help you choose the right products for your application.

At Residential Landscape Lighting & Design, we have access to a full range of commercial lighting options suited to the many needs and concerns facing business owners today. Our lighting design center is located in Houston Texas with manufacturers positioned throughout the United States that enable us to ship to all 50 states including New York NY, Los Angeles CA, Miami, FL. Chicago, IL. Denver CO., El Paso, Texas, Dallas TX, San Antonio, TX, Austin, TX, Boise ID, Atlanta GA, Albuquerque NM, Raleigh-Durham NC, Washington DC, Albuquerque NM, Huntsville AL, Fayetteville AR, Norfolk VA , Madison WI., Corpus Christi, TX, Plano, Texas, Garland, TX, Laredo, Texas, Lubbock, Texas.