You know that parking garages with bad lighting cause accidents, security problems, and make customers mad. This screws up businesses, costing them money and other bad things. The answer is to get the right parking garage lighting so people are safe, you can see, and you don’t waste money on your electric bill.

So, what are the parking garage lighting requirements? Key factors include adequate illumination levels, safety considerations, design best practices, technology and controls, compliance and regulations, color temperature, proper lighting placement and maintenance, etc. Complying with IES recommended lighting levels ensures that parking garages are both safe and energy-efficient.

Importance of Effective Lighting in Parking Garages

Good parking garage lighting is important for safety. You need to see where you’re going, so you don’t crash your car. You need to see a person to avoid hitting them. You need to see a car to avoid hitting it.

Good parking lot lighting is also important for security. Bad guys don’t like bright lights. They want to hide. When you light up your parking lot, you discourage the bad guys from doing bad things. You can also use motion sensors and energy-efficient LED lighting to keep the cost down and make sure it’s safe.

Key Factors About Parking Garage Lighting Requirements

Illumination Levels

What are the parking garage lighting requirements? The Illuminating Engineering Society of North America(IES) published the recommended light levels. They say you should have a minimum of 10 lux (1 footcandle) for general parking spaces where people walk. You need more light on the ramps and at the corners where people can get run over.

The entrances need the most light, especially during the day. That way, when people drive from outside to inside, they can see where they’re going. You want a maximum-to-minimum illuminance ratio (uniformity) of no more than 10:1. That means you don’t have really bright and really dark areas.

Safety Considerations

Safety is one of the biggies when it comes to parking garage lighting. Good lighting helps prevent accidents and falls because people can see. It helps minimize trips and falls, especially in dark or shady areas.

Good lighting also helps keep the bad guys away. Bright, even light makes it difficult for people to hide and do bad things. It also makes it easier for you to see things like cars, people, and other stuff that could get in the way of your car. By the way, good lighting also makes your parking garage look and feel safe, which is good for business.

Design Best Practices

When you’re designing your parking garage lighting, you want to follow best practices to make sure it’s safe, energy-efficient, and lasts a long time. You should use smart fixtures for the interior lighting. These fixtures can adjust the light level based on the time of day and how many people are around. This way, you save energy when nobody is around but still have plenty of light when you need it for safety and to see where you’re going.

For your stairwells, you want fixtures with wireless controls. These fixtures can dim the light level when nobody is using the stairwell and instantly brighten when someone goes in. This saves energy, but keeps people safe. If you want to get fancy, you can use motion sensors with your lighting system to make it even better.

For your exterior lights, you want something tough like an area light, floodlight, or wall pack. These fixtures are made to be outside and can handle all the weather. They give you good light and last a long time. You want to make sure the lights at the entrances and walkways are good and bright, so people don’t crash their cars or get mugged.

Technology and Controls

When you’re choosing what technology and controls to use for your parking garage lighting, you should use LED lights. LEDs use a lot less energy than the old stuff and last a lot longer. You don’t have to change the bulbs as often, which saves you money. Plus, they’re tough, so they work great in parking garages.

You can also hook up motion sensors to automatically adjust the light levels based on what’s going on. The lights can be dim when nobody is around and brighten up when someone comes in. This makes it safe and keeps people from stealing your stuff. It also saves you energy because the lights aren’t on full blast when nobody is around.

Compliance and Regulations

When you’re designing your parking garage lighting, you need to make sure you follow the rules. Every city has its own rules about how high you can mount the lights, how the fixtures have to be, and how much of the light can spill over into other people’s stuff. The rules are there to keep everyone safe and protect the environment. They also tell you how high to install your lights and what kind to use, so you don’t mess it up.

Most places have a rule that says you can’t have more than a certain amount of light. It’s usually around 10 footcandles. This way, you have enough light to see but don’t waste energy or light up the night sky. You also need to follow the dark sky rules. These rules say you have to use full cut-off fixtures. These fixtures point the light down, so it doesn’t go out into the sky.

Color Temperature

The color of your parking garage lights is important for safety and how things look. You want to use a color temperature of around 4000K to 5000K. This is called natural white light. It’s bright and clear, so you can see your car, any bad guys, and the signs. This color temperature is like what you see outside during the day. It makes everything look clean and crisp. It also makes it easier to see stuff because you have better contrast. This is really important at your ramps, corners, and entrances.

Proper Lighting Placement

Where you put your lights in the parking garage is important for safety, visibility, and energy efficiency. You want your lights in the right place, so you don’t have any dark spots. You also want the light to be even across the whole parking garage. You don’t want to have any dark spots or harsh shadows where you can’t see to get around.

You need to pay special attention to your ramps, corners, and where people drive in and out. These are the places where you need to make sure you have enough light to see when you’re driving and turning. You also need to make sure you have lights by your stairwells, elevators, and where people walk. Put wall-mounted lights or lights in low-ceiling areas to help fill in the light and get rid of some of the glare.

Maintenance

You need to take care of your lights. You need to clean them and look at them so you can see if they’re broken or have a bunch of dirt on them. If they’re dirty or broken, you can’t see.

You need to check your sensors to make sure they work right. If they don’t work, then the lights might be too dark or stay on when they shouldn’t. That wastes energy. You should also check the light levels to make sure they’re right.

If you do all this stuff, you’ll have a safe parking garage with lights that work. You’ll save money on your electric bill, and you won’t get in trouble with the city.

How many lumens do you need for parking lot lights?

How many lumens you need in your parking garage depends on how big it is and what you’re doing there. Typically, you should have around 10 to 100 lumens per square meter to make sure people are safe and can see. If you have certain areas where a lot of people are walking or driving, you’ll need more lights. You also want to make sure you have enough lights on the walls and stuff so you don’t have any dark spots. This will help keep people from getting in accidents and keep the bad guys away.

What type of lighting is best for a garage?

The best lights to use in your parking garage are LED lights. They use a lot less energy than the old stuff, they last a lot longer, and they’re bright. They’re good for inside and outside. You can use them to do all the things you need to do with your parking garage lights. They’re also tough and can handle the weather. You don’t have to change the bulbs as often and all that other good stuff.

Which lighting is best for parking lots?

The type of lights you use outside depends on whether you’re lighting up the inside or the outside of your parking lot.

If you need lights inside your parking lot, you should use LED vapor lights. These lights are designed to go in places that are wet, dusty, and have exhaust fumes. They’re tough and last a long time. They also save you energy, and you can see really well with them.

For outdoor parking lots, you want to use LED floodlights or LED area lights. LED floodlights are big, powerful lights that are great for lighting big open spaces and increasing security. LED area lights are more focused, even lights that you can use to light specific sections of the parking lot and reduce light pollution. Both of these outdoor fixtures are energy-efficient, and they’re built to last outside.

Is 4000K bright enough for a garage?

A color temperature of 4000K is generally considered bright enough for most garages, including parking garages. It’s a neutral white light that gives you great visibility but isn’t too harsh or too warm. It’s a good balance between comfort and brightness, which is perfect for places where you need to see to be safe, such as parking garages. However, depending on your specific parking garage lighting requirements, you might want to go with higher color temperatures, such as 5000K, if you want even brighter lights that are more like daylight.

How to plan garage lighting?

To plan your parking garage lighting, you need to look at your garage and figure out what you need. Look at the size of your garage, the traffic flow, and the specific areas where you need to light things up. Consider things like where you will put the lights so you don’t have any dark spots. Look at the lumen levels to make sure you meet the IES recommended lighting levels. Think about the color temperature so you have clarity. Also, make sure you design your lighting to be energy-efficient. Use motion sensors or dimming controls where you can. Good lighting design will help you with safety, customer comfort, and how well your garage operates.

Conclusion

Making sure you have good lighting in your parking garages is important for safety, seeing, and being energy efficient. By understanding things like lumens, the different kinds of lights you can use, and color temperature, you can meet the parking garage lighting requirements that you need. Make sure you follow the IES recommended lighting levels and use smart lighting solutions to make your parking facility safer and give your customers a better experience.

If you have any questions about parking garage lighting, just feel free to contact us directly. Our lighting experts are ready to help.