Parking lot lighting
A well-lit parking lot is the first thing a customer, guest or employee sees after dark. It has to be safe for parking and for walking, with no dark spots between the cars and no light that dazzles drivers or shines into the neighbours’ windows.
We design, supply and install LED parking lot lighting for shops, public offices, guest houses, sports halls and bus stations – pole-mounted luminaires with area optics, the poles themselves, solar luminaires where there is no cable, and dimming after closing time.
lower energy consumption at the Dafe company parking lot – two 150 W discharge floodlights replaced by a single 24 W LED luminaire
parking lots lit – shops, guest houses, sports venues, businesses and a bus station
efficacy of STELA MINI luminaires – fewer watts for the same light
warranty on STELA, SILVA PRO and SARA street lighting luminaires
What parking lot lighting has to do
In a parking lot, cars and pedestrians meet, often at close quarters and at low speed. The driver has to see the markings, the kerbs and a child between the cars; the pedestrian has to see a car reversing. That is why uniformity and the direction of the light matter more than the number of lux alone.
Uniformity with no dark spots
Luminaires with area optics spread the light between the poles so that no shadows form between the cars. We verify pole spacing and height in the calculation.
No glare for drivers
Flat optics and the tilt of the luminaire direct the light onto the surface, not into the eyes of drivers pulling out of a bay or into the windows of nearby homes.
Security and CCTV
Uniform light with good colour rendering helps cameras identify a car or a face, and people feel more comfortable walking across the parking lot after dark.
Low running costs
A parking lot is lit all night. LEDs with an efficacy above 150 lm/W and dimming after closing time cut energy consumption to a fraction of what discharge lamps used.
How much light a parking lot needs
For parking lots, EN 12464-2 sets the maintained illuminance according to how busy the traffic is. Parking lots that form part of local roads are designed to EN 13201 and to the lighting classes set by the highway authority.
These values are indicative. We determine the exact layout, pole height and optics for your parking lot in a lighting calculation.
| ILLUMINANCE | TYPE OF PARKING LOT |
|---|---|
| 5 lx | lightly used parking lot – blocks of flats, small businesses, staff parking lots overnight |
| 10 lx | ordinary parking lot – shops, public offices, guest houses, consulting rooms |
| 20 lx | busy parking lot – shopping centres, sports and cultural venues, stations |
Which luminaire for a parking lot
Most of the parking lot is lit by pole-mounted luminaires. Footpaths, entrances and outlying areas with no cable are covered by bollards and solar luminaires.
The parking lot surface
Pole-mounted luminaires
STELA and STELA MINI with an efficacy of up to 174 lm/W, SILVA PRO in four sizes from 13 to 179 W with nine optics, and the affordable STEFFI. IP 66 rating, dimming and luminaire tilt as required. We supply the poles as well.
Footpaths and entrances
Bollards with a sensor
BRUTO, in heights of 47.5 or 97.5 cm, lights the path from the parking lot to the door and the entrances to buildings. It has a built-in motion sensor, adjustable output and colour temperature, and mounts on a post or on a wall.
Places with no power connection
Solar luminaires
For an outlying parking lot, a hardstanding or parking at a holiday cottage with no cable. SOLAR FLEXI has a battery for 3 to 4 days without sun and a motion sensor; SOLAR has an integrated panel and delivers from 2,000 to 6,000 lm. No trenching required.
Controls: full light when the parking lot is full
A parking lot at a shop or a public office is empty after closing time, yet it stays lit until morning. Lighting controls reduce the output by time of night, or raise it only when there is movement – without anyone having to go out and reset a timer.
- autonomous dimming – a pre-programmed night-time curve with no additional wiring
- reduced output after closing time
- motion sensors – full light only when a car or a pedestrian arrives
- photocell or astronomical time switch
- DALI and Zhaga/NEMA sockets for connection to the town’s system
- constant luminous flux function throughout the service life
Case study
The parking lot at Prima Bowling in Lubeník
For a newly opened bowling centre in Lubeník (Revúca district) we supplied 36 W LED street lighting luminaires. The luminaires are mounted at a height of 8.2 m and light a parking lot measuring 35 × 27 m. What the client valued most was how well the colours of the cars and the surroundings can be told apart after dark.
Brief
- a new parking lot at the bowling centre
- an area of 35 × 27 m
- light for guests all evening
Solution
- 36 W LED luminaires on poles
- luminaire height of 8.2 m
- light with good colour rendering
“The luminaires give a really lovely light and colours can be told apart superbly across the parking lot.”
client, Prima Bowling Lubeník
parking lot area
luminaire height
luminaire power input
parking lot dimensions
How we work
Site survey
We look at the parking lot after dark – the poles, the power connections, the dark spots and the surrounding houses.
DIALux calculation
Illuminance and uniformity to the standard, plus the type, height and layout of the luminaires and poles.
Quotation with savings
The price including poles and controls, the energy consumption and the payback, all in one document.
Installation
Replacing the luminaires on the existing poles, or new poles with foundations – outside opening hours.
Warranty and service
A 5-year warranty on street lighting luminaires, and 10 years on STELA for a surcharge.
More parking lots we have lit
All street lighting projects →
Max Slovakiaparking lot at the MAX OTL go-kart hallThe large parking lot in front of the hall is lit by 115 W street lighting luminaires on tall poles with twin brackets.
PD Trenčianska Turná6 × STELA MINI 20 W, autonomous dimmingA parking lot and the grounds of an office building with a pre-programmed dimming curve that adapts the light to conditions through the night.
Penzión Berg, Bratislava24 W street lighting luminairesThe parking lot of a refurbished guest house on the edge of Bratislava – guests feel safer after dark.
JOMA Slovakia, Jaslovské BohuniceSTELA luminaires with various optics and wattagesThe parking lot at a training centre, in the same design as the neighbouring bus station, with uniform light thanks to a combination of optics.
Jaslovské Bohunice bus stationSTELA 50 W and 147 W, 4,000 KThe exterior of the bus station for the STAVEKO company – STELA luminaires plus a 20 W spot floodlight to light the memorial.
Dafe1 LED luminaire of 24 W instead of 2 × 150 WA company parking lot: two discharge floodlights replaced by a single LED luminaire – over 90% energy saved and no more lamp changes.
FAQ
What municipalities, shop and guest house operators and businesses ask us about parking lot lighting.
How many lux should a parking lot have?
Under EN 12464-2, 5 lx is enough for a lightly used parking lot, 10 lx for an ordinary parking lot at a shop or public office, and 20 lx for a busy parking lot at a shopping centre or sports venue. Uniformity matters just as much – so that no dark spots form between the poles.
How tall should the poles be and how many luminaires are needed?
It depends on the size and shape of the parking lot. A smaller parking lot is served by poles of 4 to 6 m; large areas need 8 to 10 m with a twin bracket. We determine the number of luminaires, their output and their optics in a DIALux calculation.
Can just the luminaire be replaced on an existing pole?
Usually yes. STELA, SILVA PRO and SARA luminaires mount on a standard bracket or on the top of a column, and the tilt is adjustable. If poles are missing or in poor condition, we supply new ones including the foundations.
What about a parking lot with no cable to it?
SOLAR FLEXI or SOLAR solar luminaires with a battery and a motion sensor will light it. Installation takes hours and needs no trenching or power connection.
Will the lighting shine into the neighbours’ windows?
Not if the right optics are used. Street lighting luminaires have asymmetric distributions that put the light onto the surface rather than into the surroundings, and emit nothing above the horizontal. We check obtrusive light in the calculation before installation.
How can we save even more?
By dimming. After closing time a fraction of the light is enough, and sensors bring the parking lot up to full output only when there is movement. At the Dafe company parking lot, energy consumption fell by over 90% after the discharge lamps were replaced with LEDs.
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