Challenges:

Condo owners felt there was not enough light in their parking lot. Residents wanted to increase the light in their parking lot but were concerned about increasing their energy consumption/cost and possibly shining too MUCH light into unit owners’ windows.

Solution:

Superior Lighting advised retrofitting the post with a Metal Halide type bulb post fitter fixture. We installed new post top lights that use a 100 watt metal halide bulb. We also changed the globes to a more decorative acorn style globe and inserted the dark sky reflector to ensure the lights spreads down on the parking lot and not into neighbors windows.

This reflector also maximizes efficiency (no light is wasted going up into the atmosphere) so a lower wattage bulb can be used to light the desired area. Their old bulb was an 85 watt compact fluorescent bulb emitting 5700 lumens and their new bulb uses 100 watts and emits 8500 lumens. (67 lumens per watt versus the new 85 lumens per watt) So we have increased efficiency by about 26% percent and at least doubled the amount of visible light for the parking lot.

Picture:

We have taken a 360 panorama shot of the parking lot with the new light on the right and the old on the left. The difference in light is quite visible.

Laurel Oaks (Boca West) Parking Lot Lighting Questions and Answers