Exterior LED wall packs are a simple, cost-effective way to enhance outdoor light quality. Outside, they’re everywhere. If the goal is to boost outdoor illumination around the building for pedestrians and vehicles, LED wall packs are the fixture of choice.
LED wall packs have been around for a while, so they’ve been powered by different lighting technologies over the decades. High intensity discharge (HID) lamps and mercury vapor lights were the standard for a long time, but they’re quickly being replaced by LEDs.
Where Is Wall Pack Lighting Usually Installed?
There are many applications for wall pack lights, though you’ll usually see them in outdoor areas. Here’s where they fit best:
- Building facades and exteriors – You’ll most often see wall pack lights hanging from a building. From this position, LED wall packs are in a perfect position to illuminate pedestrian walkways below. Wall pack lighting can also be used to illuminate features of interest, like a sign or a store window.
- Parking lots and garages – Security is a major need for parking lot and garage owners. To meet this need, many opt for wall pack lighting. Wall pack LED fixtures can be mounted to garage overhangs or nearby buildings to provide a large amount of high-quality illumination.
- Warehouses – Wall packs can be installed inside or outside a warehouse. Outside, LED wall packs can be used to illuminate entrances and loading dock areas, where they provide additional visibility for workers and help with security.
- Industrial and commercial campuses – If you have a large area to account for, like a sprawling work campus, wall pack lighting can provide a bright layer of general illumination on walkways.
LED wall packs are an extremely versatile lighting solution, as they can be adapted for nearly any location and remain effective.
Five Reasons Why LED Lighting Is The Best Option For An Outdoor Wall Pack
LED lighting is quickly becoming the industry’s frontrunner and replacing older forms of lighting in a multitude of applications. Wall pack lighting is one example, as LED technology is a good fit. Here are five reasons why:
- Superior energy efficiency – LED light bulbs are the most efficient on the market, outclassing all other fixtures. Lighting efficiency is measured using a lumen-to-watt ratio. The more lumens per watt created, the more output you’re getting per unit of energy.
LEDs have a lumen-per-watt ratio between 75 and 110. Metal halides emit 75 to 100 lumens per watt, and mercury vapor fixtures between 35 and 65 lumens per watt. LED’s efficiency advantage is even greater when considering system efficiency, and not just source efficiency. Because LED fixtures emit directionally instead of radiating in all directions, most of their illumination can be aimed where it’s needed – at the ground. This gives LED a major system efficiency advantage over metal halide fixtures.
With excellent energy efficiency, LED lighting can be powered around the clock at a reduced operating cost. Eventually, lower operating costs more than make up for the slightly higher price of LED fixtures. - High quality output – In the past, LED lighting was unable to compete with the quality of HID illumination, but that’s no longer the case. Now LEDs generate extremely high-quality lighting that is brilliant and evenly cast.
Enhanced visibility also enhances feelings of safety. That’s important if your business relies on foot traffic. Potential customers aren’t going to shop at a business that’s poorly lit – and that’s just not a problem with LEDs.
Also, some LED lights are designed to render color with excellent accuracy. These high-CRI fixtures improve visibility further by displaying colors in their true hues. - Unmatched lifespan and reliability – LED wall lights last much longer than other wall lighting fixtures. On average, an LED wall pack will provide 50,000 or more hours of excellent quality illumination. Compare this to metal halides, which provide about 10,000 hours before failure.
With fewer replacements needed, you’ll get more value from your LED lighting investment. - Better durability and safety – LED fixtures are built on solid state circuitry instead of glass bulbs, metal filaments, or pressurized gas chambers. As a product of modern engineering, LEDs are built with durability in mind, and can take the occasional bump without issue.
They’re also shatter resistant and contain no toxic chemicals, like mercury. This means if they do break, they won’t become a health or environmental hazard. - Extensive controllability – With solid state circuitry underpinning their functions, LEDs are compatible with a wide range of lighting controls and accessories. For example, installing a photocell on your LED lighting will automate on/off switching based on the level of ambient light. Timers use pre-programmed times to automate on/off switching while occupancy controls trigger when someone walks by.
A Couple Features To Look For In Your Outdoor LED Wall Pack
Outdoor LED wall packs are built for rugged outdoor use, and to ensure that they can handle the elements, look for the following:
- IP rating – Electronics, including light fixtures, are given an IP rating based on their resistance to water and dust intrusion. This rating is expressed as a pair of numbers, from zero to seven. The higher the number, the better the protection, and ideally, the wall pack lighting you pick will have an IP rating that’s strong enough to protect from rain and wind-blown dust. Anything with an IP rating of 65 or above is sufficient for outdoor use.
- Aluminum housing – Aluminum is corrosion-resistant and handles exposure to rain and heat well. As such, it’s a popular option for exterior wall pack lighting, especially in areas with high airborne salt content. That’s why you’ll find aluminum fixtures along the coast and in locations of high humidity.
- Polycarbonate refractor lens – A polycarbonate lens will not shatter even if the entire fixture falls from its mount to the ground below. They are also resistant to impact, so polycarbonate is the right choice for wall pack fixtures that are close enough for people to reach.
LED outdoor wall packs come in a huge variety of designs and specifications. As such, you’ve got a lot of options, and it can be a challenge matching the right design to your application. With so many types of LED wall packs to choose from, consider working with a knowledgeable lighting expert.
