What are the Different Types of LED Lights Available

What are the Different Types of LED Lights Available

LED technology is taking over the lighting industry. There are many reasons why, including LED’s versatility. LED fixtures have been adapted for numerous applications, and this engineering evolution is still in progress.

In fact, there’s an LED light for nearly every use and setting. Residential, commercial, industrial, decorative, indoor, outdoor – LED bulbs can be used everywhere. Here, we’ll take a look at the wide world of LED fixtures, and the role they play in each application.

Outdoor LED Commercial Lighting: Parking Lot, Wall Pack, Security and Sign Fixtures

In exterior commercial applications, LEDs are prized for their energy efficiency and excellent brightness. LED light bulbs generate high quality output that renders color well and distributes lumens evenly. This makes the technology an excellent choice for the following applications:

  • Parking lot lighting – LED parking lot fixtures offer excellent visibility at night and at long ranges – perfect for improving safety. Another big advantage: LED lighting is directional, so it can be distributed and aimed with precision. In fact, these lamps are available in several distribution patterns, so lighting designers can optimize ground-level lumens without any light trespass.Parking lot LEDs are available in several color temperature options, including warm, cool, and neutral white.
  • Wall pack fixtures – Wall pack LEDs function like other wall pack fixtures in that they’re mounted to the exterior facade of buildings, parking garages and other structures. From their elevated position, wall packs can provide an extra layer of illumination for general visibility purposes. However, they excel in security lighting applications. In this role, wall pack fixtures can be tied to occupancy sensors (motion or IR) and primed to illuminate when someone walks nearby. That’s ideal for general, safety, and security applications, especially if surveillance cameras are programmed to engage automatically when the security lights flash on.
  • Sign fixtures – LED lighting is an effective display option, too, and can be used to illuminate signage at night. Gooseneck fixtures, for example, are highly adjustable and have an eye-catching bend that stands out. LED gooseneck fixtures are mounted close to the target sign and fitted with an LED that distributes illumination like a spotlight. The result is bright, sharp and attention-getting.

Outdoor Venue Lighting: Sportslighters and Decorative Pole Fixtures

LED technology can be scaled up for the largest venues in existence, including professional sports stadiums, rodeo arenas, tennis courts and municipal parks.

LEDs can be integrated into the oversized displays you’ll see at professional sports venues. Most of them are LED video walls, which offer superior resolution and color richness, compared to Jumbotrons. Some large-scale displays are made with direct view LED panels, like microtiles. These direct view panels can be scaled up to nearly any degree, can be shaped or curved, and are easier to maintain.

In smaller venues, like neighborhood tennis courts, skate parks and the like, pole-mounted LED lights are a reliable choice. Quality lighting poles are made from galvanized steel, coated to protect against corrosion and available in several shapes, sizes and heights. With their design versatility, LED light poles can be adapted for any area.

For lighting park paths and neighborhoods, decorative poles and post top fixtures are a popular choice. LED posts are shorter than standard lighting poles and are ornamentally designed.

Landscape Lighting: Bullets, Floods, Bollards and Path Fixtures

LED bulbs have also been adapted for landscaping applications. Effective in residential and commercial settings, LED landscape lighting is available in several fixture designs. They include:

  • Bullet fixturesBullet fixtures function like spotlights in a landscaping setting. They fire a tight beam of illumination that’s ideal for lighting trees and building facades. Bullets are also easy to conceal, especially when they’re mounted on the ground close to the intended target.
  • Flood fixtures – Floods are the opposite of bullets. They cast a wide, short-distance beam that fills an area with bright light. Floods are ideal for illuminating a backyard and extending the home’s functional space at night. They’re also effective for illuminating entire building facades and other points of interest outside, like a garden or fountain.
  • Path fixtures – Path fixtures sit low to the ground – usually under 18 inches – and softly illuminate any adjacent path. They’re helpful for visually pointing out where walkable paths and landscaping are located. LED path fixtures are reliable, can run on low voltage (for better safety), and can be attached to photocells or timers for maximum efficiency. They’re also available in a huge number of designs, so they can be aesthetically matched to any property.
  • Bollards – Bollard lighting is named after the bollards you’d see at a dock or in a parking lot. They look like simple posts, ranging in height from a couple of feet to eight feet high. They serve the same function as path lighting, but are more appropriate for larger properties, given their larger size and visual impact.

Indoor Commercial Lighting: Bays and Linear Lighting Fixtures

For interior commercial applications, LED’s efficiency, low maintenance, and controllable design make it a cost saver for facilities.

When department stores, warehouses, manufacturing facilities and industrial facilities upgrade their lighting, they often do so with LED bays or linear fixtures. Bay lighting is either mounted to the ceiling or suspended from it, and it provides high-output general illumination for large interior spaces. LEDs have been adapted for both high and low bays, so they can be mounted to ceilings ranging from 12 to 45 feet. LEDs have also been adapted for linear (rectangular) and UFO (circular) fixtures. UFOs are more common, but linear bays are highly effective for illuminating long, narrow spaces like warehouse aisles.

LED linear lighting fixtures are also popular options in commercial applications, including office and retail applications. Linear LEDs are frequently used to replace fluorescent tubes, where they can provide more efficient and better-quality lighting.

LED Lighting is Available in Nearly Every Form and Fixture

LED lighting offers a long list of advantages, including design flexibility. It can be incorporated into almost every lighting application possible and scaled up or down as needed for any setting.

LED lighting technology has come a long way in a short time. A decade ago, only the most plugged-in industry experts could have seen the rapid rise of LED fixtures. Now, the technology is poised to become the number one choice for every lighting application.

What is the Retrofit Process for LED Lighting?

What is the Retrofit Process for LED Lighting

LED lights are improving all the time, with more efficient, longer lasting and better performing fixtures constantly being introduced. LED lighting represents more than half of the lighting market already, so it’s safe to say that LED lighting solutions are here to stay.

Most business owners recognize the benefits of adopting an LED lighting system, but accounting for procurement and installation costs is less clear. If your organization doesn’t have the funds for a new lighting system, retrofitting LED bulbs is a viable option. Through retrofit solutions, facility managers can attain the advantages of an LED lighting system without the cost of total replacement.

What the LED Lighting Retrofit Process Looks Like

If your organization works with an experienced lighting installer, then the retrofit process is fairly straightforward and looks like this:

  1. The lighting team performs an audit and site survey – It’s impossible for lighting installers to know what they’re up against until they review the organization’s facilities. This may include studying the building’s drawings for where fixtures are placed, along with performing a physical inspection of existing fixtures.

With this information, the installation team can perform an energy audit and ascertain how much money the company can save with a retrofit. An energy audit will also reveal where power is being wasted by the existing system, so targeted improvements can be made.

  1. A photometric plan may be developed for the building – Commercial and industrial facilities must meet certain lighting requirements when installing new fixtures. This includes minimal lighting levels (measured in foot candles), depending on the application. Lighting an office building, for example, requires a different set of fixtures and different lamp positioning than a grocery store.

To account for a building’s unique size and space layout, lighting installers may produce photometric drawings for the project. Photometric modeling allows lighting designers to simulate various lighting solutions for their client. During the system design, the designer can move lights around and try out different lamp models to see which approach works best.

Once complete, the designer will provide photometric drawings to the client and project management team so they can verify the project’s details. This includes which fixtures will be used for the project and how many fixtures will be installed.

  1. The retrofit fixtures and lamps are installed – With a plan in hand, the installation team can get to work accessing the fixtures and installing the new lamps. Depending on the exact fixture model being used, the fixtures themselves may need to be switched out. Additional wiring may also be necessary, and this may greatly increase the project’s complexity. If wiring is required, working with lighting professionals is highly recommended.

A Few Reasons More Facility Managers are Retrofitting LED Lighting

Switching to a new lighting solution is a significant commitment, so why are many facilities transitioning to LED lighting? There are several reasons, including:

  • Improved energy efficiency – LED lighting is the most energy efficient on the market. Compared to legacy lighting technologies like incandescent and fluorescent, LED lamps generate more light per watt. In some cases, this can be a difference of 70 percent or more, depending on what type of lights are being replaced.

With lower electricity consumption, organizations can recoup their investment quickly while transitioning to greener lighting solutions.

  • Reduced maintenance costs – LEDs are a product of modern engineering and are built to be more durable and reliable than previous lighting technologies. While the typical fluorescent tube is rated for around 10,000 hours of performance, LED lamps offer 50,000 hours of light, or more.
  • Added controllability – While retrofittable LEDs aren’t as controllable as a brand new LED fixture and lamp, they can still be used with dimmers and some other controls. Compared to legacy systems, LEDs can be controlled with greater precision and without placing additional stress on the lamp – which is often the case with fluorescent lamps. With better controllability, your new LED lights can be configured to output at varying levels, saving money when lighting isn’t needed in certain areas.

What is the Typical ROI for a Retrofit LED Lighting System?

With the above advantages, LED retrofitting can offer a quick ROI, though it depends on the scale of your project. When assessing potential savings, many facility managers focus solely on energy efficiency.

Another major factor to consider is the reduction in maintenance. Since LEDs allow facility managers to control their maintenance costs, an organization’s ROI may be as brief as a couple of years. Typically, the ROI attached to a retrofit solution is between three and five years, but even then, that’s a rapid return compared to other facility upgrades.

And once a company reaches the ROI threshold with their LEDs, the system will continue to save the organization money year after year.

The Cost of LED Retrofitting Depends on a Few Different Factors

It’s impossible to accurately estimate the cost of an LED retrofit without first surveying the organization’s facilities. During the site survey, the installation team will take note of a few important cost-related factors. These factors include:

  • The number of fixtures to retrofit – Part of the project’s cost is related to the number of fixtures to procure and install. The more fixtures the organization needs, the more the retrofit will cost.
  • Whether the existing fixtures can take retrofit LEDs – Some existing fixtures are not compatible with retrofit LED lamps, though many are. During the site survey, the lighting team will note what fixtures are present and whether they can be used with a retrofit installation.
  • The impact of utility rebates – Organizations are incentivized to modernize their lighting systems through utility rebates. These rebates may be offered per-fixture, which means they can add up quickly for large projects. Once rebates are factored in, the ROI time may be reduced by several months or more.

LED Lighting Retrofits are an Ideal Option for Lighting Upgrades

If your organization is interested in LED lighting technology, but not in the cost of a brand new solution, retrofitting the LEDs offers an ideal compromise. LED light retrofits require minimal alterations to your existing infrastructure, and they offer comparable performance to a new system.

Unsure which type of retrofit fixture to target? An expert lighting supplier and installer can help. There are many LED retrofit lamps to choose from, including retrofit T4 and T8 tubes. Some retrofittable LED fixtures are also designed to work with an existing ballast or with no ballast at all. In short, there are many retrofit lighting products to choose from, and an experienced lighting team can help find the right solution for your retrofit.

Replacements for Fluorescent Tube Lighting

Replacements for Fluorescent Tube Lighting

Obsolete, inefficient lighting is always being replaced by newer technologies, and it appears that fluorescent tubes are next in line. This is nothing new – incandescent bulbs are nearly extinct – but with the rise of high-efficiency options like LED lighting, fluorescent tubes are now a target for regulators.

In fact, some fluorescent lighting is already banned from manufacturing. If your facilities rely on it, you may be having issues sourcing fluorescent fixtures. In “light” of this, many facility managers are transitioning to LED lighting technology.

Compliance isn’t the only benefit, either. LED lighting has significant efficiency and longevity advantages that can help control operating costs.

What Fluorescent Tubes are Being Phased Out?

In 2009, the Department of Energy (DOE) instituted a ban on T12 tubes that was put in effect starting on July 14, 2012. Manufacturers were allowed to exhaust their remaining raw materials to produce and sell T12s, and extensions were handed out to a couple of major manufacturers.

Also, the DOE’s ban did not include high-CRI T12 fluorescent tubes, but several states have already extended the ban to include them. These states include:

  • California
  • Colorado
  • Hawaii
  • Maine
  • Maryland (starting in 2024)
  • Massachusetts (starting in 2023)
  • Nevada (starting in 2024)
  • New Jersey (starting in 2023)
  • Oregon (starting in 2023)
  • Vermont
  • Washington (starting in 2023)

In addition to high-CRI T12s, these bans also include high-CRI T8 tubes. It’s likely that as LED tubes become more popular, additional states will institute their own extended restrictions on fluorescent tube manufacturing.

What are the Replacement Options for Fluorescent Tube Lights?

We’re in the middle of a major lighting transition, and the number of LED replacement options is growing all the time. A few of those options include:

  • LED retrofit tubes – Retrofit tubes are a popular choice for property owners because they cost less than a full fixture replacement, while still providing most of the benefits that come with LED lighting.
    LED retrofit tubes are designed to fit into existing fluorescent fixtures, and they come in a few varieties. Type A tubes are designed to wire into the existing fluorescent ballast. Type B tubes are wired directly to the mains and bypass the ballast altogether. Type C tubes come with an integrated driver that’s used instead of fluorescent ballasts.
    There are advantages and limitations with each retrofit tube type. Type A tubes are quick to install but may have compatibility issues with the existing ballast. Poor ballast/lamp compatibility isn’t an issue with Type B tubes, but installation is considerably more difficult and subject to more risk. Type C tubes provide the best performance but are the most expensive retrofit tubes on the market.
    In all three cases, though, retrofit LED tubes are less expensive than full fixture replacements and provide the energy efficiency that LED lights are known for.
  • LED T8 fixtures with an LED tube – There are also full fixture replacement options that incorporate the LED tube and fixture together. While these are more expensive than retrofit options, a full fixture replacement also unlocks the full capabilities of LED lighting technology. This means two things:
    1. Full fixtures replacement means there’s no fluorescent ballast involved. That improves energy efficiency further because the ballast is responsible for some of the power draw.
    2. Full fixture replacement are also compatible with modern lighting controls. This includes dimmer and occupancy controls, both of which can improve lighting performance and energy efficiency further.
  • LED panels or troffersLED panels and troffers can also replace your fluorescent tube fixtures while retaining the same footprint. Panels lie flush with the ceiling and provide frame-to-frame illumination while LED troffers are much like fluorescent troffers – recessed into the ceiling and finished with a tube fixture.
    LED panels and troffers provide the advantages of LED lighting with the modern aesthetic that comes with these fixtures.

How Can LED Tube Lights Improve Facility Operations?

For availability reasons, facility managers will eventually need to transition to LED lighting. As long as there is budget room, there’s no reason to wait. Compared to fluorescent lights, LED tubes are an improvement in nearly every way. For example, LED lighting can:

  • Reduce operating costs – LED lighting is the most energy efficient lighting technology available, which is why the DOE and state regulators favor it. That energy efficiency can also bring a facility’s energy costs down considerably. LED fixtures also last much longer than other lights. That means lower lamp replacement and maintenance costs. Together, these savings mean LED retrofits provide a quick ROI.
  • Allow for better control – LED lighting is the best fit for advanced lighting controls. These controls can improve efficiency, sure, but they can also enhance security and productivity by providing illumination where it’s needed most, when it’s needed most.
  • Produce higher quality illumination – LED lights have come a long way in quality since they were first introduced decades ago. As a replacement for fluorescent tubes, LED fixtures provide light that’s closer to natural sunlight in emission range. People tend to feel comfortable when subjected to natural light, compared to the greenish cast that fluorescent lights produce.

Need a Replacement Option for Fluorescent Tube Lighting? Consider an Upgrade to LEDs

T12 fluorescent tubes will soon be removed from the market entirely, and it likely won’t be long until T8s and T5s follow suit. Facility managers have decisions to make with their lighting, and many are deciding to upgrade to LED fixtures.

With rapid advancements in LED fixture technology in recent years, LED lighting is now accessible to most properties. That’s true even if you are operating with a tight budget. Retrofit tubes mean you don’t have to start from scratch, and LED lamps soon pay for themselves with their minimal energy and maintenance costs.

Why is LED Lighting Better for the Environment?

Why is LED Lighting Better for the Environment?

As technology advances, one of the benefits that comes along with it is reduced environmental impact. This is also true of LED lighting, which offers several positive environmental impacts on top of reduced operating costs.

LED’s green-friendly engineering is a primary reason why it’s a top choice for street lighting, parking lot lighting, sports field lighting, and many other large-scale applications. Here, we’ll take a closer look at what gives the technology its green reputation.

LED Lights Offer Unmatched Energy Efficiency and Minimal Heat Loss

The engineering behind LED lighting is far more sophisticated than that offered by legacy solutions. LED fixtures are driven by efficient semiconductor dies, which generate illumination by exchanging electrons at the atomic level. Compared to heated filaments or pressurized gas chambers, much less energy (in the form of heat) is lost with semiconductors.

At the lamp-level, this means LEDs spend more of their energy on light. LEDs convert 80 to 90 percent of the energy they receive into illumination. Compare this to metal halides, which only convert about 25 percent of received power into light.

At the source and system level, LED lighting consumes far less energy per watt than all other alternatives. That added energy efficiency is good for the environment, good for society and good for your company’s budget.

LED’s reduced heat radiation also reduces the load on HVAC systems, which is a downstream boost in energy efficiency.

LED Fixtures Prevent Excess Light Pollution

Light pollution may not harm air quality or build up on roadsides, but it can affect human and animal health all the same. Excess nighttime uplighting can produce ecosystem-destabilizing effects, such as altering migratory patterns or confusing nocturnal animals.

Too much nighttime illumination also has deleterious effects on people. It can disrupt sleep-wake cycles, exacerbating sleep disorders, and depression and anxiety. It can also result in fatigue, brain fog and various mood-related issues.

Engineers have been hard at work on the problem and some LED fixtures represent a viable solution. For example, shielded LED fixtures are designed to only emit illumination below the horizontal, and emit reduced output at angles close to the horizontal. Further, these fixtures are built with anti-glare optics, so they reflect less illumination up into the sky.

Another advantage of LED lighting is its controllability, and this controllability also makes LED fixtures an environmentally friendly option. With advanced controls, LED bulbs can be automatically dimmed when no one is nearby, reducing energy consumption. And this may be welcome in residential areas, where lighting trespass can be a significant nuisance.

LED Lamps Last Longer and Don’t Require a Secondary Disposal Stream

Compared to legacy lighting, LED fixtures last far longer. An LED bulb will provide around 50,000 hours of quality illumination before replacement is indicated, which means years of reliable operation between bulbs.

Fluorescent tubes provide between 8,000 and 15,000 hours of light, while metal halides are around the same (maybe a little less). That means you’ll replace a fluorescent tube or metal halide fixture up to six times before a single LED lamp replacement is required.

Reduced lamp turnover minimizes your facility’s operating costs, and it also minimizes material waste. Even better, LED fixtures do not need a dedicated waste disposal stream for safety reasons. That’s because LED light bulbs contain no mercury, which is a highly toxic substance. Mercury, though, is built into some of the components inside fluorescent lighting. When fluorescent lights break, it’s a safety hazard that will disrupt facility operations. LEDs aren’t hazardous in the same way, so they can be disposed of in your company’s general waste stream.

LED Fixtures Have a Lower Carbon Footprint

From manufacturing to disposal, LED lighting comes with a much smaller carbon footprint, compared to legacy lights. According to data tracked by the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, an incandescent bulb is responsible for 4,500 pounds of carbon dioxide every year, while an LED bulb is responsible for only 450 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions every year – a 90 percent reduction. An EPA study found that if every residential property replaced a single incandescent bulb with an LED bulb, it would reduce carbon emissions by more than 9 billion pounds every year.

And that’s just residential properties. At the commercial, industrial, and municipal levels, switching out legacy systems with LEDs will greatly shrink your company’s carbon footprint.

LED Lighting is More Effective When Used with Photometric Analysis

In many cases, companies must decide between environmental compliance and cost. It can be a difficult balance to strike, but with LED lighting, the cost and environmental benefits line up. With their excellent energy efficiency, extended lifespan and modern fixtures designs, LED lights are the first option for cities and businesses looking to go green.

And with their impressive ROI, reliability and illumination quality, LED lighting is also a top choice for companies that just want to save on the margins.

In either case, organizations can get the most out of their new LED lighting solution by working with an experienced system designer and installer. An experienced designer, for example, can perform a photometric analysis of your project. Photometric designs use a 3D model of the property to simulate various lighting solutions. The goal is to produce the most illumination possible with the fewest fixtures possible, taking care to avoid lighting trespass.

If an Organization Prioritizes Sustainability and Green Initiatives, LED Technology is the Ideal Lighting Solution

With their cost-saving and green-friendly benefits, companies are quickly making the shift to LEDs. If your organization is also considering the same, there are retrofit fixtures that will provide most of the benefits of a new LED lighting system at a lower cost. With multiple price points available and electricity costs on the rise, it’s an opportune time to make the transition.

 

How Does LED Lighting Combat Light Pollution?

How Does LED Lighting Combat Light Pollution

Humans and animals are adapted for dark nights. Our circadian rhythms – the daily biological cycles that govern our biological clocks – are dependent on those dark nights, and lighting pollution threatens them. Lighting pollution refers to excessive amounts of night-time illumination, often resulting in “skyglow.” That’s the orangish haze that blankets urban areas at night and creates elevated lighting conditions around the clock.

Health and lighting experts agree that lighting pollution is a problem, but LED lighting technology suggests that the problem is solvable.

What Are the Risks of Excessive Light Pollution?

The American Medical Association (AMA) has considered lighting pollution and believes it should be minimized when possible for better human health. The Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) of North America, one of the industry’s largest associations, agrees with the AMA’s assessment.

Light pollution can cause melatonin levels to drop in people, and lower levels of melatonin are associated with several health problems. They include:

● Sleep deprivation and poor-quality sleep
● Increased stress and anxiety
● Fatigue
● Headaches

Medical researchers are concerned that there could be long-term effects associated with low melatonin levels, but it’s too early to know for sure.

What’s important is that the AMA and IES agree that lighting pollution and trespass should be minimized when possible. One way to do this is with LED lighting. Some current generation fixtures are designed with light pollution-limiting features that can make for a darker night sky.

LED Fixtures Can be Engineered with Full-Cutoff Capabilities

Older street lighting systems feature non-cutoff or semi-cutoff fixtures that do a poor job of limiting light pollution. A major cause of skyglow is the uplighting that street and parking lot fixtures emit. If allowed to radiate in all directions, high-output lights generate a considerable uplight effect.

To prevent this, fixture manufacturers have created cutoff and full cutoff options designed to work with LED lighting solutions. Full cutoff fixtures can go a long way in reducing light trespassing. These fixtures provide 100 percent shielding at angles 90 degrees and above relative to the light’s nadir and 90 percent shielding in the 80 to 90-degree zone.

Fixture shielding works especially well with LED lamps because LED lighting is directional by nature. It doesn’t radiate in all directions like most other lights. Instead, it emits in a tighter spread that can be easily aimed. Even when LED lamps are shielded, they can generate high levels of output where needed most – at ground level.

Minimal Glare is also Possible with Modern LED Fixture Designs

Another significant cause of light pollution is glare. It doesn’t play a major role in skyglow, but glare is uncomfortable for people and animals. It also reflects off of surfaces, so it can trespass in unpredictable ways.

LED fixtures also offer a solution here. Some LED streetlights are built with advanced optics that act as diffusers, spreading the illumination out evenly instead of creating intense bands of light.

LED technology is ideal for this approach because LED light sources are made up of many tiny diodes. Each diode is fitted with a primary optic that orients each diode’s light in the right direction. A secondary optic fitted over the lamp diffuses this evenly distributed illumination, eliminating glare in the process.

LEDs are Available in Warmer, More Comfortable Color Temperatures

When LEDs were first adopted by cities for use in streetlights, it quickly became clear that people prefer warmer illumination at night. This was especially true in neighborhoods. Cooler color temperatures – blue light, in particular – boost attention and alertness. While this is nice during the day, at night it’s less welcome.

In the past, high pressure sodium lamps were responsible for delivering this warm illumination that people prefer. High pressure sodium bulbs, though, create low quality light that is terrible at rendering colors. That has a negative effect on long-range visibility and, therefore, safety.

When first introduced, LED lighting came in a limited variety of color temperatures, most of them on the cool side of the spectrum. Now, LED lighting is available in a full range of color temperatures, including warmer tones that people find more comfortable.

Pairing LED Lights with Modern Lighting Controls Helps Manage Output Levels

One of LED’s standout advantages is its controllability. LED lights are compatible with all modern lighting controls, giving cities and property owners better management over their lighting system.

In fact, LED streetlights are at the forefront of the smart lighting control movement. Cities around the world are experimenting with networked LED lighting systems, as these allow for centralized control at the utility. With networked controls, utilities can manage an entire system’s worth of lights at the fixture level. If the fixtures are integrated with dimmers, utilities can reduce output and light pollution in a specific area of the city. Neighborhoods are an obvious choice for this approach.

Smart controls can also use data picked up by integrated sensors to dim up or down. For example, when motion or IR sensors pick up a nearby motorist or pedestrian, the light can automatically come up in output. When no one is nearby, the light dims back down.

This isn’t just effective for light pollution. It also promotes much better energy efficiency and can reduce loads on the city’s grid.

Light pollution is a problem, but LED technology offers solutions

Night-time lighting has extended our species’ capabilities well after the sun goes down, which is great for productivity. It isn’t great for our health, though, but the lighting industry is quickly developing solutions. Many of those solutions are most effective when paired with LED lighting technology. With their superior engineering and controllability, LEDs can be adapted for a range of light pollution-limiting initiatives.

When are Fluorescent Lights Being Discontinued?

When are Fluorescent Lights Being Discontinued

For years, local, state, and national governments have placed additional regulations on the lighting industry and its products. This process continues pace, and while in the past these regulations were aimed at incandescent and halogen lamps, now fluorescent lighting is in the crosshairs.

For nearly a century, fluorescent light bulbs were the undisputed leaders in energy efficiency. This was true when CFLs were introduced in 1976, and it was still true when LED lighting was just being introduced by manufacturers.

That’s no longer the case, though. Modern LED fixtures have passed fluorescents in terms of energy efficiency, along with safety, maintenance costs and lighting quality. With these facts in mind, some governments are limiting, or outright banning, the manufacturing of some fluorescent lamps.

What Types of Fluorescent Lighting are Being Targeted for Discontinuation?

At the national level, the Department of Energy (DOE) is responsible for lighting regulations. In 2009, it announced a phaseout of T12 fluorescent tubes. According to the DOE, after July 14, 2012, T12 fluorescent tubes could no longer be manufactured, though manufacturers could exhaust their existing material stock to manufacture T12s before discontinuing them permanently.

However, there were some exceptions to the rules. Major manufacturers like Phillips were given an extension on the ban, but the DOE’s objective has been met. As soon as the DOE’s intention to ban T12s was clear, production plummeted. If your facilities rely on T12 fluorescents, you’ve likely had difficulty sourcing lamps or T12-related accessories, like ballasts.

A notable exception in the DOE’s regulation was high-CRI fluorescent lighting, specifically lamps with a CRI rating of 87 or higher. This exception buoyed the production of T12s for a while, but several states have already passed their own laws banning the sale or manufacturing of high-CRI linear fluorescent lighting. This essentially bans all T12s from those states, which include:

  • California
  • Colorado
  • Hawaii
  • Maine
  • Maryland (effective January 1, 2024)
  • Massachusetts (sales may continue until January 2023)
  • Nevada (effective January 1, 2024)
  • New Jersey (effective January 18, 2023)
  • Oregon (effective January 1, 2023)
  • Vermont
  • Washington (effective January 1, 2023)

Some T8 tubes are also considered high-CRI lamps and would therefore fall under these bans as well.

Why are States and National Governments Considering a Ban on Some Fluorescent Tubes?

Fluorescent tubes are available in a variety of sizes, denoted by the number following the “T.” The largest among them, by diameter, is the T12. T12 tubes are 1.5 inches in diameter, and their larger size means they must rely on electromagnetic induction to generate light. This is inherently less energy efficient (T12s require about 40 watts per hour to operate) than the more sophisticated circuitry built into T8s and T5s. A typical T8 tube, for example, requires between 25 and 30 watts an hour to run.

The DOE’s T12 phaseout was predicated on the T12’s poor energy efficiency, but there are other reasons why there is momentum behind a T12 ban. For example:

  • Lower quality illumination – Lamps aren’t generally phased out because they lag in output quality, but because T12s do produce lower quality illumination than T8s or T5s, this is one less defense for the fixture.
  • Contains higher amounts of mercury – A T12 lamp contains between 20 and 25 milligrams of mercury, which is much higher than newer fluorescent bulbs. Proper fluorescent tube recycling can prevent some of this mercury from reaching landfills, but only a small percentage of fluorescents are recycled.
    Fluorescent’s mercury content is relevant because mercury is an extremely toxic substance to contact or ingest. In developed countries like the U.S., a large amount of polluting mercury is a result of improper fluorescent tube disposal.
  • Must be replaced more often – Compounding the above issue is the fact that T12s must be replaced more often than other types of fluorescent fixtures. More frequent replacement means more opportunities for mercury to escape into the environment. More frequent replacement means higher costs over time.
    More efficient alternatives, including smaller fluorescent tubes, are also lower maintenance options.

What Lighting Alternatives are Available for Consumers and Companies?

The fluorescent phaseout is underway and will likely continue as long as even more efficient alternatives like LEDs gain market momentum. While T8 and T5 tubes aren’t targeted by the DOE’s 2009 Act, some T8s are already limited by high-CRI linear fluorescent lighting bans.

Facility operators and lighting experts can see which way the industry is headed. LED lighting has come a long way since it was introduced decades ago, and it’s quickly being adapted for a variety of lighting applications. LED lamps and bulbs offer several benefits compared to older lighting technologies, including:

  • Unsurpassed energy efficiency – Quality LED T8s require about half of the wattage that a fluorescent T8 needs. As lighting regulations tighten further, LED’s efficiency advantage may become more and more relevant.
  • Longer life – An LED tube lasts a lot longer than a comparable fluorescent tube. The typical LED tube is rated for about 50,000 hours of quality performance while a fluorescent T8 will only function for about 15,000 hours. With their extended lifespan, LED fixtures don’t need to be replaced or disposed of as often.
  • No mercury content – LED bulbs do contain a tiny amount of arsenic and some heavy metals, but the amount is so low that LEDs are not considered toxic by regulators. They don’t have to be disposed of in a particular way, as a result.
    Most importantly, LEDs contain zero mercury. Their environmental impact is greatly reduced as a result.

Modernize Your System with High Quality LED Lighting

In just the last couple decades, focused phaseouts of several older lighting technologies have changed the way the industry operates. With incandescent, halogen, and now fluorescent lights quickly becoming history, lighting manufacturers, facility managers, and even residential consumers are making the switch to LED lighting.

Many home and business owners are choosing LED retrofit kits to replace their existing fluorescent lighting. These kits bypass existing ballasts and snap in LED linear strips so that the fixture will be completely LED. This is a great economical solution, saving on kilowatts and requiring little maintenance.

If you’re considering the same for your property, work with a company that has a comprehensive selection of LED lighting products available, including LED retrofit options that can be quickly installed with your existing lighting infrastructure. Not only is LED lighting the energy efficient choice, it’s also quickly becoming a convenient one as well.

What Fixtures Are Used For Lighting A Warehouse?

What Fixtures Are Used For Lighting A Warehouse

Warehouses are a challenge to light due to their size and because of the activity inside. Warehouses are busy places where workers are frequently engaged in high-risk tasks. To ensure they can do their jobs safely, you’ll need a high-output lighting system that renders color well and provides even coverage.

LED fixtures can provide that and more. As a result, you’re likely to see LED lights more often in warehouses these days. They’re quickly replacing high intensity discharge (HID) fixtures for several reasons.

High Bay And Low Bay Fixtures Are The Choice For Lighting A Warehouse

Most warehouses feature extremely high ceilings, ranging up to 40 feet or more. In spaces like these, where verticality is the defining feature, high and low bay fixtures are the standard.

In the lighting industry, the word “bay” refers to illuminating a large space. That means they’re designed for a large area like a warehouse.

There’s only a couple of differences between low and high bay fixtures. They are:

  • Mounting height – Low bay fixtures are intended for ceilings between 12 and 20 feet high. High bay fixtures can be mounted to ceilings between 20 and 45 feet high.
  • Output volume – Low bay fixtures don’t output as much light as high bay fixtures, given their shorter throw distance. Because of this, low bay fixtures consume a lower amount of power than high bays.

You’ve got plenty of flexibility in mounting bays. They can be mounted directly to the ceiling or suspended at varying heights. This gives facility managers layout flexibility when setting up the bays.

There are also bay lights sealed against water and solid intrusion. They’re ideal for warehouses where high dust and humidity levels are common, and feature IP65 ratings or better. Further, bay fixtures come with anti-glare features that improve comfort and visibility at ground level.

Bay Fixtures Are Available In Linear Or UFO Designs

The other major difference between bay designs is shape. Bay lighting products are available in linear or UFO designs, and both are common options for warehouse applications. Here’s a quick look at each:

  • Linear bays – Linear lighting is rectangular shaped and therefore suited for illuminating aisles, reception, and dispatch areas.
  • UFO bays – UFO bays are called such because they look like little round flying saucers. Because of their circular shape, UFO bays emit in a circular pattern. This is an effective choice for general lighting purposes or for loading bay areas.

The Problems With HID Lighting

HID lighting was the warehouse lighting technology of choice for a long time. HID bulbs output a lot of illumination, making them one of the best options for lighting outdoor areas or a large indoor space.

However, this high output comes at a cost. Specifically, high energy costs. HID fixtures like metal halides and high-pressure sodium lamps require a lot of power to function. At the source, metal halides aren’t too bad, though they’re still behind LED light bulbs in source efficiency.

It’s at the system level where metal halides waste a lot of electricity. That’s because of how a metal halide fixture emits light. Metal halides emit omnidirectionally, so a lot of their output never reaches the floor level where it’s needed most. They emit a lot of light, but much of it never reaches the intended target. Reflectors can mitigate this to some extent, but they’re heavy, expensive, and still not as effective as LED fixtures.

HID lighting tends to degrade quickly, too, and you can expect the typical metal halide to fail around 10,000 hours. Many will need to be replaced early because metal halides tend to decline in color rendering or output as they age.

Four Reasons Why LED Lighting Is Ideal For Illuminating Warehouses

LED is quickly emerging as the first choice in warehouse and bay lighting. LEDs come with several advantages over other lighting technologies, four of them including:

  1. Better energy efficiency – No other form of lighting offers the energy efficiency that LED does. LED fixtures have the best watt-to-lumen ratios on the market, and because they emit directionally by design, LEDs are able to get more of their illumination to workers below.
    Even compared to efficient technology like fluorescent lighting, LED excels. It’s common to find an LED equivalent to a fluorescent tube that requires half the wattage.
    Further, LED lighting emits extremely low amounts of heat and won’t stress your HVAC systems in the process. That way, your energy costs are minimized further.
  2. Extended lifespan and low maintenance design – Maintenance is one of the most important factors to consider when installing warehouse lighting. When warehouse lamps fail, you’ll need special equipment (like a bucket truck) and expertise to replace them.
    Compared to other forms of lighting, LED fixtures require the least amount of maintenance. It’s common for LED lights to go years without a single issue. They also last far longer than other fixtures. The typical LED bay will provide upwards of 50,000 hours of quality illumination. Metal halides (which are quickly becoming obsolete) only provide 10,000 hours, and even fluorescent tubes are only rated for half as long as the average LED light.
  3. High quality output and color rendering – LED lighting technology has come a long way since it was introduced decades ago. The biggest gains have come in lighting quality, to the point where LED fixtures emit light that is comparable or superior to HID and halogen.
    LED lighting is extremely bright and makes for an ideal overhead source. It’s even as well, with no dim or dark spots, and no shadows resulting from fixture design. It’s also available in range of color temperatures, including neutral hues in the 4000K to 6000K range.
    Further, LED warehouse lighting is available with high CRI-ratings, so it represents colors very well. That’s important for safety and productivity reasons.
  4. Excellent controllability – Nearly every lighting control in existence is built for use with LED lighting. Attach dimmers to the bays to adjust output exactly where it’s needed, balancing brightness and energy usage. Pair timers or occupancy controls with your bays, and they’ll only switch on when needed.
    There are LED drivers that can facilitate instant start as well, which is valuable for facilities where time is money. That includes warehouses.

LED Spot Is Your Warehouse Lighting Source

If you’re overseeing a warehouse lighting project, you’ve probably got questions about what type of lighting to choose. The LED Spot team can help with those questions and help with everything else regarding your warehouse lighting project. We carry a deep inventory of lighting, including many types of LED warehouse lighting.

Whether you’re updating an existing system or preparing a system for new construction, we’re the experts to call.

Fly Your Flag Through the Night With Flagpole Lighting

Fly Your Flag At Night With Flagpole Lighting

Nearly a century ago, the flag code (the U.S. government’s guide to displaying Old Glory) was amended to account for people who wanted to display the flag at night. In the past, the flag was only intended for display from sunrise to sunset, but the new code specified that people could display it at all times as long as the appropriate flagpole lighting was in place.

That’s the trick, though, finding the right lighting for the job. Fortunately, there are fixtures and lamps that make flagpole lighting easy.

How are Flags Properly Displayed with Lighting?

The typical residential flagpole is about 20 feet high, though some homeowners prefer a 25-foot pole if they’re living in a two-story home. This extended height poses a challenge to lighting installers, especially because the flag is mounted at the top of the pole. This means downlighting cannot be installed at the top to illuminate the flag. Instead, well-positioned uplights are required. In nearly every case, you’ll need two lights to allow for complete flag coverage, as this prevents pole shadows from interfering with the display.

There are three primary considerations when lighting a flag, including:

  • Lighting angle – The taller the flagpole, the wider the beam angle. For shorter, 15-foot poles, a tight beam angle is ideal (20 degree spread or less). For 20 and 25-foot poles, a wider beam spread is necessary. This could be anywhere from 30 to 60 degrees, depending on the fixture you’re working with.
  • Lighting intensity – The taller the flagpole, the brighter the fixture. A lot of lumens are lost from fixture to flag, which is why you’ll need high-output fixtures for proper display. For a 15-foot pole, fixtures that output around 2,000 lumens may be sufficient. You’ll need to crank the lumen count higher for 20-foot poles (about 7,500 lumens) and 25-foot poles (anywhere from 10,000 to 25,000 lumens).
  • Color rendering – Color rendering refers to a lamp’s ability to accurately present colors. A light’s color rendering capabilities are measured on the color rendering index (CRI). High CRI lamps are recommended for flag lighting, as this will ensure the best look.

Flagpole Lighting Requires a Ring Mount for Proper Operation

Flagpole Ring Mount A special mount is needed for flagpole lighting. With standard lighting poles, the fixtures are mounted to the top of the pole, but this clearly isn’t an option with flagpoles. Instead, lighting installers will use a ring mount that attaches to the pole and provides a spot for lamp placement.

Our flagpole mounting ring is available in 12V and 120V varieties, depending on whether you’re using line or low voltage fixtures. It’s constructed from aluminum or brass and can fit flagpoles that are 5” in diameter. Brass mounting rings are available in an acid rust finish or no finish at all. Aluminum rings are available with a black or bronze textured powder coat, which protects the fixtures from corrosion.

Flagpole mounts are extremely easy to install and require only a screwdriver to place.

Our Landscape Lights are an Ideal Fit for Flag Lighting Applications

Once the mount is placed, the lights are ready for installation. In this instance, the best option for flag lighting is a set of directional fixtures. Bullet fixtures are one such option.

Why directional fixtures? Bullet and spot fixtures produce a tighter beam spread that is ideal for targeting objects further away from the light. In this way, directional fixtures act like a stage spotlight – they frame the target with a sharp beam of illumination.

We provide a wide variety of LED bullet and spot fixtures ideal for flagpole lighting applications.

What are the Advantages of Using LED Lighting for Flagpoles?

LED lighting is preferred over other legacy lighting technologies because it comes with a few added advantages. They include:

  • Better energy efficiency – LED lighting is the most efficient lighting available, so if you prefer displaying your flag through the night, you can do so without spiking your utility bills.
  • Minimal maintenance – LED lighting is maintenance-efficient because once it’s installed, it requires almost zero maintenance to continue functioning optimally. On average, an LED flagpole light will provide upwards of 50,000 hours of quality performance before replacement is required. That’s several years’ worth of immaculate lighting.
  • Excellent lighting quality – It depends on the lamp, of course, but well-made LED lighting can emit thousands of lumens with superior clarity.

LED lighting is the first choice for flagpole lighting (and many other modern lighting applications), but should you go with solar-powered lighting or wired landscape lighting?

We recommend sticking with wired over solar lighting for a few reasons, including:

  • Wired lighting is brighter than solar lighting – Wired lighting is brighter and more consistent than solar lighting. Solar lighting output is greatly affected by the sun’s availability, so it’s more difficult to get the same quality look night after night with solar.
  • Solar lighting can be affected by weather or nearby obstructions – Clouds are a big problem for solar lighting and will affect how long or how bright the fixtures emit. Weather isn’t the only issue, though. Solar lighting installed near walls or landscaping may also be affected by shadows, so precise placement is needed.
  • Solar lighting must be replaced more often – Solar lighting comes with additional components, including the solar panels and batteries for power storage. More components mean more potential failure points, and that means more frequent replacement.

With LED Flagpole Lighting, Your Flag Will Look its Best, Day or Night

Flags are a beacon, and when properly lit, they can be a beacon in the night. To create that effect, though, you’ll need the right fixtures and lamps. Fixtures and lamps like our pole mount and directional LED lighting. With them, you can proudly display the Stars and Stripes (or any other flag), day or night.

Exterior LED Wall Packs Provide Better Safety, Security and Visibility

Exterior LED Wall Packs Provide Better Safety, Security and Visibility

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:

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.

How To Light A Pickleball Court

How To Light A Pickleball Court

So you’ve decided to dive into the fast-paced, hard-nosed world of pickleball. Well, maybe not hard-nosed, but definitely fast-paced.

Throw tennis, table tennis and badminton in a blender and what you get is a pickleball smoothie. The court has the same general shape and size of a tennis or badminton court, the paddles are similar to what you would use in ping pong (only larger) and the rules are borrowed from several different racquet sports. You can throw whiffleball in there, too, because a pickleball ball has the same weight and hole-filled design.

This hodge-podge of ingredients make for a game that’s quick and easy to learn, but also a little tough to play at night. Like with most sports, the speed is frequently cranked up with pickleball. And when it is, like during a volley, it’s impossible to keep up unless there’s sufficient lighting.

But just because the sun is down doesn’t mean you have to put the paddle down. With quality pickleball court lighting, optimal visibility can be maintained on your pickleball courts.

What Is The General Approach To Lighting A Pickleball Court?

When lighting any sports arena or field, the goal is to get as much of that light down to the field’s level as possible. That’s the goal, but what’s the process?

Whether it’s a pickleball court or a pickle farm, lighting experts use photometric analysis to model the area and determine how light moves through it. Photometric analysis technology is visually sophisticated stuff, allowing designers to see how a set of lights would work before they’re installed. To do that, the designer builds a 3D model of the space and drops fixtures in various spots. Each light is tagged with fixture-specific information, so it emits exactly the same virtually as it would in reality.

USA Pickleball – The sports leading advocate and maintainer of pickleball standards states that the optimal court lighting solution hews to the following standards:

  • Lighting poles should be between 20 and 26 feet high.
  • Lighting poles can be square, round straight or round tapered.
  • Medium or large zone lighting, depending on whether the court is for recreational or professional purposes.
  • Luminaires are arranged so they result in minimal glare.

LED Spot’s court lighting options take these standards into account.

What Does A Pickleball Court Lighting System Include?

LED Spot has performed photometric analysis for our pickleball court clients, and based on our analysis, this is how we put together our pickleball lighting kits:

  • Four lighting poles, each 20 feet high and designed for 20-foot lighting mounts. Our lighting poles are built with 10-gauge steel and a 4-inch diameter, so they’re beefy and can take a lot of punishment. This is handy for players that get a little animated when the pickleball doesn’t fall their way.
  • Four medium zone LED lights, designed to operate at a 4000K color temperature and capable of emitting a large amount of lumens. More than 26,000, to be exact. The fixtures are mounted at a 20-foot height to take advantage of this expanded lumen output. As for the color temperature, 4000K is a neutral choice that will not affect color perception, which is important for safety reasons. For professional courts, USA Pickleball recommends 5000K fixtures, but 4000K is more appropriate for residential and recreational settings.

During installation, each pole is placed outside the play surface, well beyond the sidelines. They’re organized in a square-like formation, each covering one of the court’s quadrants. It’s exactly what you would think if you were trying to light a rectangle.

The LEDs themselves emit in an offset pattern, so they can sit away from the court while still aiming their illumination at the play area. Extra bonus – our pickleball lights do not emit at viewable angles from the court. In other words, your lights won’t blind the player and leave them exposed to getting pickled by the ball.

LED Lights Are The Best Choice For Pickleball Players Of All Levels

So far, there’s been no mention of any other type of light other than LED lighting. There’s a reason for that. LED fixtures have become the first choice for most sports lighting applications, including lighting solutions installed at the professional level.

But even if you’re just installing lights for a neighborhood court, LEDs are still the best available option. Here’s why:

  • LEDs are energy efficient – LED lighting is the most energy efficient lighting there is. That’s been LED’s calling card since it was introduced decades ago, and it’s still the case. LED lighting needs a lot less energy to generate the same number of lumens as older lighting technologies. That adds up to energy savings – savings that can be pretty significant when considering a large-scale lighting system like court lighting.
  • LEDs require practically zero maintenance – LEDs are tough. Unlike filament or gas chamber-powered lamps, LED lamps don’t run on flimsy engineering. They don’t generate a ton of extra heat, either, which reduces wear on the light.
    Put it all together and you’ve got a fixture that you don’t have to think about once it’s installed. You’ll get years of effective lighting with minimal maintenance, which is about as good as it gets for property owners.
  • LEDs produce crystal clear illumination – LED lighting just looks good, too. One of the most important factors for sports lighting is whether the fixtures generate high-clarity lighting. LEDs do just that because they emit illumination evenly and with precision. Another perk – LEDs typically come with high color rendering index (CRI) ratings. High CRI lighting renders color without altering their tones, so color accuracy if you will. Strong color rendering isn’t just good for the players, it’s helpful for any spectators tracking the action.

Does Pickleball All Day And Night Sound Good? We Have The Lights You’ll Need To Do That

Pickleball is a mass-appeal sport, attracting people of all ages and fitness levels. So it’s no surprise that there is a growing number of pickleball fanatics honing their gaming skills at all times – including in the middle of the night.

If that sounds like you or someone you know, LED Spot can help you unlock your pickleball potential with nighttime court lighting. Our court lighting products have been implemented in a variety of athletic venues, from parks to stadiums, so we know how to bring light to the pickleball arena for effective play day or night.