What are the trends today in parking garage lighting installation?*

Appropriate lighting systems for a parking garage are different for every owner and operator. These decisions must consider initial fixture cost, maintenance costs, appearance, and functionality.

Today energy efficient fluorescent lighting has become the preferred choice for parking garage lighting. In terms of maintenance, longevity, and energy savings fluorescent fixtures last longer and consume less energy than traditional lighting fixtures.
In the past, fluorescent lighting was not always the typical recommended choice for parking garage lighting. Early fluorescent lighting struggled with maintaining consistency, particularly in cold weather. However, today’s new enclosed/vapor tight fluorescent fixtures are much more dependable, and now feature new lamp and ballast configurations, multi-level switching and controls, and photocells. These changes have significantly improved the performance of these systems. Advanced enclosed/vapor tight fluorescent fixtures now allow usage under low temperatures, even up to 0° F, with minimal light loss.

Fluorescent lighting systems have a much different look than traditional HPS (High Pressure Sodium) or MH (Metal Halide) lighting.



With regard to energy efficiency and initial cost, energy conservation incentives have reduced the payback period. These initiatives included the Federal Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPACT 2005). In addition, fluorescent light fixtures with T5HO and T8 lamps offer 40% to 50% energy savings over 175-watt metal halide systems with nearly twice the lamp life.

T5/T5HO = 5/8” diameter lamp
T8 = 8/8” diameter lamp
T12 = 12/8” diameter lamp



Source: Parking Today, November 2006

T8 or T5HO (high output) lamps are commonly used for new parking structure luminaries or to replace metal halide fixtures. A typical configuration for lighting layout is two rows of light fixtures at 30-by-30-foot spacing in a parking facility. Each single fixture should have either four lamps of T8 or two lamps of T5HO.

If fluorescent fixtures are recommended, it is recommended that the fixture have an IP65 or above rating enclosure against dust and water. To maximize garage lighting, properly designed reflector and lens/diffuser will provide “uplight” to illuminate the ceiling, providing a more inviting environment. In addition, the durability of the lens/diffuser should be considered for vandal resistance or damage by car antennae.

We recommend a photometric study to ensure adequate lighting uniformity, which is a recommended maximum 10:1*. The recommended illumination for a typical level of a parking garage is an average of 10 foot candles.
*Source: Lighting for Parking Facilities, Publication RP-20-98, Illuminating Engineering Society of North America, NY, NY 1998