Automotive Car Lot Lighting Case Study

Lancaster Motors
Car Lot Lighting Project
Lancaster, Wisconsin
January 2009

PROJECT DETAILS
RLLD Commercial Lighting was contacted by a car dealership in Lancaster Wisconsin. They had been seeking online bids for their car dealership lot lighting system with very little success.

CHALLENGES
The challenge for this car dealership lay in the fact that they already had existing concrete light pole bases on the lot that had been spaced too far apart. This made it hard to find fixtures which would adequately light the car lot, and none of the vendors they had contacted before us had any been able to locate an appropriate lighting fixture, reflector, and lens assembly that would the necessary light levels for nighttime business and security.

Another challenge lay in limited lighting pole installation requirements due to wind zone requirements. Additionally, the anchor bolts that were already set in concrete would allow for now more than 25’ poles in a 90MPH wind zone. To balance pole height limitation with a limited range of fixture options, we needed to run through several scenarios in our photometric software to generate a sound proposal for this car dealership.

PHOTOMETRIC DATA REPORT
The owner of the dealership helped a great deal in this process. He sent us diagrams and pictures of his car lot, and he gave us a copy of the previous proposal that had not materialized. We did a quick photometric lighting design analysis and concluded that this client needed more than one option to consider based on to the challenges inherent in lighting this facility. Ultimately, we were able to him two proposals and the benefit of one over the other.

The first was an upgrade of the original car lot lighting system which had used horizontal burning, metal halide shoe-box fixtures. The owner had requested seeing what an upgrade of this nature would look like and cost, so this was the first option we provided.

We also proposed a commercial lighting system that we felt was even better. It used high-performance vertical burn SVL series lighting fixtures. The larger housing, better performing reflectors, and a sag glass lenses, enable these fixtures to consistently and cost-effectively output more light.

We created three dimensional models of both systems so the owner could compare the two.

FINAL SYSTEM PROPOSED BY RLLD
Both models showed the same number of parking lot lighting fixtures in use, but the results were overwhelmingly in favor of the SVL series equipment. With the SVL, luminance was more evenly distributed throughout the merchandise area, but the shoe-box type fixtures produced too many hot spots directly underneath the poles. There was also too little light between the existing pole locations.

The SVL fixtures were clearly the best architectural lighting choice for the car lot considering the location of the existing pole bases. We also installed perimeter fixtures to enhance the visibility of the dealership in the front along the highway, and we installed two additional poles on the inside of the lot that supported four 1000W fixtures, each equipped with specific reflector for interior area lighting.

HOW DO I CONTACT RLLD?
RLLD Commercial Lighting carries a wide variety of industrial & commercial lighting fixtures. If you can not find what you are looking for contact us toll free at 1-866-654-3961 and we will find it for you. You can also check out our glossary of lighting terms and commercial lighting blog for answers and tips to many lighting issues.

Our commercial lighting design office is located in Houston, Texas with warehouses located throughout the United States that enable us to service all 50 states including Sault Ste Marie, MI (CIU), Cleveland, OH, (CLE), College Station, TX (CLL), Port Angeles, WA (CLM), Charlotte, NC (CLT), Columbus, OH (CMH), Champaign, IL (CMI), Hancock, MI (CMX), Cody, WY (COD) and Colorado Springs, CO (COS).

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Parking Lot Lighting & Outdoor Lights

Contractors hired to install parking lot lighting systems for commercial clients can come to RLLD Commercial Lighting Supply as both a source of adjunct lighting design and superior equipment procurement. The benefits of this relationship extend far beyond the stereotypical “one source solution” that everyone wants to use as a claim to fame these days. It offers contractors a means of recession-proofing their brick-and-mortar clients by calculating beforehand all the necessary components of a parking lot or decorative lighting system and providing the top-of-the-line US-manufactured commercial light products to install.

Check out some of the commercial parking lot lighting articles posted on RLLD:

Commercial Light Pole Installation
Commercial light pole installation is a systematic process that flows from the conceptual and the general to the systematic and precise. This process is similar to a flowchart.

Concrete Lighting Poles
Cement or concrete lighting poles have experienced a recent surge in popularity among property developers, civil engineers, architects, and general contractors. People have begun to realize that concrete, in spite of its reputation as a purely industrial substance.

Commercial Parking Lot Lighting
Commercial Parking Lot Lighting has become increasingly regulated over the years and requires expert knowledge beyond electrical expertise to properly configure and install.

Parking Lot Lighting Fixtures
Parking Lot Lighting Fixtures & 3D Photometric Lighting Designs Services. Take for example the wide variety of parking lot fixtures that are used to light car dealerships, malls or coffee house patios.

Parking Lot Lighting Design
The size and layout of your client’s parking lot will often help our photomatric lighting design team quickly pinpoint the degree of cutoff and optics type most effective for your project. If a parking lot is asymmetrical and located in a nefarious part of town.

Outdoor Parking Lot Lighting
Outdoor Parking Lot Lighting. Commercial Lighting can help you achieve superior results with just the right amount of power, elevation, and angle of incidence without overspending or encroaching on light trespass restrictions.

RLLD Commercial Lighting also carries a wide variety of sport & athletic lighting fixtures. If you can not find what you are looking for call us toll free at 1-866-654-3961 and we will find it for you.

We welcome you to our commercial lighting website and encourage you to visit us often to participate in our community management program. This program will allow you to receive discounts on products and services, dialogue with experts, receive referrals for new business, and participate in incentive programs for contractors who volunteer testimonials and lighting design ideas and suggestions.

Our home office is located in Houston, Texas with warehouses located throughout the United States that enable us to service all 50 states including New York NY, Los Angeles CA, Miami, FL. Chicago, IL. Denver CO., New Orleans, La., Cleveland, Ohio, Kansas City, Mo., Mesa, Arizona, Virginia Beach, Va., Omaha, Nebraska, Oakland, California, Miami, Florida, Tulsa, Oklahoma, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Colorado Springs, Colorado, Arlington, Texas, Beaumont, Texas, Denton, TX, McKinney, Texas, Midland, TX, Killeen, Texas, Dallas TX, San Antonio, TX, Austin, TX, ALBQ, NYC, LA, MPLS.

Commercial Lighting Fixtures

Incandescent
Although incandescent lamps are more frequently used in residential lighting applications, some commercial lighting fixtures also used this technology. Incandescent lamps pass current through a filament, which causes the filament to give off light. Because they are relatively short lived, incandescents are used mostly as decorative commercial lighting fixtures. Their ability to render warm colors effectively without ballast makes them well suited to this application, and the enormous variety of bulb designs make them highly soft after source of any type of accent lighting or decorum based commercial lighting design.

Fluorescent
Fluorescent lamps are used extensively in commercial lighting fixtures for a number of reasons. First and foremost of these reasons is their ability to use less power than other commercial lighting fixtures, making them very cost effective from an energy conservation perspective. Fluorescent bulbs also produce a very bright light that is evenly distributed, making them ideal commercial warehouse lighting fixtures and products, canopy lights, security lights, in interior retail lights in discount stores where high levels of general lighting help psychologically motivate larger bulk purchases of discount merchandise.

Fluorescent bulbs produce light by activating phosphors on the interior of the bulb using ultraviolet energy generated by a mercury arc. Ballast helps start and operate the fluorescent lamps by regulating electron flow through the gaseous arc. Trends in fluorescent lighting technology have made them more compact, increasing lumens per watt efficiency as high as 100 lumens per watt, and reducing the amount of toxic mercury within the bulbs interior. Fluorescent commercial lighting fixtures are best deployed underneath building eaves (as in the case of canopy lights), near loading docks, in wallpacks on the sides of buildings, or as large grocery store or warehouse lights. Placing them too far out into open spaces tends to diffuse their light output and diminish their intensity.

High Intensity Discharge (HID) Commercial Lighting Fixtures
HID stands for High Intensity Discharge. It refers to a technology where light is produced by a gaseous arc discharge using a variety of elements. Typical elements include mercury vapor, metal halide, and high pressure sodium. The arc tube within an HID lamp will contain one or more of such elements, and when current passes between the electrodes at either end of the tube, the current creates an arc that generates visible light.

HID lamps feature the highest efficiency in lumens per watt output and also feature a greater level of lighting control. They also last longer than other commercial gooseneck lighting fixtures, making them a wise investment for a company on a Spartan budget that cannot afford to continually replace equipment.

High intensity discharge sources include mercury vapor, metal halide, and high pressure sodium (HPS) lamps. Light is produced in HID and low pressure sodium (LPS) sources through a gaseous arc discharge using a variety of elements. Each HID lamp consists of an arc tube which contains certain elements or mixtures of elements which, when an arc is created between the electrodes at each end, gasify and generate visible radiation.

Light Sources and Lamp Characteristics

Mercury Vapor (MV)
Mercury vapor lights were some of the first HID commercial landscape lighting fixtures developed. They were designed originally to meet a rising demand for a very compact, high output, and energy efficient source of light. They are used extensively in a number of landscape lighting applications, being commonly deployed as tree lights in high-end commercial outdoor lighting systems. In other applications they have proven somewhat less effective duo to their inferior color rendering abilities, although this has improved to a certain extent over the years by phosphor coated interior bulb walls.

The life of mercury vapor lamps is good, averaging 24,000 hours for larger wattage lamps. However, because the output diminishes so greatly over time, economical operational life is often much shorter. Efficacy ranges from 30 to 60 lumens per watt, with the higher wattages being more efficacious than the lower wattages.

As with other HID lamps, the starting of a mercury vapor lamp is not immediate. Starting time is short, though, taking 4-7 minutes to achieve maximum output depending upon the ambient temperature.

High Pressure Sodium (HPS)
High Pressure Sodium (HPS) commercial parking lighting fixtures gained huge popularity in the 1970’s to meet the needs of a powerful, yet super efficient, source of HID lighting. Lumens per watt output in an HPS lamp can be as high as 140 lumens per watt—approximately 7 times the luminance as incandescent lamps and twice that of MV or Fluorescent. They also last for approximately 24,000 hours---the longest lamp light on the market.

The problem with HPS commercial lighting fixtures has always been the quality of light they create. HPS lamps give off a yellowish or orange-tinted color and are not acceptable light sources for situations where illuminating a brand, architectural keynote, or any type of ornate exterior landscaping requires a high level of color rendering. For the most part, they are used in applications such as commercial parking garage lighting, warehouse lighting, and certain outdoor applications such as security flood lighting.

Metal Halide (MH)
Metal Halide (MH) commercial warehouse lighting fixtures are fast becoming the preferred source of HID lighting in most commercial environments. This is because they produce a very bright white light that nearly equivalent to daylight in its color rendering ability. The variety of applications is significant as a result, ranging from decorative street lighting, commercial parking lot lighting, car lot lighting, outdoor landscape lighting, architectural lighting, security lighting, and general site lighting. Traditionally, their biggest drawback has been their short lamp life—only 7,500 hours on the average.

Newer designs in Metal Halide commercial lighting fixtures include pulse start technology and ceramic metal halide design. These improvements have increased lumens per watt efficiency, control of the light itself through superior dimmability, better stability of color rendering, longer lamp life, and shorter start time.

Unfortunately, recent legislation has called for the phase out of certain standard forms of MH commercial exterior lighting fixtures due to their use of incendiary elements that fall under the classification of greenhouse gas sources. This in turn paves the way for the most sophisticated lighting ever developed on our world, and quite possibly, the singular source of lighting used both commercially and residentially in the very near future: LED commercial lighting fixtures.

LED Commercial Lighting Fixtures
As technology improves, the ability to create truly “white” led light continues to evolve. LED commercial electric lighting fixtures are featuring higher lumens per watt efficiencies than their initial prototypes initially offered. This has opened the door for a number of architectural lighting and site lighting applications that were previously the exclusive domain of HID commercial lighting fixtures.

We are also seeing an upsurge in the use of led commercial lighting fixtures in street and roadway lighting, where a number of municipalities in the United States and Europe have reported some very promising findings in regards to both power cost reduction and the overall quality of street lighting itself.

Look for quarterly leaps and bounds in the engineering gains made by LED commercial lighting fixture manufacturers, and be sure to sign up for our RLLD Commercial Lighting Newsletter which will feature news updates and case studies about this exciting and revolutionary technology.

RLLD Commercial Lighting carries a wide variety of industrial, commercial and sports athletic field lighting fixtures. If you can not find what you are looking for contact us toll free at 1-866-654-3961 and we will find it for you. Our home office is located in Houston, Texas with warehouses located throughout the United States that enable us to service all 50 states including like Ft. Lauderdale, FL (FLL), Orlando, Florida (MCO), Santa Monica, CA, (LAX) Columbus, Ohio (CMH) (LGA) New York, NY, (JKF), St. Louis, MO, Detroit, Michigan (DTW), Madison, WI (MSN), San Francisco, California (SFO), and Omaha, Nebraska (OMA).

Commercial Lighting Fixtures & Supplies

RLLD Commercial Lighting has thousands of commercial lighting fixtures and lighting products from which contractors can choose, and they are all made in the USA.

Knowing that contractors have to find the right fixture for the right job to win the bid, our job is to find the right commercial lighting product that will do the job right. In order to accomplish this ambitious goal, we have established some very unique manufacturer agreements that allow us to sell commercial lighting products for a wide number of leading American lighting manufacturers, not just one.

As a representative of multiple manufacturers, we can promise you impartiality and professionalism in our recommendation of what commercial lighting products will best fit your requirements. Because we are not required to sell a specific number of any particular models or meet any type of deadline or quota, we can give you multiple options whenever you need help locating the right commercial lighting products for your proposal.

We drop ship commercial site lighting products straight from the factory to your client’s location. This saves time and eliminates parts shortages that often hit distributors who rely upon warehousing for inventory. Our distribution network is nationwide, giving us full access to any commercial lighting product necessary to meet the contractor’s needs, and giving us expeditious delivery power on rush orders in as little as two weeks.

In addition to supplying contractors with commercial lighting products, we also provide them with adjunct commercial lighting services. The most important of these services is a photometric analysis of a client’s facility. This schematic is created with advanced lighting design software and details necessary foot candle levels, fixture placement locations, recommended number of fixtures, and types of lamps optimal for the client’s lighting requirements.

For certain commercial lighting products, such as parking lot lighting poles and fixtures, we provide turnkey installations on a nationwide basis. Ask an RLLD Commercial Lighting Specialist about these services.

Our inventory of commercial lighting products is extensive and includes both indoor and outdoor commercial lighting fixtures. These include, but are no means limited, the following:

· LED Industrial Lights
· Induction Lighting
· Metal Halide Lights
· High Pressure Sodium Lights
· Floodlights
· Wall Packs
· LED Interior Lights
· LED Outdoor Lights
· Fluorescent Light Fixtures
· Parking Lot Lighting
· Solar Powered Street Lighting
· Security Lighting
· Architectural Lighting
· Sign Lighting
· Office Lights
· Lighting Control Systems
· Outdoor Accent Lights
· Landscape Lighting
· Sports Lighting
· Baseball Lights
· Soccer Lights
· Football Lights
· Volleyball Lights and Lighting Kits
· Tennis Court Lights and Lighting Kits
· Commercial Parking Garage Lighting
· Warehouse High Bay Lighting
· Roadway and Highway Lighting

…and a growing selection of many more lighting packages, lighting kits and lighting case studies.

RLLD Commercial Lighting offers all adjunct consultation services to clients on a complimentary basis and charges a small, reasonable fee for contractors seeking paid consulting services on an as need basis. There is a fee for every photometric analysis, but for contractors who buy commercial lighting products from RLLD Commercial, the full fee is subtracted from the purchase order.

RLLD Commercial Lighting carries a wide variety of industrial & commercial lighting fixtures. If you can not find what you are looking for call us toll free at 1-866-654-3961 and we will find it for you. Our home office is located in Houston, Texas with warehouses located throughout the United States that enable us to service all 50 states including like Ft. Lauderdale, FL (FLL), Orlando, Florida (MCO), Santa Monica, CA, (LAX) Columbus, Ohio (CMH) (LGA) New York, NY, (JKF), St. Louis, MO, Detroit, Michigan (DTW), Madison, WI (MSN), San Francisco, California (SFO), and Omaha, Nebraska (OMA)

Commercial Lighting & Light Fixtures

RLLD Commercial lighting offers a number of essential benefits to every organization currently facing rising costs and stagnant markets in a mounting recession. Reducing overhead is top priority to most organizations, and clients facing the necessity of new investments will only do so when those investments offer tangible returns. Outdoor commercial lighting designers working B2B can help their clients reduce overhead by proposing commercial lighting systems that feature improved energy efficiency and advanced lighting control.

Competitive bidding situations can often be overcome by pointing out to clients that the savings/reinvestment potential of superior grade, energy efficient commercial architectural lighting fixtures quickly recovers both investment funds and revenue that would otherwise be wasted on exorbitant power bills. More savings can be generated for many commercial and industrial clients with security lighting systems that can create a higher safety rating and reduce the costs of commercial liability insurance. Better commercial lights also means less frequent maintenance and equipment replacements. Many clients in government and education have fixed budgets and cannot invest annually in upgrades and maintenance. Offering these entities solutions that not only save power, but also last longer, generates even more recession proofing for the end user that gives the commercial lighting designer ultimate competitive advantage in a bidding war.

RLLD Commercial and industrial lighting also equips contract lighting designers with the full spectrum of lamping options for all commercial fixture types. Our inventory includes halogen lamps with wide, intense beam spreads that are ideal for lighting outdoor industrial areas and large parking lots. For clients on tight budgets, contractors can propose any number of RLLD fluorescent commercial lighting fixtures engineered specifically for factory, warehouse, and commercial parking garage lighting. For heavy-duty security lighting, we also supply a wide variety of high-pressure sodium lamps and floodlights that can be tied to automated timers and sensors to create a maximum-security perimeter around your clientsʼ facility, office, school, or government building. Last but not least, RLLD inventories all major types of commercial light fixtures in LED models that combine the world’s most efficient lighting distribution system with energy savings ranging from 80-90%.

More options means more benefits that you can pass on to your clients, and RLLD is committed to helping you win every bid by providing you not only with equipment, but also with choices and support. These options include, but are by no means limited to, the following major categories of commercial lighting fixtures.

Athletic & Sports Field lighting
All RLLD Commercial Sports Lights are manufactured from top commercial grade materials and feature a wide range of glare/light pollution shielding designs to keep your client’s facility in full compliance dark skies and lighting level regulatory codes.

Parking Garage Lighting
RLLD Commercial Lighting inventories parking garage lights with High Intensity Metal Halide Fixtures, High Pressure Sodium Lamps, and a wide range of fluorescent fixtures designs. Each fixture type offers unique advantages that must be considered in terms of cost, commercial lighting quality, and the size of your parking garage. Ask an RLLD commercial lighting expert which lamping option will work best for your client’s facility.

Commercial Parking Lot Lighting
RLLD Commercial Lighting commercial lights are constructed of formed aluminum that adds a contemporary touch to your building or commercial warehouse. Hinged doors on each fixture allow easy access for maintenance, and mounting options range from wall mounts to pole mounts in a broad range of optics and accessories.

Commercial Fluorescent Lights
RLLD provides commercial fluorescent lighting fixtures in every shape and size in order to equip the contractor with every conceivable replacement option for incandescent lights. This includes ceiling mounted fluorescent fixtures, hanging fluorescent lighting strips, fluorescent wall packs, fluorescent floodlights, loading dock lights, and commercial high bay lights.

All RLLD fluorescent lamps generate minimal heat and help maintain cooler temperatures in workshops, warehouses, and other areas where minimizing radiant heat creates a safe and optimal work environment for workers.

New & Used Car Dealership Lighting
RLLD Commercial Lighting inventories five major series models of car dealership commercial light fixtures, each of is available in any number of finishes, builds, glare shield accessory options, fixture housing, and optical design. RLLD Commercial Lighting experts will help you configure the schematics of your car dealership lighting system to give you the best possible image for maximized sales.

Mall Parking Lot Lighting
Retails shopping centers and malls have to ensure nothing discourages shoppers from visiting their locations. Parking lot lights help make a mall or strip center much more attractive and increase a feeling of safety for shoppers by making sidewalks, parking areas, streets, and landscapes more visible.

Agriculture Barn & Horse Arena Light Fixtures
Metal halide lights make excellent retrofits for equestrian facilities with large creosote light poles. These lights are designed with brackets designed to mount on walls or buildings and feature both superb color rendering and power conservation. With RLLD commercial lighting pole adapters and metal halide box floods, existing outdoor horse arenas can be upgraded to an entirely new level of quality without having to modify existing electrical wiring.

Business Buildings & Office Lighting
RLLD commercial and architectural lighting experts will help you line item fixtures and mounts that will ensure an efficient balance of safety, security, aesthetics, and regulatory code compliance. This allows the commercial lighting designer or developer to take a whole site approach to outdoor and architectural lighting with RLLD as a one-source vendor of equipment and consulting design solutions.

Parks & Recreation Lights
RLLD Commercial Park and Recreation Lights feature symmetrical geometry and elaborate decorations based on historical periods and established artistic motifs. They also support all lamping types for maximum lumens per watt efficiency, so it is never necessary to compromise functionality or lamp maintenance for aesthetics when you work with RLLD Commercial as your source.

Commercial Warehouse Lighting and HID Fixtures
Energy saving commercial warehouse lighting is the best way to help your industrial client’s recession proof their businesses. Choose from any number of HID, Fluorescent, and even LED Industrial warehouse lights to optimize your lighting fixture package or proposal for client savings and win/win bidding.

Security Lighting
RLLD Commercial Lighting supplies contractors with a wide variety of security lighting products. Find floodlights, low pressure sodium vapor lights, wall packs, canopy lights, motion detectors, HID fixtures, and both wall and pole mounted security lights, outdoor wall mount light fixtures,

Commercial lighting fixtures vary considerably in size and accommodate specific interior tasks and exterior applications, so working with a vendor like RLLD who has access to lighting level regulations and local regulatory codes can often help contractors choose not only the best fixtures for the client, but also those that offer the greatest level of compliance with governing authorities. This type of partnership makes it possible for commercial lighting design firms to obtain any type of fixtures, mounts, or accessory from an RLLD expert and develop a customized tennis court lighting proposal that speaks to client facility, budget, and aesthetic preferences all at once.

RLLD Commercial Lighting carries a wide variety of industrial & commercial lighting fixtures. Have you searched our commercial lighting articles for helpful and technical lighting advice? If you can not find what you are looking for there please contact us toll free at 1-866-654-3961, or visit our commercial lighting blog and we will find it for you.

Our site is located in Houston, Texas with warehouses located throughout the United States that enable us to service all 50 states including New York NY, Los Angeles CA, Miami, FL. Chicago, IL. Denver CO., New Orleans, La., Cleveland, Ohio, Kansas City, Mo., Mesa, Arizona, Virginia Beach, Va., Omaha, Nebraska, Oakland, California, Miami, Florida, Tulsa, Oklahoma, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Colorado Springs, Colorado, Arlington, Texas, Beaumont, Texas, Denton, TX, McKinney, Texas, Midland, TX, Killeen, Texas, Dallas TX, San Antonio, TX, Austin, TX, ALBQ, NYC, LA, MPLS.

Commercial Lighting Information

Clients of RLLD Commercial lighting can thus obtain fixtures of any type, size, intensity, and design simply by contacting a RLLD lighting specialist and placing an order directly through our distribution network. Our growing inventory offers the following to contractors, end users, architects, and building developers nationwide. Let's look at a few commercial lamping options and lamp charateristics:

Incandescent
Although incandescent lamps are more frequently used in residential lighting applications, some commercial lighting fixtures also used this technology. Incandescent lamps pass current through a filament, which causes the filament to give off light. Because they are relatively short lived, incandescent sources are used mostly as decorative commercial lighting fixtures. Their ability to render warm colors effectively without ballast makes them well suited to this application, and the enormous variety of bulb designs make them highly soft after source of any type of accent lighting or decorum based commercial lighting design.

Fluorescent
Fluorescent lamps are used extensively in commercial warehouse lighting fixtures for a number of reasons. First and foremost of these reasons is their ability to use less power than other commercial lighting fixtures, making them very cost effective from an energy conservation perspective. Fluorescent bulbs also produce a very bright light that is evenly distributed, making them ideal commercial warehouse lighting fixtures, canopy lights, outdoor lights, security lights, in interior retail lights in discount stores where high levels of general lighting help psychologically motivate larger bulk purchases of discount merchandise.

Fluorescent bulbs produce light by activating phosphors on the interior of the bulb using ultraviolet energy generated by a mercury arc. Ballast helps start and operate the fluorescent lamps by regulating electron flow through the gaseous arc. Trends in fluorescent technology have made them more compact, increasing lumens per watt efficiency as high as 100 lumens per watt, and reducing the amount of toxic mercury within the bulbs interior. Fluorescent commercial lighting fixtures are best deployed underneath building eaves (as in the case of canopy lights), near loading docks, in wall packs on the sides of buildings, or as large grocery store or warehouse lights. Placing them too far out into open spaces tends to diffuse their light output and diminish their intensity.

High Intensity Discharge (HID) Commercial Lighting Fixtures
HID stands for High Intensity Discharge. It refers to a technology where light is produced by a gaseous arc discharge using a variety of elements. Typical elements include mercury vapor, metal halide, and high pressure sodium. The arc tube within an HID lamp will contain one or more of such elements, and when current passes between the electrodes at either end of the tube, the current creates an arc that generates visible light.

HID lamps feature the highest efficiency in lumens per watt output and also feature a greater level of lighting control. They also last longer than other commercial lighting fixtures, making them a wise investment for a company on a Spartan budget that cannot afford to continually replace equipment.

High intensity discharge sources include mercury vapor, metal halide, and high pressure sodium (HPS) lamps. Light is produced in HID and low pressure sodium (LPS) sources through a gaseous arc discharge using a variety of elements. Each HID lamp consists of an arc tube which contains certain elements or mixtures of elements which, when an arc is created between the electrodes at each end, gasify and generate visible radiation.

Mercury Vapor (MV)
Mercury vapor lights were the first HID commercial lighting fixtures developed. They were designed originally to meet a rising demand for a very compact, high output, and energy efficient source of light. They are used extensively in a number of landscape lighting applications, being commonly deployed as tree lights in high-end commercial outdoor lighting systems. In other applications they have proven somewhat less effective duo to their inferior color rendering abilities, although this has improved to a certain extent over the years by phosphor coated interior bulb walls.

The life of mercury vapor lamps is good, averaging 24,000 hours for larger wattage lamps. However, because the output diminishes so greatly over time, economical operational life is often much shorter. Efficacy ranges from 30 to 60 lumens per watt, with the higher wattages being more efficacious than the lower wattages.

As with other HID lamps, the starting of a mercury vapor lamp is not immediate. Starting time is short, though, taking 4-7 minutes to achieve maximum output depending upon the ambient temperature.

High Pressure Sodium (HPS)
High Pressure Sodium (HPS) commercial lighting fixtures gained huge popularity in the 1970’s to meet the needs of a powerful, yet super efficient, source of HID lighting. Lumens per watt output in an HPS lamp can be as high as 140 lumens per watt—approximately 7 times the luminance as incandescent lamps and twice that of MV or Fluorescent. They also last for approximately 24,000 hours---the longest lamp light on the market.

The problem with HPS commercial lighting fixtures has always been the quality of light they create. HPS lamps give off a yellowish or orange-tinted color and are not acceptable light sources for situations where illuminating a brand, architectural keynote, or any type of ornate exterior landscaping requires a high level of color rendering. For the most part, they are used in applications such as commercial parking garage lighting, warehouse lighting, and certain outdoor applications such as security flood lighting.

Metal Halide (MH)
Metal Halide (MH) commercial lighting fixtures are fast becoming the preferred source of HID lighting in most commercial environments. This is because they produce a very bright white light that nearly equivalent to daylight in its color rendering ability. The variety of applications is significant as a result, ranging from decorative street lighting, commercial parking lot lighting, car lot lighting, outdoor landscape lighting, architectural lighting, security lighting, and general site lighting. Traditionally, their biggest drawback has been their short lamp life—only 7,500 hours on the average.

Newer designs in Metal Halide commercial lighting fixtures include pulse start technology and ceramic metal halide design. These improvements have increased lumens per watt efficiency, control of the light itself through superior dim ability, better stability of color rendering, longer lamp life, and shorter start time.

Unfortunately, recent legislation has called for the phase out of certain standard forms of MH commercial lighting fixtures due to their use of incendiary elements that fall under the classification of greenhouse gas sources. This in turn paves the way for the most sophisticated lighting ever developed on our world, and quite possibly, the singular source of lighting used both commercially and residentially in the very near future: LED commercial lighting fixtures.

LED Commercial Lighting Fixtures
As technology improves, the ability to create truly “white” led light continues to evolve. LED commercial lighting fixtures are featuring higher lumens per watt efficiencies than their initial prototypes initially offered. This has opened the door for a number of architectural lighting and site lighting applications that were previously the exclusive domain of HID commercial lighting fixtures.

We are also seeing an upsurge in the use of led commercial lighting fixtures in street and roadway lighting, where a number of municipalities in the United States and Europe have reported some very promising findings in regards to both power cost reduction and the overall quality of street lighting itself.

Look for quarterly leaps and bounds in the engineering gains made by LED commercial lighting fixture manufacturers, and be sure to sign up for our RLLD Commercial Lighting Newsletter which will feature news updates and lighting case studies about this exciting and revolutionary technology.

RLLD Commercial Lighting carries a wide variety of industrial & commercial lighting fixtures. If you can not find what you are looking for call us toll free at 1-866-654-3961 and we will find it for you.

Our facilities are located in Houston, Texas with warehouses located throughout the United States that enable us to service all 50 states including New York NY, Los Angeles CA, Miami, FL. Chicago, IL. Denver CO., New Orleans, La., Cleveland, Ohio, Kansas City, Mo., Mesa, Arizona, Virginia Beach, Va., Omaha, Nebraska, Oakland, California, Miami, Florida, Tulsa, Oklahoma, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Colorado Springs, Colorado, Arlington, Texas, Beaumont, Texas, Denton, TX, McKinney, Texas, Midland, TX, Killeen, Texas, Dallas TX, San Antonio, TX, Austin, TX, ALBQ, NYC, LA, MPLS.

New and Used Car Dealership Lighting

The brighter a car looks under the light, the greater its value in the eye of the customer. Car dealership lights are a very important element in the presentation of your inventory. Having a bright, but glare-free spread of illumination throughout your lot works to enrich the value of your vehicles and provide a safe and comfortable place for your customers to shop after sundown. More advanced commercial outdoor lighting fixture designs and optics are available now than ever before, and light pollution controls are now available to keep the light focused within your property line without encroaching on surrounding areas. New sheik luminaire builds and custom finishes will further add to the value of your car dealership in terms of overall aesthetic and decor.

We supply only American-made car parking lot lighting luminaires featuring the latest technology and cost-cutting energy efficiency. A brief summary of each of our major light fixture types is detailed in the paragraphs below. More detailed information can be obtained by calling an RLLD Commercial Lighting designer who will help you configure the schematics of your car dealership lighting system at no additional charge.

Pole-Mounted Aluminum Car Lot Lights
These are excellent lights for small, privately-owned car dealerships. They feature seams that are welded together and silicone sealed that make them impervious to inclement weather. Aluminum car lot lights are made with a top cap for maintenance and easy access for adjusting and replacing lamps.

Car Lot Flood Lights
Car dealerships may choose from all varieties of business building floodlights, including Cut off flood, forward flood; standard flood, parking flood, and type V flood designs. These aesthetic fixtures are perimeter security lighting as well as lighting your inventory. Every fixture is made from a single piece of die-cast aluminum and offers a high-temperature silicone gasket that creates a weather-tight seal. Lenses are cut from clear, heat and impact resistant tempered glass.

Shoebox Design Dealership Lights
The heights of light poles are regulated by wind-load laws that mandate they be a certain size or feature a special design. RLLD Commercial Lighting saves dealerships money on car lot park lighting poles fitting them shoebox fixtures are designed to redirect airflow around their surfaces much like sports cars do on the road. This allows contractors to install smaller, more affordable light poles on car lots without violating regulatory codes.

Metal Halide Lights with 1000W Lamps
These light fixtures are frequently found in the larger dealerships that require a high level of foot-candles. They offer an elegant design that complements the establishment and a wide variety of finishes that include both standard and custom colors.

Wall and Pole Mounted Car Dealership Lights
The contemporary designs these outdoor fixtures offer add a modern look to any lot. They are an ideal complement to the presentation of imported or luxury vehicles. Contemporary fixtures are adaptable as well, and can be mounted on walls as well as poles. They feature housing seams that are welded together and sealed with silicon to protect parts from climatic extremes and rough weather.

RLLD Commercial Lighting offers design assistance and photometric analysis reports that can go a long way toward saving car dealerships time and money on lighting and lighting pole packages. With a new look to your car lot, you can also present a new face to the world that can help advertise your business and contribute to ongoing sales and business development.

RLLD Commercial Lighting carries a wide variety of industrial & commercial lighting fixtures. If you can not find what you are looking for contact us toll free at 1-866-654-3961 and we will find it for you.

Our light designers is located in Houston, Texas with sites located throughout the United States that enable us to service all 50 states including New York NY, Los Angeles CA, Miami, FL. Chicago, IL. Denver CO., New Orleans, La., Cleveland, Ohio, Kansas City, Mo., Mesa, Arizona, Virginia Beach, Va., Omaha, Nebraska, Oakland, California, Miami, Florida, Tulsa, Oklahoma, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Colorado Springs, Colorado, Arlington, Texas, Beaumont, Texas, Denton, TX, McKinney, Texas, Midland, TX, Killeen, Texas, Dallas TX, San Antonio, TX, Austin, TX, ALBQ, NYC, LA, MPLS.