What Photometry is and the Importance of Photometric Plans for your LED Lighting Upgrade
If you’re thinking about upgrading your property’s parking lot lighting to LED, there’s a tool that should be an essential part of the process: a photometric plan. It may sound intimidating, but it’s a tool every lighting professional will put to good use for your project.
What is a Photometric Plan?
Photometry is simply the science of how we measure light. Photometric Plans are grided layouts that show the measurement of light throughout your property. These plans show how a lighting system, with a variety of products, will look at the project site (on paper). The photometric plans show the spread, uniformity, and footcandles of lighting.
How are Photometric Plans Created?
A Photometric Plan is created by measuring the current light levels or output from each fixture. Existing light levels are estimated using industry standard software such as AGI32. This ensures an accurate picture of how much light each fixture produces at 100% power.
Photometric plans should be created for both current lighting conditions (pre-upgrade) and with your new chosen lighting package. Photometrics help ensure that every fixture achieves maximum output and brightness uniformity.
4 Reasons to Ensure Your LED Lighting Upgrade Includes Photometric Plans
Avoid Glare & Dark Spots (Shadowing)
When designing a photometric plan, it’s important to consider the specifications of each fixture. Most notably the lumen package, the spread of light, and mounting height of the fixture. Glare can be caused by too much light in an area, while dark spots/shadowing can occur when there isn’t enough light in another.
Achieve Proper Light Levels & Uniform Spread
A photometric plan helps you achieve the proper lighting levels throughout your parking lot making sure that people in the area have enough light without causing eye discomfort or distractions due to glare or shadows. The correct spread and brightness of light will ensure energy efficiency. If your property is over-lit, it would lead to a waste in energy.
Reduce the Number of Light Poles or New Fixtures
Photometric plans also give you an accurate visual to determine if there are too many or too little poles in your parking areas. Many times, existing pole locations are used for the LED lighting upgrade. In these cases, it’s essential to choose fixtures with lumen packages for optimal brightness and spread of light.
Make the Most of Your Investment, Get Your Return
Photometrics are important for property owners to make the most of their investments, whether installing new fixtures on existing poles or upgrading the entire system. The goal is to meet project lighting criteria with the most effective and efficient layout, while enhancing your project’s surroundings.
Photometric Plans are crucial for making sustainable decisions. With them, you’ll be able to plan the best LED Lighting upgrade for your property or parking lot and ensure you are meeting your project goals. Have more questions about Photometric Plans for LED Lighting Upgrades? Reach out to our team today for a complimentary consultation over the phone or video conference.
