Exterior Lighting Designs
by Custom Lighting Design on 9/12/2017
This review provides overviews of exterior lighting technologies that would
best be integrated into national parks as retrofits or new designs, as well as tips for
evaluating light sources, performing a lighting audit, and pairing lamps with lighting
controls. The key issues to consider when performing a retrofit or new lighting
design are energy, cost, and maintenance savings, and this guide is intended to
help make these decisions easier.
Lighting in national parks plays a significant role in keeping visitors safe and
enhancing their stays. For example, using the correct sources to light paths and
trails can contribute to visitors’ safety without upsetting the natural beauty of the
park. And illuminating key attractions with energy-efficient luminaires can make
their trips more memorable.
Exterior lighting often is on for extended periods of time, if not 24 hours a day.
By combining high-quality sources with occupant-responsive controls, the
energy use can be reduced with immediate results. In the past, high pressure
sodium lamps were the most efficient choice. However, the quality of light was
sacrificed for efficiency. Improved ballasts for induction lamps, emerging LED
luminaires, and new improvements in HID sources broaden the scope of choices.
When combined with the right sensors to maximize efficiency without compromising
safety, exterior lighting can be vastly improved, typically saving more than
50% in retrofit applications.
