How to choose the right floodlights???

As summer approaches in New Zealand, finding the right lights for your outdoor spaces becomes essential. There are several options available for outdoor lighting, and floodlights provide safety and security while ensuring optimal efficiency for areas such as backyards, sports fields, parking lots, and more.

In New Zealand, finding the right product to suit your needs can often be challenging. Many hardware stores claim to offer expert advice, but it is common to encounter staff who lack adequate knowledge about these products. This is where we, as an electrical supplier, step in to provide expert advice and reasonably priced products.

Our goal is to deliver efficient, low-maintenance, and high-quality fittings that keep our customers happy and satisfied. We have developed the following step-by-step guide to assist our clients, and it has proven to be a successful approach.

1. Location

The first step is to identify the type of facility and area you’ll be illuminating. Understanding the location will determine the safety standards, height, angle, glare control, and energy efficiency required for your floodlights.

Consider the following:

• Obstacles such as moving vehicles, doors, or drainage systems.
• Distance from neighboring properties to avoid disturbing others.
• Energy consumption, which can affect long-term efficiency.

These factors play a critical role in achieving the desired lighting output for your project.

2. Colour Temperature

Colour temperature is key to achieving the right ambiance and functionality:

• For security, opt for cool white (4000 K) or daylight (6000 K) temperatures, as these appear brighter and more alerting to the human eye.
• For architectural enhancement, go for warm white (3000 K) to create a cozy and inviting atmosphere.

Testing different colour temperatures in the specific area can help you achieve the desired effect, whether it’s for functionality or aesthetics.

3. Brightness: Lumens vs Watts

When it comes to brightness, remember: Lumens = Brightness, while Watts = Energy Usage.
Floodlight brightness ranges from 2,000 to 200,000 lumens. Here’s a quick guide:

• Small residential areas (e.g., backyards): ~2,000 lumens.
• Large commercial areas (e.g., car parks): 20,000+ lumens.

Additionally, the height and angle of installation play a role in distributing light effectively and minimizing shadowed areas.

4. Minimize Wasted Energy and Light

Modern LEDs provide excellent optical control, ensuring that light is directed where it’s needed. This reduces wasted energy, spill, and pollution, helping to keep neighbors and communities happy while lowering your energy costs.

5. Reduce Light Pollution

Always aim to minimize upward light when designing outdoor lighting. Light that escapes upward contributes to sky glow and light pollution, wasting energy in the process. LEDs with good optical control help prevent this by delivering precise and targeted illumination.

6. Energy Efficiency

Choose energy-efficient floodlights that offer maximum brightness with minimal energy consumption. LED floodlights, in particular, are known for their long lifespan, low maintenance, and cost-effectiveness compared to traditional lighting solutions.

Key Features and Benefits

• High-Performance Optics: Delivers maximum application coverage while minimizing obtrusiveness, ensuring effective and focused illumination.
• Efficient Thermal Design: LED thermal design fins on the back of the luminaires enhance heat dissipation, create airflow around the housing, and prevent dirt buildup.
• Significant Energy Savings: Achieve over 50% energy savings compared to conventional floodlights, with system efficacy exceeding 120 lm/W.
• Easy Installation: Features like factory-fitted cables and tool-less opening reduce both installation and maintenance time, offering a hassle-free experience.
• Optical Flexibility: Offers a variety of beam options, including symmetric wide and asymmetric medium or wide, to suit diverse lighting applications.
• Exceptional Durability: Built for harsh environments with features like 15KV/KA surge protection and a non-corrosive die-cast aluminium housing and bracket.
• Long Lifespan: Designed to last, with a 50,000-hour lifespan at L70, ensuring the LEDs maintain at least 70% of their original output even after extensive use.