Project Profile: Parking Structure Retrofits
Part 1: Lighting Retrofits Improve Efficiency, Safety in Parking Structures, Surface Lots
Part 2: Lighting Retrofits: Bi-Level Induction Lamps Reliable, Efficient
Part 3: LED Technology: Lamps Improve Light Quality, Performance Life
Part 4: Wireless Mesh Network Controls Road Lighting
LED Technology: Lamps Improve Light Quality, Performance Life
By Chris Matt, Managing Editor - Print & E-Media - September 2010 - Lighting
Despite the success Cioni and his team have had with bi-level induction lighting, it was not the only technology they specified for the retrofits. They also purchased LEDs as part of the projects.
"We did incorporate some LEDs on one of the parking structures, on the top deck, which is open to the sky," Cioni says. "We wanted something that was going to fit in aesthetically. I was curious about the LED technology, and I thought we should try some to get some experience with it. The fixtures that we went with at the time we determined to be the top-shelf product, and they were twice as expensive as the induction fixtures. That's why we limited what we did to just one area."
Similar to induction lighting, LEDs attracted Cioni because of long performance life and limited maintenance requirements.
"This will give us a baseline (for LEDs)," he says. "The LEDs are newer technology, so they don't have the 20 years of experience that the inductions have. There are so many people jumping into the market, so it's time to get comfortable with the technology and distinguish the quality of the fixtures, the components, the optics, and everything that goes into making one of these things work properly."
