Choosing Commercial Outdoor Lamps

With the various types of commercial outdoor lamps available on the market today, how do you choose. Below you will find a breif description of the different types of lamps available and what they are commonly used for.

Most commercial outdoor lighting is composed of an HID light source which stands for high-intensity discharge. These lamps can be seperated into four categories:

1) Mercury Vapor

2) Metal Halide

3) High-Pressure Sodium

Each lamp produces a distinct color output. This is mainly dependent upon the type of gas used inside the HID lamp.

Since the four outdoor HID lighting sources have very distinct color differences, its important to know exactly what they are going to be used for. Each distinct color will either enhance or detract from the overall appearance of the objects lit.

The final result you want to create will determine what type of commercial outdoor lighting fixture you should install.

For example, industrial projects may require you to make a heafty alternative to your outdoor lighting fixtures. Use industrial outdoor lighting fixtures to take on the harshest outdoor environments out there.

Of course, even more important is the type of lamp that is being used within that light fixture.

Commercial Outdoor Lamp Characteristics

Mercury Vapor Lamps

Mercury vapor lamps produce a bluish/green moonlight color. They have a long life span but tend to lose their light output over time. They are also quite large in size and are not found as easily as other lamps since not all manufactures make them.

Mercury vapor lamps are very appealing when lighting trees and greenery because they tend to exaggerate the plant's natural green color.

Metal Halide Lamps

Metal Halide lamps are more commonly used because of the nice white light they produce. They are very versatile and great for lighting trees, highways, downtown areas, or shopping centers since their light is the closest to natural light of any of the HID lamps.

Metal Halide lamps tend to be difficult to color match precisely because of the the slight color variation from lamp to lamp. They also tend to have a lower lifespan than other HID lamps, somewhere between 6,000-20,000 hours of lamp life.

High-Pressure Sodium

High-Pressure Sodium lamps are one of the most efficient and long lasting HID lamps available. They are mostly seen in parking lots, highways, and in street lamps because they produce a golden yellow color.

If you plan on lighting plants, trees, or any greenery for that matter high-pressure sodium lamps are not the way to go. Because of their golden yellow color they tend to make plants and greenery look stale and dull.

Low-Pressure Sodium

Low-Pressure Sodium lamps produce a very deep yellow light making them somewhat useless for most commercial outdoor lighting applications. With that said, they do have the longest lamp life and are the most efficient HID lamps available.

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