Exterior College Campus Lighting

Every location has its own unique lighting needs. A college campus is a unique location full of various areas with each area having its own lighting needs. When it comes to exterior college campus lighting, there are a few things to keep in mind. Here are a few tips to help make the most of this important area.

1. Use different lights for different areas

The most important tip for exterior college campus lighting is to keep in mind a well-balanced and successful light plan will include several different types of fixtures throughout the location. For example, college campuses need to light different areas such as the parking lot, walkways, building entrances, and other areas of concern so these will all require different lighting solutions. While you will want a powerful floodlight mounted high on a pole for the parking lot, the building entrances might do better with wall packs casting down on the doors. When it comes to walkways, you can opt for traditional street lamps for larger paths and tasteful bollards for a narrow path or sidewalk.

2. Stay consistent with color temperature

While you definitely want to mix and match the fixture types to fit the needs of the area, you do not want to do the same with color temperature on your campus. The color temperature is how warm or cool the lamps appear to the eye when illuminated. A warmer lamp gives off a yellow glow while a cooler light gives off a white to bluish tone. While there are no rules regarding which end of the color temperature scale is right for your location and performances, you want to keep consistency throughout in terms of the color you choose. It is too jarring to the eyes to switch from a warm to cool and it can also make your campus look less appealing overall.

3. Use LED fixtures

LED is one of the best options for a few reasons. Most college campuses care about the bottom line in terms of lighting costs. LED offers the best lumen output for a lower wattage consumption. This will save your campus money on utility costs for the life of the fixture. LED is also longer lasting than other solutions with many lamps lasting as long as 10,000 hours before needing a replacement. LED is also free from flickering and offers a consistent light source ideal for a college campus.

4. Avoid safety and security concerns

One of the most important matters in exterior college campus lighting is safety and security. You want staff and students to have a safe environment and a big part of that is a result of proper illumination. It’s a well-known fact that poorly lit areas are more prone to not only accidents like slips and falls, but also crimes like robbery, theft, and assault of various kinds. Proper lighting is paramount to the safety of everyone on campus. There should be no areas of shadowy walkways or poorly lit paths of high traffic areas. You should also keep in mind that a college campus is a 24-hour operation so lights should not be set to timers or shut off until sunrise.