Building exteriors require ambient lighting as much indoors. The lighting layout in most cases, helps with visibility at night time, security and safety of people and vehicles around the building. It is essential to have a lighting setup for outdoors when it comes to commercial as well as residential areas. Wallpacks are ideally small light fixtures which are able to provide light around areas closer to ground which needs light for security, safety and visibility. They are mounted on the exterior walls of any important building be it commercial, industrial or residential,
Use of wallpacks
There are other options like flood lights for outdoor lighting on a large scale, but for a specific lighting near ground LED wall packs are essential. These fixtures enhance the appearance as well allow the user to have full access over the kind of layout they are trying to achieve with this application.
1. For security
Wallpacks are essentially capable fixtures to provide the kind of lighting which matches the security requirements around any building’s parameters. This includes all kinds of buildings; residential, industrial and commercial. These fixtures are available in a variety of designs to meet the requirements of general lighting catering to visibility and security around night time.
The wall packs can be mounted on the walls even in spaces where other fixtures are hard to install
2. For architectural lighting
This is another common application of wall packs as some of the commercial spaces make use of wall packs to highlight special features of the building. It’s almost like branding and attracting potential customers. In most cases this is done around buildings which are a tourist attraction. The different kind of architectural lighting which can be achieved by these fixtures are:
- Facade lighting
This kind of lighting is usually done towards the front exterior of the buildings to highlight logos, entrances or pathways. This kind of lighting is highly beneficial in terms of branding as it defines the purpose of the building.
- Spot lighting
This is one of the largely impactful kinds of landscape lighting as the light is entirely focused over a certain spot within a fixed beam angle.
- Highlighting
Highlighting or accentuating of the light is done in several ways around any exterior. For example, highlighting is done around the plantation or any important monument which is near the building.
Tips for choosing wall packs
1. Plan a layout
It is essential to plan a layout for the parameter which requires lighting. Wall packs are easy to install as these are compact fixtures which are available in different customisations. A layout encompassing the area which requires lighting will help determine the right number of fixtures to reach a certain level of illuminance.
2. Choose LED
Traditionally HID or HPS lamps are used in wall pack fixtures as they are brighter. But they have proven to be quite inefficient and have damaged the diverse use of this fixture. LED lamps however have proven to be super efficient by all means. They have set quite a standard when it comes to bright and efficient lighting with sustainable features which eventually lower maintenance costs.
3. Check wattage and voltage
The wattage and voltage rating of the fixture is the first thing one should be checking despite the lumen output as different areas have different divisions. The lumen output can vary which determines the wattage and sizing of the fixture but for best function it requires appropriate running voltage.
4. Select the appropriate IP rating
As the wall packs are outdoor fixtures they need to be Ingress protected against all harsh elements present outdoors which are: fluctuating weather conditions, chemicals, dust etc. The IP rated fixture is safe against pressure exerted by water at the rate 100-150Pa. These fixtures are available in three IP ratings: IP65, IP66, IP67.
5. Find the appropriate beam angle
LED wall pack lights allow this customisation where the beam angle can be chosen to develop a certain layout. This customisation allows a lot of variation and saves a lot of money.
For example, the beam spread can be narrow, wide, narrow flood or flood. It gives a lot of space to just create the adequate lighting layout at a ground level for ease of pedestrians or people living close by.
6. Choose from different designs
Wall pack lights are available in different designs. The fixture is compact and has several cut off variations to control or direct the amount of light leaving the fixture. With LED wall pack lights it gets easier to assess and the cut off designs comply with several regulations for the outdoor lights.
7. Select the lumen output
The lumen output is the measure of brightness. It is determined per fixture by calculating the layout. The appropriate lumen output helps create the uniform light layout for outdoors which does not interfere with routine activities as well as it is able to fulfil the expectations of outdoor lighting.
With total lumen output in range it is easier to decide the number of fixtures and the distance between each fixture.
8. Incorporate sensors and photocells
Wall pack light fixtures can be incorporated with sensors and photocells specifically if they are used for security reasons. It helps save up on energy and minimises the energy usage. Photocells detect light and automatically switch off the fixture and when it gets dark again they switch back on. Whereas motion sensors work in areas around security cameras they light up as soon as they detect any motion. In this way no excess energy is consumed and it works efficiently as a security light.
Conclusion
LED wall packs are quite efficient and compact light fixtures. They are a good investment in commercial areas as well as residential and industrial areas. They are eco-friendly, enhance security, improve ambience and help save up on electrical costs for as long as the fixture lasts. The lifespan of LED wall pack light is around 10 years, during which they barely malfunction so the maintenance costs are negligible.