Many commercial buildings have some form of outdoor lighting. These include ceiling spotlights, wall lamps and walkway bollards. These commercial outdoor lights serve to illuminate the exterior of the building in the evening and at night. Additionally, commercial outdoor lighting helps supplement the lack of natural light in the evening so as to facilitate work and improve safety for employees of the company. 

Company employees leaving the office building after sunset, the night security guard and the delivery man rely on well-lit exterior company grounds for their safety and for the ability to carry out their work well. It can be dangerous to work outdoors in the evening when there is insufficient or unsuitable lighting at commercial facilities. This may cause employees to be unable to perform to their best ability or result in an increase in the incidences of accidents or injuries at the work place, which may lead to additional incurred cost for the company. 

With sufficient illumination around the exterior of the commercial facility, employees will be able to perform their work efficiently and safely. This means that the company continues to be profitable while not compromising on safety. Thus besides only providing sufficient illumination to supplement the lack of natural light, commercial outdoor lights are also extremely important in ensuring employee safety when working outdoors on company premises.

It is insufficient to just say that commercial outdoor lights are required to supplement natural light or illuminate the exterior of the building at night. There are different types of commercial outdoor light as well as contemporary outdoor light available and they are designed to provide lighting to different types of exterior spaces. Hence, it is necessary to know which exterior areas of the commercial facility require commercial outdoor lighting, before obtaining the commercial outdoor light that is suitable for the purpose.

Commercial outdoor lighting is usually categorized in to architectural lighting, area lighting, sign lighting, path lighting and emergency lights. Most of these categories are self-explanatory with the exception of architectural lighting and area lighting. Architectural lighting refers to lights for practical use around the architectural feature, which also covers areas such as public squares and gardens while area lighting covers large spaces such as a field or game courts. Once the category of commercial outdoor light is decided, you can proceed to look at the options available in each category. 

Keep in mind that there are other considerations when looking at a category of commercial outdoor light. For example, path lighting can be provided by path lights and bollards while pole lights and floodlights function equally well for area lighting. Essentially, the type of commercial outdoor light employed by a company depends largely on what is required from the commercial outdoor light.

Another method of determining the type commercial outdoor light required is to look at what function the commercial outdoor lighting is fulfilling. There are various functions for commercial outdoor lighting. Some of these include increasing safety in an area; suitability for vandalism prone areas; non-intrusive lighting, and specific illumination area.

Consider installing a light pole in areas such as parking lots, walkways, parks and patios, if safety is an important factor in commercial outdoor lighting. As the illumination from light poles is very bright and is dispelled over a large area, it increases the visibility of the outdoor space that is illuminated and hence increases the safety of that area. If vandalism is a concern, such areas or other outdoor areas requiring lighting, install vandal-proof commercial outdoor lighting fixtures instead. Further, walkways can be lit by path lights and bollards if non-intrusive lighting is essential. These types of commercial outdoor light will sufficiently illuminate walkways without causing much disturbance to neighboring residential properties. 

When commercial outdoor lighting is required for company signs or logos mounted on the exterior walls or gates of a commercial facility, go for sign lights and fixtures. Gooseneck sign lights provide illumination for signs that are small, allowing you to determine the amount of illumination required on the sign and the specific areas of illumination while elongated neon sign lights are handy for larger signs and for light banner boxes. Additionally, while the sign light advertises your company’s name or product, this type of commercial outdoor lighting also offers extra illumination around the exterior of the commercial facility.

One important factor for consideration when purchasing commercial outdoor lighting is the durability of the commercial outdoor light. As a commercial outdoor light is placed on the exterior of a commercial facility, the commercial outdoor light is subjected to different and more extreme deterioration conditions than a commercial interior light. A commercial outdoor light usually has to contend with weather conditions such as heavy gale or rain, corrosive pollution from industries, as well as damaging accidents to the commercial outdoor light caused by humans. 

On its own, each factor already contributes considerable attrition to the commercial outdoor light. When the factors are combined, the rate of deterioration is accelerated. Thus do ensure that the commercial outdoor light is durable for the area that it is being used at.

The materials used in making the commercial outdoor light contribute to the durability of the commercial outdoor light. Opt for commercial outdoor lighting made of materials that can withstand harsh weather conditions, are scratch proof and are sturdy in case of accidents caused by motor vehicles or heavy machinery. Some materials that are durable include die-cast aluminum, heavy gauge steel, stainless steel and copper.

Do keep in mind the cost of electricity consumed by the commercial outdoor light when installing the commercial outdoor light. While the main focus of the commercial outdoor light is to provide illumination to the premises of your commercial facility, it must also be cost effective for your company. If operating costs of a commercial facility are a concern, then it is prudent to consider low voltage commercial outdoor lighting. As a low voltage outdoor light is usually small and compact, it works well for illuminating corners, garden ponds or porches but is not recommended for the exteriors of shopping malls, hotels or restaurants.

Low voltage commercial outdoor lighting does not consume as much electricity as high voltage commercial outdoor lighting. Low voltage commercial outdoor light can also be activated with a timer or a motion detector, which offers more control over the duration that the low voltage commercial outdoor light is switched on. Also available are commercial outdoor lighting that relies on solar energy for power. When fully charged, the commercial outdoor light can also be activated by sensors that detect when natural light is insufficient. In such cases, you are given more control over the amount of electricity consumed by commercial outdoor lighting. 

You may also consider light emitting diode (LED) technology for commercial outdoor lighting that is energy efficient while effectively illuminating the exterior of the commercial facility. The tiny diode can be programmed to meet your commercial outdoor lighting needs and operated using a remote control or computer program. The LED is then inserted in the commercial outdoor light to create your desired exterior lighting effect.

There are different kinds of bulbs available for use in commercial outdoor lighting. These bulbs include mercury vapor bulb, metal halide bulb, high-pressure sodium bulb, low-pressure sodium bulb and neon. As each type of bulb offers different degrees of illumination and energy consumption, they serve different commercial outdoor lighting purposes.

Construction sites and commercial areas will benefit from the high level of illumination emitted by a high-pressure sodium bulb as it is more efficient and lasts longer. If the illumination from the commercial outdoor light has to resemble daylight, opt for a metal halide bulb instead. While a metal halide bulb is not as durable as a high-pressure sodium bulb, the metal halide bulb offers true color replication. Neon bulbs produce a spectrum of colors, making them suitable for signage or decorative purposes.

In addition to choosing the right type of bulb to meet your commercial outdoor lighting needs, ensure that your commercial outdoor light bulb has a warranty. The warranty should be valid for at least a year and cover failure of the commercial outdoor light bulb caused by manufacturing defects. This will help defray costs replacing the commercial outdoor light bulb, especially if several similar commercial outdoor light bulbs are used to illuminate the same commercial facility.

While the main purpose of commercial outdoor lighting is for illumination, commercial outdoor light fixtures do not have to be boring. In fact, commercial outdoor light can be both functional yet decorative. This can be achieved through strategic placement of suitable commercial outdoor light around the premises of the commercial facility.

A good starting point is the number of the commercial facility. Instead of putting a spotlight directly above the number, try placing the spot light on the ground and direct it upwards to illuminate the number. Trees and statues can be illuminated in a similar way, creating a romantic effect while lighting up the object simultaneously.

Additionally, functional commercial outdoor light are available in decorative designs. Lamp posts, bollards, path lights and sign lights come in a variety of designs, ranging from contemporary to vintage styles. Further enhancing the attractiveness of such commercial outdoor lighting are the details and finishing found on the decorative commercial outdoor light. There are intricate carvings, etched motifs and beveled edges complimenting finishes in antique copper, regal gold and powder coat.

It is easy to get carried away, when faced with so many decorative options from commercial outdoor light. When this happens, you risk over-illuminating your commercial facility or installing a commercial outdoor light that does not suit the décor of your commercial facility. To avoid this, always keep in mind the type of effect you want from the decorative commercial outdoor light and purchase only contemporary outdoor light that fits the décor currently present at your commercial facility.

With the numerous choices for commercial outdoor light available as well as different competing brands, it is not uncommon to be overwhelmed by the selection especially when someone lacks the technical knowledge required for choosing commercial outdoor light. In such cases, you may want to consider getting professional help. 

There are commercial outdoor lighting companies that provide an evaluation service of the existing commercial outdoor lighting system at the commercial facility before recommending any additional commercial outdoor light. The evaluation often includes options for energy saving commercial outdoor light as well as recommendations for energy efficient yet durable commercial outdoor light. After the evaluation, the commercial outdoor lighting provider will then be able to give more suitable recommendations to meet your commercial outdoor lighting needs. These recommendations would include the required number of commercial outdoor light for a specific area, the layout of the electric cables and what contemporary outdoor light will match the décor of your commercial facility.

A side result of commercial outdoor lighting is light pollution. Forms of light pollution include intrusive light in a natural setting; light trespasses in to neighboring property; excessive lighting resulting in over-illumination; glare caused by a huge contrast between dark and bright areas, and clutter caused by excessive grouping together of lights. All these are caused by human action and neglect in using suitable commercial outdoor lighting.

Just like other forms of pollution, light pollution is hazardous. It causes several health problems such as fatigue, increased incidences of headaches and increased anxiety attacks. Light pollution also obscures stars and other illuminated objects from people looking at the night sky. This disrupts important astronomical observations and hampers further study in to questions about astronomy and space. Further, the existence of certain ecosystems are threatened by light pollution as excessive light alters the life cycles and habits of animals like sea turtles and salamanders as well as night blooming flowers.

Simple actions taken by humans can ensure that light pollution from commercial outdoor lighting is reduced or kept to a minimum. There are specific solutions for the corresponding light pollution present in a certain area. For example, use a minimum intensity commercial outdoor light to avoid intrusive lighting and reduce light trespass by ensuring that the commercial outdoor light points accurately toward where illumination is required. Most importantly, do evaluate the existing commercial outdoor lighting plan and make changes to the plans where necessary to aid the reduction of light pollution from commercial outdoor light.