Have you ever stopped and looked at the street lights or the lights fixed at a great height? There is little time to notice this, but lighting is perhaps the most important aspect of our everyday lives. Let’s say if there was no lighting on these street lights or high-rise buildings – there would be darkness everywhere.
But when choosing the lighting for these outdoor and indoor spaces, people must make a tough choice. It’s the battle between high mast lights and conventional lighting. Before you buy high-mast lights or opt for traditional lighting, you need to read this post. We are going to tell you the difference between the two. Once you go through this full post, you will be aware of the differences.
The Main Difference Between Conventional Lighting and High Mast Lights
Conventional lighting systems are used on a mounting height of about 50 ft or less. On the other hand, high mast lighting is used at a mounting height of 100 ft or more.
High mast lights are usually used for lighting up larger areas. For example, stadiums have high-mast lights or tall buildings or tanks placed above a tall structure that also need these kinds of lights.
The whole purpose of the lighting system is to improve safety and illuminate the path for easy transportation and to aid pedestrians walking back and forth. This does not mean that conventional lighting is unimportant – it’s equally important.
What are the installation costs?
Installation costs differ too. For example, high-mast lighting will be less expensive than conventional lighting. That’s because there is reduced complexity of conductor and conduit. Smaller fixtures and poles are required for high mast lighting. However, you should know that conventional lighting has an inexpensive initial cost.
Which is cheaper to maintain?
Conventional lighting may cause traffic disruption and some potential safety hazards too. As for high mast lighting, only one person or a maximum of two people are required to perform the routine maintenance. Also, high mast lighting eliminates the risk of workers working near high-speed traffic spaces.
What should you consider when deciding between high mast lighting or conventional lighting?
What is that you need to consider when choosing lights for an area? You have to see if maintenance is possible. Will it cause lane closure and disruption of traffic? You also need to consider your initial costs and what budget you have.
Most importantly, you want to see what works in the area. Is it a tall building? Do you need to illuminate a large area? Once you keep all these considerations in mind, it will be easier to figure out what lights are best for the area or structure.
High Mast Systems and The Trouble With Light Trespass
High mast lighting should not be installed where light trespass is a major concern. You can look at special high mast designs that help you avoid light trespass. High mast lighting provides ample light to large areas such as highways, warehouses, parking lots, and stadiums. They can be installed at a 40 to 150-ft height pole. Almost four to six lights can be installed on each of the poles. The lights are strategically placed to illuminate the path or the area which needs ample light.
What are the biggest advantages of using High Mast Lighting?
Large areas need plenty of light for obvious reasons. If you use lights that do not illuminate the whole area, you are working towards a lost cause. The large spaces should be illuminated uniformly.
Earlier, high-mast lighting solutions used halogens or lamps, leading to increased electricity bills. But now, there are LED cost-efficient lights. Using these LED high mast lights saves a lot of money. LEDs will continue to be cost-efficient and the top choice for public lighting.
The maintenance cost of the high mast LED lighting is also low. It lasts for a long time too. You can expect the LED fixture to last for more than 50,000 hours.
The lighting performance of high mast lighting is exceptional. They provide superior illumination, and the biggest benefit is they do not emit any infrared light or heat. Since saving the environment is on everyone’s mind, these energy-efficient LED high mast lights are the best choice for illuminating large areas.
Concluding Thoughts
There is a clear difference between the high mast and conventional lighting.
As you can see, LED high mast lights are the best option for illuminating large areas. Conventional lighting works too, but they are best for illuminating smaller areas and placed at 50 ft or less. So, choose wisely if you want to install one of the lighting systems in your area.
