Introduction:
The high mast lighting system is a genius innovation that uses a high pole to brighten a vast area. A high mast lighting design features an area lighting system that involves a tall pole with a light at the top pointed toward the ground. If you want to increase the area of lighting uniformly, then you will need to use a high mast lighting design that features a taller pole. In this case, we will follow the principle; the higher the pole, the greater the illumination area. Due to its usefulness in directing light to the ground, the high mast lighting design is used in big spaces like airports, major roads, sports stadiums, and railway yards. Their strength and resistance to environmental conditions make these lights perfect for outdoor settings.
Benefits of high mast lighting: LED lighting
The LED high mast lighting is long-lasting, energy-efficient, and cost-worthy as a light source. It offers excellent benefits for large areas that require brightness because they generate and distribute light to the surroundings. Unlike HID lamps, which create light by consuming a fuel source, LED (light-emitting diodes) use a semiconductor to generate light. LED lights have multiple diodes with distinct optics. In other words, these high masts have multipoint sources that allow for the even distribution of light.
In this post, we will disclose the benefits of LED high mast lighting using three general parameters: energy savings, maintenance cost reduction, and lighting performance.
1. Reduction of maintenance cost
With a project several hundred feet above the ground, you wouldn’t want to be that high up in the air just to change a lamp. When choosing a high mast, ensure it has a long service life, and ask the manufacturer about its features. If the lifetime of the high mast is sixty thousand hours, will it stop working after this period, or will it just lose a bit of its output? These are the types of questions you should ask your manufacturer. If the answers they provide are not to your liking, you can move on to the next reliable manufacturer. Because LEDs generate light through semiconductors, their functionality is significantly higher than other high mast systems as time passes. This results in a longer functional life, reducing the cost of maintaining a high mast.
2. Energy savings
The wattages for LED high mast systems usually range from 209 to 750 watts. The result is a reduction in energy consumption by 50 to 80 percent. This characteristic feature of the LED high mast makes it an ideal choice for large-scale
productions. The main reason is that it saves energy and, subsequently, the maintenance cost.
3. Lighting performance
As a result of the multipoint design, LED high mast lighting provides an evenly distributed light pattern to vast areas of land. In other words, the light generated from the high mast will vary less across the lit surface as the distance from the pole changes. The former will produce an even foot candle distribution by comparing the LED’s high masts to other fixtures. On the other hand, the latter – like an HID pole – produces a bright spot directly beneath the lamp. This bright spot results in a poor distribution of light to the surroundings. This means the light will decrease as the distance from the pole increases. Additionally, LEDs are available in different color temperatures. Because of this feature, an end user’s visual perception of brightness increases.
Advantages of high mast lighting design
The high mast lighting design has multiple plus points that make them the most suitable option for large spaces.
Among these plus points are;
I. It provides an extended light coverage that minimizes shadows caused by shorter poles
II. High mast lighting brightens a large area of land with just a few poles
III. It can co-locate other high-mast equipment, like surveillance cameras
High mast lighting design calculation
A high mast lighting system comes with a guide that ensures a smooth operation throughout the duration of work. The high mast lighting design calculation is dependent on several criteria, all of which will determine the success of the high mast installation.
These criteria include:
I. The input voltage
This has a major bias toward 120-277V, 50/60Hz. This parameter is also used to certify the product models needed for the project.
II. Project location
The location of the project is used to define and assess the current feeds and applicable voltage for the project. It is also needed to organize the lighting calculations.
III. Clearly defined area of illumination
An illustration that shows a clear definition of the areas that will be illuminated.
IV. The illumination standards
This information is needed to determine the required equipment, height, location of the pole, Lux level, and uniformity.
V. High mast lighting pole design
This information will specify the exact heights and positions of new and existing poles. If the data collected can be changed, the new pole position and height will need revision.
Rules for installation of high mast lighting
The high mast lighting requires a delicate, attentive, and professional installment procedure.
For this reason, you will have to follow a few basic rules to prevent things from getting messy.
These rules are as follows:
I. Places like gores and the beginning of a sharp bend should be avoided generally. Therefore, a high mast should not be installed in places prone to accidents.
II. Do not install a high mast in a place that is directly in the driver’s line of sight.
III. Coordinate the masts with signing to prevent the light source from being directly behind a sign at an important spot.
IV. Masts should be at places with the greatest illuminating needs, such as traffic conflicts.
