Energy-saving lighting of residential complex parking lots.
In the conditions of intensive motorization, the problem of overnight storage of cars belonging to residents of multi-story buildings is causing an increasing headache for housing and communal services workers. House parking lots and parking areas must ensure safety for vehicles and their owners and at the same time not cause additional inconvenience to residents of the lower floors when car alarms are triggered. For this, night parking lots must be well lit. But powerful lighting devices constantly on in parking lots significantly increase the already considerable costs of their maintenance. The problem of lighting in underground parking lots, where the lights must be on around the clock, is even more pressing.
Modern energy-saving lighting systems allow us to effectively solve this problem. In general, energy-saving lighting today means the use of light sources with increased light output and/or technical means that provide automatic switching on and off of lamps. Depending on the purpose and operating features of the lighting system, these measures can be implemented separately or complement each other. As a criterion for the effectiveness of energy-saving equipment, it is best to use the payback period of the total costs of its acquisition and installation.
Depending on the category of the residential complex, underground parking lots, guarded yard parking lots and unguarded adjacent parking lots can be used as overnight parking lots for multi-story residential buildings. The choice and features of using energy-saving equipment will vary for different types of parking lots.
Underground parking lotsIn residential guarded parking lots, energy-saving lighting control equipment not only reduces the cost of parking lot lighting, but also minimizes the number of security guards without compromising the quality of security. An infrared motion sensor installed on the entrance barrier and directed downwards will turn on a powerful floodlight, allowing security to reliably record the license plate of an entering or exiting car or use a video surveillance system for this purpose. Other motion sensors will turn on the lighting in the area when there are people there, additionally drawing the attention of the security guard to this fact. In large parking lots, local lighting can be implemented using floodlights combined with motion sensors, such as Ercole 01.34 by Eurolight, 0202 by Camelion, or LX-78A outdoor motion sensors of Chinese manufacture interlocked with floodlights. However, since the maximum range of such motion sensors does not exceed 10–12 m, floodlights or sensors should be installed close enough to each other. Unfortunately, all inexpensive models of floodlights with motion sensors are characterized by low quality and a short service life of the floodlight itself.
The amount of equipment can be reduced by using more powerful floodlights or street lights, primarily with LED lamps, controlled by one or two power relays or controllers similar to those used in closed parking lots, mounted in a specially installed protected cabinet. Solid-state light sources have proven themselves in outdoor applications and are comparable in price to traditional street lights. The wide range of LED street lights on offer makes it easy to find the optimal solution for a variety of parking lot configurations. Infrared motion sensors with a detection range of up to 18–20 m can be used as control devices for floodlights and power relay lights: for example, EW-105-24 (WattStopper) sensors, CMB-6-LT (SensorSwitch) all-round view sensors, or the above-mentioned IKD-1-1 products from Rielta in an outdoor version. In addition to infrared receivers, all the above-mentioned sensors are equipped with light-sensitive sensors that block the lighting during daylight hours. The cost of replacing the lamps and motion sensors will pay off within one and a half to two years.
Unguarded parking lots
Since the costs of lighting unguarded parking lots near buildings equipped with twilight sensors are low, one should not expect a noticeable economic effect from the introduction of energy-saving lighting there. The main purpose of installing motion sensors in this case is to inform the car owner that there are strangers near his car. A convenient control system for unguarded parking lot lighting for residents should include sensors and relays that control the lighting of the gates and the arch leading to the yard or the entrance barrier, as well as yard (parking) lamps or floodlights. In addition, in some cases it is advisable to install additional switches with motion sensors that automatically turn on the lamps under the entrance canopy. The number of sensors and power relays depends on the size and configuration of the yard or parking lot, but, as a rule, does not exceed three or four. In this case, monoblocks and motion sensors interlocked with floodlights, presented in a wide range in stores, may be optimal. Organizing lighting for unguarded parking lots near houses using motion sensors does not require large expenditures. The cost of purchasing and installing high-quality equipment, including Russian-made equipment, will not exceed several thousand rubles; system maintenance is not required.