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Fluorescent Wall Packs Light Your World for Less Money

By: Beth Guide ... Click on author's name for more of their articles

Many facilities managers often overlook the sheer number of fluorescent wall packs that already populate the exterior walls of their buildings. This is due to the fact that these fixtures are the most common type of exterior light used around industrial buildings.

These lights are very convenient to install and maintain, making them a cost-effective purchase whose energy-saving capability further compounds return on investment through continuous, reliable service.

Industrial lighting experts will be the first to tell you that in spite of the energy-saving capabilities of newer metal halide lamp designs, nothing beats the power saving curve generated by a solidly engineered fluorescent wall pack, nor can anything replace their instant-on capability in a situation where the power may go off and then come back on.

The convenience factor is engineered into the very design of these lights. Most now are built as single units that only have to be wired to an electrical power source. They produce a bright distribution of light that combines with the luminance of other fixtures to create a perimeter of illumination around the building.

This creates reliable safety and building perimeter security lighting without costing a business a small fortune in the process.

Of course, not every single wall light is appropriate for a particular building or corporate campus. There are different wattages and intensities, along with different physical sizes, that make it necessary to consult with an industrial lighting design specialist on which luminaires will best accomplish the desired objectives.

This is something that many building managers often hesitate to do because of fear of higher costs; but it is a step that should never be skipped. The cost of the design is marginal compared to the loss almost certain to occur if you purchase the wrong fixtures or over purchase a quantity in excess of what you actually need.

For one thing, lighting ordinances in your area may also be something that requires you to work with an expert who can develop solutions in the face of apparently impossible requirements. For example, some parts of the country mandate that fluorescent wall packs around a business be mounted in such a way that their light is never seen above the roof line.

This will require finding fixtures that will point downward and still produce the desired foot candle spread. Again, a photometric plan and recommended equipment list will give you exactly that.

The first thing to do is to call your equipment vendor and speak to their commercial lighting design team. After a brief conversation to determine the nature and needs of a business from a safety, security, and operational standpoint, they will ask you to supply them with schematics, CAD drawings, photographs, measurements, or other documents determined to be relevant to our design process.

Then, using advanced photometric software, they can input the data you provide us and design a three-dimensional model of a proposed lighting system consisting of the very best fluorescent wall packs that are the most appropriate to your needs.

There is no obligation to buy any equipment from a reseller who provides lighting design. You do have the choice of taking the photometric design to another vendor. However, if you do buy the recommended equipment from your reseller, most will deduct the cost of the design from the final invoice total-effectively giving you the design if you choose them as your equipment vendor.