More Than a Fixture Swap
The Maplewood YMCA exterior presented a combination of lighting and infrastructure problems. Portions of the electrical system had been damaged, multiple rows of fixtures were inoperable, and large areas of the parking and pedestrian environment were left with inadequate illumination.
LEDTOMORROW began by documenting the existing conditions and developing a photometric analysis to determine where additional illumination was needed. From there, the project expanded beyond lamp and fixture replacement into electrical restoration, new conduit, revised site-lighting configurations and targeted perimeter coverage.
Restore a Reliable Safety Envelope Across a Large Community Facility
The project required the lighting team to address both failed infrastructure and weak coverage. Parking bays, pedestrian paths, building approaches and perimeter areas needed dependable illumination while the upgraded system had to work with the realities of the existing property.
Damaged Electrical Infrastructure
Vandalized feeds and circuit problems had left portions of the exterior lighting system unusable.
Large Dark Zones
Parking and walkway areas required additional coverage rather than simply higher-output replacements.
Perimeter Coverage
New conduit and building-mounted lighting were needed to establish more continuous illumination around the facility.
Project Value
Available utility incentive programs were considered as part of the project scope to improve the economics of the upgrade.
Model the Entire Property Before Finalizing the Retrofit
The November 2023 Maplewood YMCA photometric simulation evaluated the completed exterior lighting strategy across the site. The fixture schedule incorporated wall-mounted lighting, multi-head pole lighting, floodlighting and dedicated sign illumination.
The model calculated an overall site average of 4.8 foot-candles, with a calculated maximum of 36.2 foot-candles. These figures are design-model results rather than field measurements.
4.8 fc
36.2 fc
150W Multi-Head Pole Lighting
100W Floodlighting
Sign Lighting
Expand Pole Coverage Instead of Leaving the Same Dark Gaps
Existing pole configurations were expanded to increase useful coverage across the parking field. The project documentation describes upgrading original three-head arrangements to four-head configurations in areas where additional distribution was required.
The photometric schedule also modeled both two-head and four-head 150W LED pole-light configurations, allowing the design to respond to different portions of the site rather than forcing the same arrangement everywhere.
Create a Continuous Layer of Light Around the Facility
Additional conduit and building-mounted wall packs were introduced around the perimeter to strengthen illumination at entrances, walkways and exterior building edges.
This approach reduced dependence on the parking-lot poles for every exterior area. Instead, site lighting and building-mounted lighting could share the work, creating a more complete lighting envelope around the property.
New Conduit
Building Approaches
Address the Areas the Existing System Could Not Reach
The project used additional floodlighting to reach remote parking and exterior areas that could not be adequately served by the existing pole and wall locations alone.
The goal was to reduce shadowed areas and improve the continuity of the exterior lighting system so patrons moving between the facility and their vehicles were not passing through large unlit sections of the property.
Restore the Infrastructure, Then Build a Better Lighting System Around It
The completed Maplewood strategy addressed failed electrical infrastructure and exterior lighting performance together. That allowed the project to move beyond temporary fixture replacement and create a broader, more dependable lighting system for the property.
Infrastructure Restored
Damaged electrical feeds were repaired and additional conduit was extended where new lighting coverage was required.
Dark Areas Addressed
Pole, wall and floodlighting were combined to improve coverage across parking, walkways and building approaches.
LED Site Modernization
Older exterior lighting was replaced or supplemented with a coordinated LED lighting strategy.
Incentive-Aware Scope
Available utility incentives were considered during project planning to help improve the overall value of the upgrade.
Maplewood YMCA Exterior Lighting Project
The finished site illustrates why the project required several different lighting approaches rather than a single fixture type.
Dealing With Dark Areas, Failed Circuits or an Outdated Exterior Lighting System?
LEDTOMORROW can evaluate the existing infrastructure, document current lighting conditions, develop photometric models and build a retrofit strategy around the actual problems on the property.