Table of Contents
Star Light, Star Bright
Brighter is Not Always Better

Brighter is Not Always Better

Selecting the right lamp for your security lighting design

Whether real or perceived, there is a sense of added security when lighting is used around a facility for nighttime illumination. Crime prevention, aesthetics, decreased liability, and increased traffic are added reasons to install security lighting.

Selecting the right lamp for security applications can be challenging. Traditionally, the two most popular high-intensity discharge (HID) lamp types for security applications are metal halide and high-pressure sodium. 

Color spectrum plays an important role in the lamp selection process, especially with security applications.

Metal Halide (MH) Lamps
Metal halide lamps provide excellent color rendition for outdoor applications. These lamps emit light more saturated in the blue-green spectrum making it easier for our eyes to scan pedestrian areas and recognize colors.

Increased optical control and more natural appearance are also benefits of metal halide lighting. Disadvantages include high initial and maintenance costs, and slow hot restrike times.

High-Pressure Sodium (HPS) Lamps
HPS lamps provide excellent high light levels for outdoor applications. Emitting light in a yellow-orange spectrum is more cost effective and less of a factor when your primary concern is just providing lighting for security cameras.

HPS lamps are more efficient than metal halide sources delivering up to 30 percent more lumens than similar wattage metal halide lamps. Disadvantages include high initial cost and poor color recognition.

Understanding what your customer wants to achieve by installing security lighting - safety, aesthetics or crime prevention - will ultimately help you decide which lamp and fixture is best for your project.

If you are in doubt about fixture or lamp selection, call our Application Engineering team at
(800) 236-7000. Click here to download our Security Fixture Reference Guide.