LED Flood Lights Pack a Lot of Illumination in a Compact Fixture

Flood lights are wide-beamed fixtures capable of outputting a lot of illumination in an outdoor space. Because they can fill a space with a lot of lumens, flood lights are typically used for low-light conditions, either outside or inside.

The addition of LED technology has made flood lights more reliable, more efficient, and safer. In the past, LEDs were unable to keep up with metal halides and halogens in terms of lighting intensity and quality. LEDs have since caught up and then some. Now, LED flood lights generate better quality light than previous lighting technologies and do it with less power.

What Are LED Flood Lights Used For?

Flood lights are used for general illumination purposes when there isn’t a lot of ambient light to spare. This could be inside or outside – wherever you need to push back the dark. Some of the most common flood light applications include:

Sports stadium lighting

With their enhanced efficiency, excellent color rendering and high output, LED flood lights are a frontline choice for illuminating sports stadiums. They can be scaled up or down for any size venue, from a neighborhood tennis court to professional sports stadiums that seat more than 50,000 people.

Building façade lighting

It’s common for building exteriors to be fitted with flood lights, typically mounted on the building’s façade. From here, flood lights provide excellent visibility and safety to nearby pedestrians.

Construction site
lighting

Construction and maintenance teams frequently work in places with no wired lighting. Portable flood lights are a perfect solution in this instance, as they are compact enough to work in tight spaces like basements.

Stage and photography lighting

Specialty flood lights are a favored choice among photographers and performance venues because they can be positioned wherever they are needed.

Parking lot and garage lighting

Flood lights are an effective way to add security and safety to parking lots and garages. LED lighting is a good choice for parking lot applications because of its color rendering and crisp quality.

This is not a complete list, as flood lights are useful in hundreds of settings. You’ll also find them in mining, industrial, warehouse and security lighting applications, among many others.

Four reasons why LEDs make flood lights better

LED lighting is replacing older technology in nearly every setting. Metal halides, halogens, fluorescent tubes – to some degree, LED fixtures are increasingly becoming the standard. LEDs are also a superior option for flood lighting, for a few reasons. They include:

  1. Excellent directionality – LEDs are, by virtue of their engineering, directional. In other words, they can be aimed with precision, so more of their output reaches the intended target. This is especially helpful in façade lighting applications, where the illumination must be directed downward to provide adequate visibility and safety.
  2. Superb lighting quality – Some LED lights come with impressive CRI ratings, comparable to halogen. As high CRI fixtures, LEDs represent colors well and improve visibility over extended distances. Also, with its directionality, LEDs get more of their lumens to where it’s most useful – at the ground level. This enhances overall brightness in exterior settings.
  3. Improved lifespan – LED lighting lasts much longer than older lighting technologies. The typical LED flood light will provide up to 50,000 hours of quality illumination, which far surpasses other flood lights. Compared to halogen flood lights, LED flood lights last 25 times longer.
  4. Almost zero radiant heat – While LED fixtures do generate some heat, most of this is handled by an onboard heat sink. There’s not much left over in the form of radiant heat, which makes for a safer flood light to operate.

A Few Features To Consider For Your Flood Lighting System

Flood lighting is versatile and effective on its own, but there are a few features that can take it to another level. For example:

  • Dusk to dawn configuration – Flood lights are an effective option for security lighting applications, but they work better when tied to timers or photocells. Photocells, for example, detect the presence of ambient light and either switch the fixtures on or off, depending on the time of day. With dusk to dawn configuration, your flood lights will only operate when needed, saving on power and ensuring no lapses in nighttime lighting.
  • Occupancy sensors – Occupancy sensors like motion detectors are another standard choice for security lighting applications. With motion detectors, your flood lights will automatically switch on when someone comes within range. This can also save energy and guarantee the lights are on when they’re most useful.
  • IP rated – IP ratings are given to electronic products like lighting and describe how well the product is protected from dust and water. They consist of two numbers – the first related to dust intrusion and the second related to water intrusion. They range from zero to seven, and the higher the number, the better. If your flood lights are going to be exposed to the elements, choose fixtures with a higher IP rating to ensure long-term reliability.
  • Aluminum housing – The housing is the light’s outside cover, responsible for protecting sensitive electronic components inside. Aluminum is the housing material of choice for flood lights, as it’s lightweight and highly resistant to corrosion. If you’re going to bring your flood lights outside for any reason, pick a housing made from aluminum.

Bulb Daddy Can Help Select The Right Flood Lights For Your Application

Flood lights vary greatly in their lumen output, beam angle and build, so there’s a light for every application. With so many models to choose from, it can be a challenge to match the right fixture to your needs. That’s where Bulb Daddy’s lighting experts can help. Our team has decades of experience in LED lighting, including sourcing and developing lighting solutions for our clients. If your application calls for a flood light, we can identify and source the optimal fixture.