HID (High Intensity Discharge) Lights

Because of new laws banning incandescent and mercury vapor lights, HID lights have become a necessity, not just an option. Energy conservation is another motivating factor in the push toward HID light sources. As fuel costs continue to rise, it is imperative that companies cut their outdoor lighting costs. Because they are controlled by ballasts, HID lights are the ideal fixtures of choice for cities like Houston, Texas, which recently passed an ordinance requiring all outdoor lights to operate at an efficiency of .15 watts per square foot.

Clients who may cringe at the thought of having to replace outdoor halogen, mercury vapor, and incandescent light sources can be encouraged with the simple fact that HID lights produce some of the best artificial light perceivable by the naked eye and that the power savings and the superior aesthetic can only constitute a win-win investment scenario. Metal Halide lights, for example, produce a bright white light capable of rendering colors with near equivalence to natural light. HID lights are also much more energy efficient than their predecessors. A 35 watt HID lamp produces up to 6 times as much light as an equivalent incandescent source.

HID lights make excellent outdoor security lights because they improve peripheral vision in a fashion similar to daylight. This is vital to the safety of personnel who work night shifts or graveyard shifts, and many college campuses, hospitals, community parks, and apartment complexes are moving toward HID sources for general security and outdoor landscape lighting solutions.

HID lights operate by passing a current through a gas tube. A ballast regulates the current, stabilizing electron flow and conserving power in the process. This causes an arc to form within the tube, producing illumination. The two most popular HID lights are high pressure sodium and metal halide lights. High Pressure sodium offers the longest lamp life but creates a yellowish tint to the illumination it produces. Metal Halide (MH) lamps, on the other hand, produce a very bright, white light that is very similar in quality and color rendering ability to natural daylight. MH lamps, however, last for significantly shorter periods of time than HPS lamps, although with new ballast and wiring technology, lamp life is improving as engineering advancements continue to be made.

Generally, we see High Pressure Sodium HID lights used in parking garages where color rendering and aesthetics are not a priority. They also have some limited use in low-level decorative street and park lighting. Here, the slightly colored light they produce can actually compliment ornamental fixtures and special beveled glass lenses to create a surreal sensibility. On the most part, however, Metal Halide lamps continue to gain market dominance as the preferred source of HID lighting. Parking lot lights, standard street lights, and landscape lights all benefit extensively from the level and quality of light these efficient and powerful lamps produce.

Because of these many advantages, High Intensity Discharge Lighting is a much better return on investment. The longer lamp life and superior regulation of current make for a much more energy efficient and long-term source of reliable lighting.