Lighting layouts are an underrated element of effective fixture setup because they ensure that all of the fixtures are working together properly. Business owners invest a lot of money into a commercial fixture arrangement, both during installation and during operation. It’s important, then, that a business owner gets the most out of their fixtures. The only way to guarantee this is to plan and model the project out well in advance. Of course, some projects call for retrofits and not new construction, but even in this situation, thorough planning can extract additional efficiency and output from a set of fixtures.

How can lighting layouts improve a project?

In the home, fixtures only have to provide enough illumination to see by. In commercial settings, fixtures have to do much more. They have to be bright enough to provide visibility in addition to being powerful enough to create a safe and inviting atmosphere. In a way, commercial fixtures are the face of the company, and if they don’t do their job right, it will encourage potential customers and visitors to look elsewhere. If the existing setup is particularly bad, the business may not even appear to be open.

Commercial fixtures are also an essential element for public spaces. Tennis courts, pools, parks, plazas, and other walkable areas are essential for community involvement and have to be adequately illuminated around the clock to remain safe. However, these spaces tend to be close to neighborhoods or inside of them, so excess illumination is a concern.

With the right lighting layouts, these problems can be overcome. But what does it mean to design a fixture layout? Photometry is the study of how illumination behaves in a space and how the human eye perceives it. It is possible to simulate and predict how illumination will appear, but it takes sophisticated modeling technology to do so. Not all commercial fixture companies make use of this technology, but the ones that do have a major advantage. With it, installation experts can arrange different fixture types in a simulated 3D setting and see how they interact with each other.

Using this technology, a fixture expert can easily create an even spread of illumination using a particular setup and get the perfect level of output. Illumination becomes more intense as it overlaps, and several factors have to be taken into consideration before installation, but that’s what fixture experts excel at – knowing how to adjust to environmental and technological limitations. Armed with this knowledge, a commercial fixture company can design a setup that remains in accordance with all city ordinances while remaining powerful and efficient enough for long term use.

When you select a commercial fixture company to handle your new construction or retrofit project, make sure they have the knowledge and technology to execute it correctly. The difference between a planned and unplanned project is stark.