How to Design Solar Car Park Lighting

A well-lit car park feels safe, helps drivers see kerbs, bollards and pedestrians, and reduces the risk of trips and collisions. Solar lighting is increasingly popular for car parks on new developments, sports grounds, rural facilities and estates because it avoids trenching and grid connection. But solar car park lighting has to be designed, not just bought. This guide explains the main design steps so you can brief your engineer, council or lighting supplier with confidence.

1. Agree the lighting category and performance targets first

In Australia, lighting for pedestrian areas, including outdoor car parks, is generally designed with reference to AS/NZS 1158.3.1, Lighting for roads and public spaces, Pedestrian area (Category P) lighting. The standard groups areas into lighting subcategories and sets performance requirements for each, such as average and minimum horizontal illuminance (measured in lux) and uniformity, which describes how evenly the light is spread.

The standard was amended in 2024. According to an industry summary of the 2024 amendment, it clarified how off-road and on-road car parks are treated and linked outdoor car park designs to obtrusive-light considerations under AS/NZS 4282.

Which subcategory applies depends on how the car park is used, its activity level, security needs and the local authority's requirements. Confirm the applicable category with your engineer or council before design starts. Everything else in the layout, from pole height to luminaire output, follows from that target. This article explains design principles only; it is not a compliance assessment, and individual products should be assessed as part of a project-specific design.

Why uniformity matters as much as brightness

A car park with bright pools of light under each pole and dark patches in between can feel less safe than one with lower but even lighting. Eyes adapt to the brightest areas, making shadows look darker. Good designs balance average light level with uniformity so that people, kerbs and vehicles are visible across the whole area, including walkways and entrances.

2. Choose a layout that suits the car park

Most outdoor car parks use one of these arrangements, or a combination:

• Single-sided: poles along one edge. Simple and economical for narrow car parks or a single row of bays alongside an access aisle.
• Opposite (both sides): poles along both edges facing inwards. Suits wider car parks where one row of lights cannot reach the far side evenly.
• Central or median: poles in the middle of the car park, typically in a median strip or between rows of bays, lighting in two directions at once.

Central layouts are where double-sided luminaires are useful. A single pole carrying two heads facing opposite directions can light two rows of bays or both sides of an aisle, reducing the number of poles and footings. Our Double-Sided Solar Parking Lot Light is designed for this kind of layout and uses a LiFePO4 battery.

Also map out the details that matter to users: entries and exits, pedestrian paths to building entrances, accessible bays, pedestrian crossings, ticket machines and trolley bays. These often need particular attention in the design.

3. Balance pole height and spacing

Pole height and spacing are linked. Taller poles spread light over a wider area and allow wider spacing, which means fewer poles and footings. However, each luminaire must then deliver more light, and in solar systems more light means a larger battery and panel. Shorter poles concentrate light but need closer spacing to avoid dark gaps.

Other constraints also shape the decision: tree canopies that shade panels or block light, overhead services, the size of service vehicles and the effect of spill light on neighbouring homes. A rule-of-thumb spacing is a reasonable starting point, but only a photometric calculation can show whether the layout meets the uniformity target.

4. Design for winter sun and autonomy

Solar lights must recharge every day using the sun available in the worst month, which in southern Australia means June and July. Bureau of Meteorology climate statistics for Melbourne (Olympic Park) show mean daily solar exposure of 6.4 MJ/m² in June compared with 24.3 MJ/m² in January, roughly a quarter of the summer value. Nights are also longest in winter, so the light runs longer just when charging is weakest. Check your own location using the BOM's solar exposure maps.

Practical design points:

• Size for the worst month, not the annual average.
• Specify autonomy: the number of nights the light can run on stored energy during overcast weather. Car parks used at night for safety should have a comfortable margin.
• Use a dimming profile that matches actual use, for example full output while the car park is busy and reduced output late at night. Motion sensing can lift output when someone arrives.
• Check shading from buildings and trees across the winter sun path, not just at midday in summer.

5. Apply a maintenance factor

Light output reduces over time as LEDs age and dust, pollen and grime build up on optics and panels. Lighting designers account for this with a maintenance factor, a multiplier below 1 applied to the initial light output so the design still meets its target later in the system's life. The appropriate value depends on the luminaire, the environment (a dusty rural site differs from a coastal or urban one) and how often the lights and panels will be cleaned. Ask your designer which maintenance factor has been applied and why, and plan a realistic cleaning and inspection schedule to match.

6. Verify with a 3D photometric simulation

A photometric simulation uses the luminaire's IES data, the pole positions, mounting height, tilt and maintenance factor to calculate light levels across the car park. The result is an illuminance grid and a false-colour diagram showing where light falls, plus average and minimum values and uniformity ratios to compare with your target. A 3D view helps owners and councils understand how the space will look at night before any poles go in.

EVIEKO provides free lighting design with project quotes, including a 3D photometric simulation and a road simulated diagram. For a quick first estimate, try our Solar Street Light Planner, which is calculated from photometric (IES) data.

What to send for a lighting design

• A site plan or aerial image with dimensions (bays, aisles, paths, entries)
• The lighting category or target agreed with your engineer or council
• Preferred or maximum pole height, and any existing poles
• Site location (for solar resource) and expected operating hours
• Known shading, neighbouring residences and any spill-light concerns

Frequently asked questions

Are EVIEKO lights certified to AS/NZS 1158.3.1?

AS/NZS 1158.3.1 sets performance requirements for a lighting installation. Whether a car park meets it depends on the whole design: the layout, pole heights, maintenance factor and the luminaires used. We model your site with photometric data so your engineer can assess it against the agreed category.

How many solar lights does a car park need?

It depends on the area, layout, pole height, target category and luminaire output. A photometric simulation gives a reliable answer for your specific site.

Can solar car park lights run all night in winter?

Yes, when the panel and battery are sized for winter solar exposure and the dimming profile is matched to actual use. Always design for the worst month at your location.

How do I get a design and price?

Request a quote with your site plan. We reply within 1 to 2 business days, and project quotes include free lighting design.

Sources

• AS/NZS 1158.3.1:2020, Lighting for roads and public spaces, Pedestrian area (Category P) lighting (standard listing)
• Industry summary of the AS/NZS 1158.3.1 2024 amendment (PDF)
• Bureau of Meteorology: Climate statistics, Melbourne (Olympic Park)
• Bureau of Meteorology: Average daily solar exposure maps