LEDs For Car Dealerships
Car dealership LED lighting is becoming the go-to choice for parking lots, showrooms, and service bays because it improves visibility while cutting energy costs. Car dealership LED lighting helps your lot look brighter, improves customer safety, and reduces energy and maintenance costs. LEDs are becoming the go-to lighting choice for automotive dealerships nationwide. LED Lighting of Houston excels in helping car dealerships choose the correct LED lights for parking lots, showrooms and service bays. We have worked with some of the largest car dealers in the nation including Mac Haik Auto Group, Gillman Auto Group and many other independent car dealers all over the nation.
Today we bring you 3 necessary questions to ask when vetting an LED lighting company. Whether you’re choosing an LED company to supply led fixtures or retrofit your parking lot, warehouse or service bay, these questions will help you determine the right LED company to provide your new LED car dealership lighting.
Where Car Dealership LED Lighting Makes the Biggest Impact
Car dealerships have a few areas where lighting quality directly affects sales, safety, and daily operations. Parking lots need bright, even coverage so customers feel safe and inventory looks sharp at night. Showrooms need clean, consistent light so paint colors look accurate and vehicles present well. Service bays need glare-controlled task lighting that helps technicians work safely and efficiently. When these areas are lit correctly, you reduce dark spots, improve visibility, and create a better customer experience.
Question 1: What is the ROI for your project?
A rising trend for existing dealerships is swapping their high wattage fixtures for more energy efficient led lighting. A key benefit of LED lighting is its ability to reduce energy consumption while maintaining or increasing lighting output. Ideally, an LED retrofit project should pay for itself in savings by the 2-year mark. A proper ROI estimate for car dealership LED lighting should include wattage reduction, hours of use, utility rate, and maintenance savings. For a quick overview of how LEDs reduce energy use and maintenance compared to older lighting, see the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solid-State Lighting resources.
Quick ROI Factors to Consider
When estimating ROI, there are a few variables that can move the numbers significantly. Fixture wattage before and after the retrofit, hours of operation, utility rate, and maintenance costs all play a role. Rebates and incentives can also shorten payback. If your current system uses metal halide or older high-wattage fixtures, the energy reduction from LEDs is often substantial, and the maintenance savings add up fast because you are replacing lamps and ballasts less often.
Question 2: Do they provide photometrics?
Car dealership LED lighting should never be installed without photometrics, because spacing and beam angles decide whether you get even coverage or dark spots. The photometric analysis takes the guesswork out of any lighting project. This analysis allows us to choose the right LED product at the correct lumen output. This powerful survey also allows us to determine cost saving opportunities while configuring your ideal lighting solution.
As an owner, the last thing you want is to waste your money. Avoid any LED lighting company that doesn’t offer a photometric analysis.
What a Photometric Layout Actually Tells You
A photometric layout shows predicted light levels across the property, including average foot-candles, uniformity, and where shadows or dark zones may appear. This prevents common mistakes like over-lighting areas that do not need it, under-lighting drive lanes, or placing fixtures in positions that create glare. For dealerships, photometrics are especially important because you want inventory rows, customer walkways, and entry points to be evenly lit without harsh hot spots.
Question 3: Do they have experience working with automotive dealerships?
Imagine looking out into your car lot and seeing the newly hired LED install crew working directly over your fleet of cars. YIKES! If the company you are working with does not have experience in the car dealership industry, you may be exposed to an unnecessary risk that can cost you big in damages and liability.
When selecting an LED company to work with, find one that has a successful track record working with other dealerships. They can bring expertise beyond just providing you with bright lighting.
Question 4: Can they provide referrals?
With customer referrals, you can determine the value of a company’s products and what it’s like to work with them. Always ask for customer referrals. Ideally, you want to work with an LED company that has experience with the car dealership industry.
Common Dealership Lighting Mistakes We Help You Avoid
Dealerships often run into issues when lighting is selected without a plan. A few common mistakes include choosing wattage based only on brightness claims, using the wrong beam angle for pole height, spacing fixtures too far apart, and installing lights that create glare on windshields and paint. Another common issue is poor coordination during installation, which can expose vehicles to unnecessary risk. A dealership-focused lighting team plans mounting locations, protects inventory during work, and keeps the site organized.
Working with LED Lighting of Houston
Unforeseen challenges can arise during LED installs and retrofits. Working with an LED company that has experience providing LED lighting to car dealerships can reduce risk to your business and your investment. View our previous jobs here, or call to have other previous car dealership projects from around the country sent to you directly. If you want a plan for car dealership LED lighting, we can provide a site survey, photometric layout, and a clear retrofit quote. For more information or other questions, feel free to call LED Lighting of Houston, a National LED company.
