At MHSC Energy, our approach to outdoor lighting combines precision engineering with practical execution. The River Hills Mall parking lot project exemplifies how a thoughtfully designed lighting system can drastically improve safety, aesthetics, and energy performance in a large commercial environment.
Whether it’s for late-night shoppers, delivery drivers, or maintenance crews, outdoor visibility matters—and so does ease of install. That’s why this project focused on delivering balanced brightness, pole-optimized coverage, and long-term performance with minimal complexity.
Designed for Safety, Engineered for Performance
The River Hills Mall parking lot spans a wide area with varied pedestrian paths, drive lanes, and perimeter zones. We approached this project with a goal to:
Provide consistent, non-glare lighting for pedestrian comfort
Ensure clear visibility for vehicle movement across lanes and parking rows
Minimize fixture types to reduce complexity for installers and simplify maintenance
Stay within energy limits while exceeding minimum lighting code requirements
The result? A layout that is contractor-friendly, energy-efficient, and future-proof.
Luminaire Details & Wattage Breakdown
To achieve optimal distribution across the varied lot layout, we used a mix of three UPK1 series fixtures. Each delivers over 60,000 lumens, and with precision optics (T3X2, T3X3, and T3X4), they’re tailored for different light throw distances and pole mounting zones.
Here’s how the fixture mix breaks down:
1. UPK1-400W50KT3X4 – Perimeter & Wide-Angle Coverage
Lamps per Fixture: 1
Lumens per Lamp: 60,073
Qty: 9
Total System Watts: 14,405.76
Efficiency: 100%
Application: These provide broad horizontal spread ideal for the open center areas of the parking lot.
2. UPK1-400W50KT3X3 – Intermediate Zones
Lamps per Fixture: 1
Lumens per Lamp: 60,073
Qty: 2
Total System Watts: 2,400.96
Efficiency: 100%
Application: Used where medium-range lighting is needed to bridge gaps between wide-angle and focused zones.
3. UPK1-400W50KT3X2 – Targeted Throw & Edges
Lamps per Fixture: 1
Lumens per Lamp: 60,073
Qty: 2
Total System Watts: 1,600.64
Efficiency: 100%
Application: Focused lighting near lot edges, walkways, or where pole spacing requires a tighter beam pattern.
Total Fixtures: 13
Total Lumens Delivered: 780,949
Total Wattage: 18,407.36 W
Illumination Results
Lighting levels were carefully calculated to meet IES-recommended values for commercial parking facilities. Our modeling ensures pedestrian and vehicle areas are uniformly lit, avoiding harsh shadows or overly bright zones that cause visibility discomfort.
Average Lux (Entire Parking Lot): 3.50 lux
Average Lux (Red/Hotspot Zones): 4.62 lux
This level of illumination ensures safe navigation, deterrence against theft, and positive customer experience during evening and night-time hours.
Mounting & Layout Specifications
We modeled the lot using precise site coordinates (feet/inches) to match pole spacing and fixture aiming angles. The lighting plan accounts for pole height variation along property boundaries and building lines.
Key Design Parameters:
Wall Height: 15–25 ft (varies by building face)
Mounting Height: 30 ft standard for all fixtures
Workplane Height (for modeling): 2.5 ft
Room Reflectance Values:
Ceiling (sky equivalent): 0.80
Walls (building surroundings): 0.50
Floor (asphalt): 0.20
These reflectance values are conservative to model real-world light bounce and decay, especially under varying nighttime atmospheric conditions (humidity, snow, etc.).
Installation Considerations
We designed this layout with the installer in mind:
Only three fixture types, all with identical lumen packages, simplify ordering and on-site organization
Fixtures are all mounted at a standard 30-foot height, reducing variance and install guesswork
Wiring and aiming diagrams provided for rapid pole-top connections and correct orientation
By minimizing the number of variables on-site, contractors can focus on efficiency and safety, and property managers can trust that the final result will match the photometric model.
The MHSC Energy Advantage
This parking lot layout reflects our broader philosophy at MHSC Energy:
Don’t overlight—optimize.
Design for today, prepare for tomorrow.
Support the installer, serve the end user.
Whether we’re lighting retail interiors, warehouse aisles, or parking environments like River Hills Mall, our layouts are grounded in real-world performance, not just simulation.
Let’s Light Your Lot
From malls and mixed-use retail to industrial access lots and civic centers, MHSC Energy can deliver site-specific lighting layouts that meet code, save energy, and work in the field.
📞 Let’s talk about your project. We’ll help you plan it, model it, and light it—with accuracy and accountability.
