Canopy Lights

• Canopy light fixtures can be manufactured with round or square housings, and they can have clear or frosted lenses.

• There are many fixture shapes and colors available, so you can choose a product that matches the design of your canopy.

Outdoor canopy light fixtures are available in HID, fluorescent and LED versions. However, if you want to reduce electricity costs, LED is the recommended option. LED canopy fixtures also have the longest service life (50,000 hours or more), while HID and fluorescent fixtures require many lamp replacements over time.

Since canopy lights are installed outdoors, you should look for a dust-tight and weatherproof product. These fixtures should also have a vandalproof enclosure, to protect them from theft and tampering.

Lumenco offers a broad selection of LED canopy fixtures from leading brands like SATCO, Turolight and NaturaLED.

Types of Canopy Fixtures

Canopy lights are available in round and square versions, and both fixture shapes are available in low-profile versions. These fixtures normally use polycarbonate lenses to improve durability, and they can be clear or frosted.

• Clear lenses are more effective when you need to focus the light beam on a specific object or location.

• Frosted lenses have a light dispersing effect, and they are recommended when you need uniform lighting over a larger area.

If you’re using canopy lights for a gas station, a clear lens can help you focus light more effectively on gas pumps to improve visibility. On the other hand, a frosted lens can distribute light more effectively in a bus station or a covered parking area.

There are flat-lens and drop-lens options for both square and round fixtures.

Canopy lights are available in surface-mounted and recessed versions, and some products are also suitable for pendant mounting. Some canopy fixtures require junction boxes for their electrical connections, while others have knockout or threaded holes for conduit, and junction boxes are not necessary.

Importance of Using Canopy Lights with Adequate Housings

Since canopy fixtures are installed outdoors in commercial locations, they are exposed to three main hazards:

• The ingress of dust and insects, which may cause internal damage or block the lens.

• Weather conditions, including rain and other humidity sources.

• Criminals who may try to steal or disable canopy lights, especially when they are installed at low height.

To ensure that canopy fixtures can operate reliably, they need a tough enclosure. Their housings are manufactured from die-cast aluminum or other durable materials, and their lenses are made of polycarbonate - a transparent but tough thermoplastic. Lumenco offers canopy lights with enclosure ratings up to IP65, which provide the highest protection degree against dust, and protection against low pressure water jets from any direction.

Canopy lenses must also be gasketed, to achieve a hermetic seal against dust and insects. When allowed to accumulate inside, dust and insects can block the lamp and reduce visibility. They can also damage internal components, depending on where they accumulate. 

The tough enclosure of canopy lights also contributes to crime prevention. Burglars may try to disable light fixtures to leave an area in the dark, or they may try to steal them directly. However, this is much more difficult when lamps are protected by tough enclosures and shatterproof lenses.

Advantages of LED Canopy Light Fixtures

Canopy fixtures are available in metal halide (MH), sodium vapor (HPS), compact fluorescent (CFL) and LED versions. However, LED canopy lights offer several advantages:

• They can achieve energy savings of over 60% when replacing MH and HPS fixtures, and savings of over 30% compared with CFL fixtures.

• LED lights can switch on instantly and without flickering.

• Having a service life of 50,000 hours or more, LED canopy fixtures can operate for many years without lamp replacements. On the other hand, HID and fluorescent fixtures must be opened frequently to replace their lamps -most HID and CFL lamps need a replacement in less than 10,000 hours.

• Thanks to their durability and reliability, LED fixtures also create a safer outdoor environment.

Depending on the specific product, LED canopy fixtures may also offer features like dimming, motion sensor compatibility, and selectable color temperature (CCT).

In general, LED canopy lights tolerate a wide range of outdoor temperatures, and they can also be used with various input voltages. This makes them suitable for many climate zones, and compatible with most electrical installations. Keep in mind that the exact specifications will depend on the product and manufacturer; for example, the Turolight SSL series operates with voltages from 120V to 480V, and it can withstand ambient temperatures from -40°C to 40°C.