What Title 24 Actually Requires for Parking Lot Lighting
California’s Title 24 energy code requires qualifying parking lot and outdoor lighting to include motion-sensing controls, with power automatically reduced once an area’s unoccupied. Fixtures installed without that capability may already be out of compliance, whether or not anyone’s caught it yet.
Compliance Built Into the Retrofit, Not Bolted On After
A lighting upgrade is the natural point to bring a lot’s controls up to code, since the fixtures and the sensors get specified and installed together instead of as a separate project down the line.
What We Do
Every service below applies to a lot the same way it applies to any other part of a facility, sized to the space and scheduled around when it’s actually used.
Assessments
A free walkthrough documents fixture counts, wattage, and dark spots across the entire lot, not just the areas that are obviously failing.
Installations
Pole and area fixtures get installed on a schedule that keeps the lot usable throughout, not shut down section by section for longer than it needs to be.
Retrofits
LED parking lot lights replace old metal-halide and HPS fixtures at a one-to-one or better light output, without the dark spots that come with age.
Maintenance & Repair
Parking lot lighting repair gets handled fast, since a dead pole fixture at night is a security issue, not just a burned-out bulb.
Controls
Motion sensors and photocells bring a lot’s lighting in line with Title 24, and cut the power bill for hours as the lot sits empty.
A Dark Lot Is a Liability, Not Just an Inconvenience
Uneven lighting and dead fixtures create blind spots that matter for more than convenience: slip-and-fall risk, security exposure, and liability that follows back to the property owner. LED parking lot lights hold their output evenly across a lot’s full lifespan, instead of dimming unevenly the way older HID and metal-halide fixtures do as they age.
Case Study
How Lithia Chrysler Jeep Dodge Solved Their Dark Spots
This is the exact kind of project a parking lot lighting upgrade usually is.
The Problem
Lithia Chrysler Jeep Dodge wanted to cut energy costs on their lot, but only if the upgrade also improved how vehicles were showcased. Aging metal-halide fixtures were leaving dark spots that hid inventory from shoppers walking the rows.
The Solution
Through our Shared Savings Program, the old metal-halide parking lot fixtures were replaced with new LED, eliminating dark spots and putting every vehicle in full view, at no cost upfront.
The Results
The $75,750 project delivered $30,800 in annual energy savings, a payback period of about 30 months. Lithia is projected to save $300,000 or more over the next 10 years, all while giving every vehicle on the lot the same full visibility.
Products We Install
Depending on your lot’s layout and lighting needs, that typically includes:
LED Parking Lot Lights
Pole and Area Fixtures
Wall Packs
Photocells and Motion Sensors
Astronomical Time Clocks
FAQs About Our Parking Lot Lighting
Do you handle parking lot lighting installation, repair, or both?
Both. New installations, full retrofits, and repairs on existing lots are all handled by the same team, so it’s one call regardless of what your lot needs.
Is my parking lot lighting required to have motion sensors?
In most cases, yes, under California’s Title 24 energy code. A free assessment can confirm whether your specific lot is compliant.
Are you licensed parking lot lighting contractors?
Yes. All of our lighting technicians are licensed, and permits or inspections required for the work are handled as part of the project.
