Mounting height plays an important role in effectiveness a light has on its intended target areas. Determining the ideal light distribution pattern for your fixture requires knowing the distance between where the light will be mounted, and the area you plan to illuminate. For multiple fixture per pole applications, you need to consider the distance between the poles in order to most effectively illuminate a given area.
High Mast Lighting
High mast lights typically have higher mounting heights (50ft+), and because high mast lighting poles’ heights are large relative to their cross-sectional dimension, these poles can be flexible and sensitive to wind loading. Higher mounting heights also allow for fewer poles due to optimized light coverage.
Flood Lights
Flood lights typically have a mounting height of approximately 15ft-35ft, however, in several applications they can have a pole height greater than the typical max (although rarely reaching the height of high mast lighting). A closer distance will not need a long-range narrow beam, so a wider flood beam will be best. To illuminate an area at a further distance, a more narrow, farther-reaching beam is necessary.
Its important to note that when installing light poles for a new project, you will also need to consider the distance between light sources and the beam’s radius to avoid extensive overlapping (or a complete lack of overlapping, which is also bad) of illumination.
