What wattage LED floodlight do you need, and how many lumens does it give? Choosing for garden, facade and sports areas

Short answer: A good LED floodlight gives about 100 lumens per watt: 10 W ≈ 1,000 lm, 50 W ≈ 5,000 lm, 100 W ≈ 10,000 lm, 200 W ≈ 20,000 lm. Gardens and entrances mostly use 10–30 W, facades and signs 30–100 W, and car parks, building sites and sports pitches 100–200 W and above. The right power depends on the size of the area, the mounting height and the beam angle.

Watts and lumens

Watts show consumption, lumens show light output. Compare floodlights by lumens, not watts: two 100 W floodlights can give 8,000 lm and 14,000 lm. The higher the lm/W (efficacy) on the label, the less electricity for the same light.

• 10 W ≈ 1,000 lm: front door, small garden corner, tree uplighting
• 20–30 W ≈ 2,000–3,000 lm: garden, entrance, driveway
• 50 W ≈ 5,000 lm: house facade, small car park, warehouse front
• 100 W ≈ 10,000 lm: factory yard, residential car park, signage
• 150–200 W ≈ 15,000–20,000 lm: building site, five-a-side pitch, large open area

Which wattage where?

### Garden and entrance

In a home garden, several low-power (10–30 W) floodlights work better than one powerful unit: less glare and fewer harsh shadows. Use small narrow-beam floodlights to uplight trees and plants, and bollards along paths.

### Facade and signage

For facade lighting, place the floodlight close to the wall and aim it upwards; a narrow or elliptical beam carries the light up the wall. Consider 30–50 W for a two- or three-storey facade and 100 W and above for taller ones. Long walls get more even light from wall washers.

### Car parks, building sites and pitches

On large open areas floodlights go on 6–10 m poles or on the building. As a rough starting point: 100–150 W on 6–8 m poles in car parks, and 2–4 × 150–200 W per pole on a five-a-side pitch. The exact number follows from a lighting calculation for the required level (about 10–20 lux for car parks, 100–200 lux for pitch training).

Beam angle

• 120°: wide, nearby areas (garden, yard, warehouse front).
• 60°: medium distance, more concentrated light further away.
• 30° or narrower: from a high pole to a distant point, facade and tree accents.

A wide-beam floodlight on a high pole spills most of its light around; a narrow-beam floodlight mounted low makes a small, very bright spot.

What to check

• Protection: at least IP65 outdoors, plus an IK rating where impacts are possible.
• Colour temperature: 3000 K warm white for gardens and homes, 4000–5000 K for security and sports areas.
• Glare: do not aim at neighbours or the road; tilt downwards and use a shield if needed.
• Control: a motion sensor or dusk-to-dawn (photocell) sensor avoids needless burning.
• Consumption: a 100 W floodlight on for 10 hours a night uses 1 kWh a day, about 30 kWh a month.

In Bursa, ENGN provides product selection, calculation and installation for garden, facade, residential and commercial outdoor lighting.

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