Outdoor lighting refers to the outdoor lighting system other than road lighting, mainly used to meet the visual needs of night operations and also has decorative functions, covering scenarios such as industrial transportation, sports venues, and architectural landscapes. According to the “Standard for Architectural Lighting Design” GB/T 50034-2024, its scope of application includes squares, activity venues and ancillary areas of buildings, and it needs to be designed in combination with safety and aesthetic requirements. In industrial sites, the focus is on controlling the illuminance of the working surface, while in sports venues, the layout of light sources is differentiated according to the characteristics of the sports activities. For instance, tennis courts use tall tower metal halide lamps to reduce flicker, and architectural landscape lighting achieves decorative effects through floodlights, wall-washing lights, etc.

The design specification requires the adoption of a TN-S power supply system, controlling voltage deviation and grounding resistance, and optimizing illuminance distribution through optical flux calculation and point-by-point adjustment. The selection of lighting fixtures should comply with the protection level and optical standards. For instance, LED underwater lights are used for fountain lighting, and the height of lawn lights is limited to 0.6 to 1 meter. The international standard ISO/CIE 8995-3:2018 stipulates the lighting safety parameters for outdoor operation sites such as ports and industrial zones, emphasizing the balance between visibility and comfort. In terms of energy conservation, priority should be given to the adoption of photoelectric control and solar energy technologies, and light pollution should be reduced through light distribution optimization.

Outdoor lighting can be roughly divided into three categories.

Industrial and transportation site lighting includes the lighting of docks, railway stations, freight yards, loading and unloading stations, airports, warehouse areas, public works and construction sites, etc., to ensure safe and effective work at night.

Industrial and transportation sites that require the installation of lighting equipment can be classified into two types in terms of light distribution:

One type is the venue that requires good horizontal (surface) illuminance. Mainly, chandeliers with better lighting functions are installed. The installation principle of the lighting device in the venue with good horizontal (surface) illuminance is required.

Another type is the site that requires a relatively high vertical (surface) illuminance. Floodlights (see lighting fixtures) can be installed on large-spacing columns or high towers. The installation principle requires the installation principle of the site lighting device for vertical (surface) illuminance.

Sports field lighting mainly refers to the lighting of various sports fields, such as football fields, tennis courts, shooting ranges, golf courses, etc. When choosing lighting equipment, a specific analysis of the visual requirements for various movements should be conducted. For example, in a shooting range, the illuminance requirement for the shooting target is very high. At the same time, for safety reasons, there should be soft general lighting between the launch site and the target. In large sports fields, the distance between the audience and the athletes is relatively large, and higher illuminance is required. Although there are not many spectators on the tennis court, due to the fast movement speed of the tennis balls during the game, high illuminance is also required. In addition, the selected lighting equipment must not produce a distracting stroboscopic effect. Stadiums surrounded by stands generally adopt the method of installing lighting equipment on four high towers. This method can avoid glare, but it is relatively costly. Smaller stadiums generally adopt lower-cost side lights, and eight lighthouses, each 12 to 20 meters high, can be installed along both sides of the field. Metal halide lamps are recommended as the lighting sources for sports venues.

Outdoor lighting for other buildings includes gas stations, sales areas, billboards, office building lighting, and exterior lighting for factory buildings (see Night Lighting for Buildings).

The outdoor street lighting system is suitable for the outdoor street lighting of general cities, campuses, residential communities, and large factory and mine production and living areas.