A landmark smart lighting retrofit in Jintan District, Changzhou, has shown just how much energy underground parking facilities can save when outdated systems are replaced with intelligent LED technology. The pilot project at Jinsha Financial Center achieved energy savings of more than 70 percent, providing a replicable model for parking facilities across China as the country pushes forward with its "dual carbon" strategy.
The underground garage of Jinsha Financial Center, a landmark commercial complex in the district, features a large floor area and extremely long operating hours. Before the retrofit, the facility relied on traditional fluorescent lamps and ordinary LED fixtures that ran at full power around the clock. The problem of "burning electricity with no people or cars present" was severe. Industry surveys indicate that traditional underground garages remain empty more than 80 percent of the time, yet their lighting systems operate at full load continuously, with off-peak periods accounting for nearly 40 percent of total energy consumption.
The renovation tackled these pain points systematically. On the hardware side, all legacy fixtures were replaced with matrix-style ultra-high-efficiency LED tubes delivering 200–230 lumens per watt, improving brightness while dramatically reducing power draw. The new housings adopt advanced materials with stronger anti-aging and flame-retardant performance, extending service life in humid underground environments.
On the software side, the lighting network connects to an intelligent energy management platform equipped with radar sensing modules, realizing true demand-based lighting: full brightness the moment a vehicle enters, gentle standby dimming once it leaves. Lighting zones can be monitored and adjusted centrally, giving facility managers real-time visibility into energy consumption.
For parking operators planning similar upgrades, product selection matters as much as the control strategy. A purpose-built bulkhead light for parking garage applications offers clear advantages in these semi-enclosed environments. Its robust, impact-resistant housing withstands accidental contact from vehicles, while wide, even light distribution eliminates dark corners on ramps, turns, and pillar zones where accidents most often occur. Integrated microwave or PIR sensors allow each bulkhead light for parking garage ceiling areas to switch independently between full output and low-power standby, multiplying the savings achieved by the central platform.
Beyond energy, safety remains the core function of garage lighting. Well-designed fixtures deliver consistent color rendering that helps drivers judge distances and identify pedestrians, while IP65-rated protection ensures reliable operation despite dust, vehicle exhaust, and moisture ingress. Emergency-compatible versions can link to fire alarm systems, guaranteeing minimum illumination during power failures.
The Jintan project is now being extended district-wide. The local lighting operator, responsible for 123,000 street lamps and 654 power distribution units, has included the smart garage lighting model in its annual key task list and is gradually rolling it out to all types of parking facilities. The company plans to deepen the coordinated development of underground and above-ground lighting, building a fully covered smart lighting ecosystem across the district.
For building owners, property managers, and lighting specifiers, the message is clear: parking garage lighting is no longer a fixed cost center but a manageable asset. With high-efficacy LED sources, sensor-driven controls, and intelligent platforms working together, energy bills can be cut by more than two-thirds while improving safety and user experience at the same time.
