Systems
Lighting
Navigation, interior and underwater light.
Lighting spans every light aboard, from regulatory navigation lights to interior, deck and underwater fixtures, together with the dimming and control that ties them into the vessel's electrical system.
A lighting system is rarely a single category in practice. Navigation lights are governed by collision-regulation requirements for sectors, arcs and visibility, and must be specified to the vessel's length and type. Interior and deck lighting shapes how a space is used after dark and how much current it draws on a battery system that may run for days between charges. Underwater lighting is a separate discipline again, where output, thermal management and sealing against constant immersion matter far more than they do above the waterline. Treating these as one system, rather than four unrelated purchases, is what keeps current draw, switching and helm control coherent.
Because almost all modern marine and mobile lighting is LED, the design conversation has shifted from wattage to current draw, thermal behaviour and longevity. Low draw matters most on vessels and overland builds running off limited battery capacity, where lighting competes with refrigeration, electronics and other loads. Sealing and corrosion resistance, expressed through IP ratings and material choice, determine whether a fixture survives spray, washdown and salt air. PowerSol carries Hella Marine for navigation, interior and deck lighting, OceanLED for underwater lighting, and SES Services across the range, so a build can be specified from a coherent set of products rather than mismatched parts.
Control is the layer that is easiest to overlook and the most rewarding to plan early. Dimming preserves night vision and reduces draw, while integration with the vessel's switching, whether conventional circuits or a digital control system, decides how lighting is operated from the helm and living spaces. Where lighting is brought onto a digital backbone, scenes and zones become practical. Deciding this at the design stage, before cable is run, avoids retrofitting control onto fixtures that were never wired for it.
How to choose
- Specify navigation lights to the vessel's length and type so the sectors, arcs and visibility ranges meet the applicable collision regulations. This is a compliance decision, not a styling one, and should be settled before anything else.
- Treat current draw as a system budget, not a per-fixture figure. Add up interior, deck and underwater loads against your battery capacity and charging, since lighting often runs longest when the engine and alternator are off.
- Match the IP rating and housing material to where each fixture lives. Underwater lighting faces constant immersion, deck fixtures face spray and washdown, and interior fittings still see humidity and salt air, so sealing and corrosion resistance should be chosen by location.
- Plan dimming and control before cable is run. Decide whether lighting is switched conventionally or brought onto a digital control backbone, because retrofitting control onto fixtures that were not wired for it is far more costly than designing it in.
- Where possible, specify across a coherent brand set such as Hella Marine, OceanLED and SES Services so colour temperature, control compatibility and switching behave consistently across the vessel.
Brands
Lighting brands
Lighting — FAQs
How do I choose the right navigation lights?
Navigation lights are selected by vessel length and type, because collision regulations define the required light sectors, arcs and visibility ranges for each class of craft. Confirm the applicable requirements for your vessel first, then specify fixtures that meet them. Treat it as a compliance requirement rather than a matter of appearance.
Why is current draw so important for marine and mobile lighting?
On most vessels and overland builds, lighting runs off a battery system with limited capacity, often for long periods when the engine is off. Because lighting competes with refrigeration, electronics and other loads, low current draw directly affects how long the system lasts between charges. LED fixtures help, but the total load across interior, deck and underwater lighting still needs to be budgeted against your battery and charging capacity.
What should I look for in underwater lighting?
Underwater lighting is engineered for constant immersion, so sealing, corrosion-resistant materials and thermal management are the priorities, alongside light output. The fixture has to dissipate heat into the surrounding water and resist long-term exposure to it. Specify underwater lighting separately from above-water fixtures, since the requirements are quite different.
Can lighting be dimmed and controlled from one system?
Yes. Dimming preserves night vision and reduces draw, and lighting can be integrated with the vessel's switching, including digital control systems that allow scenes and zones. The key is to decide on the control approach before cable is run, because adding control later to fixtures that were not wired for it is more difficult and costly than designing it in from the start.