“High Bay Lighting” Defined
Most businesses that own and operate warehouses, factories, and distribution centers have heard of “high bay lights”. But before we get into the latest technologies and their advantages, we wanted to unpack what “high bay lights” actually are and where they are most commonly found.
What are high-bay lights?
As their name implies, high-bay lights are used to illuminate spaces with high ceilings. That usually means ceilings ranging from 20 feet to approximately 45 feet. Low-bay lights, on the other hand, are used for ceilings 20 feet and under. Because a high-ceiling location has more space to fill, a high-bay by definition is a powerful light source that can brighten up a large area.
Given their placement, high-bay lights are natural fits for commercial and industrial uses. They have multiple applications across a range of industries, including workshops, factories and assembly lines. You will also see high-bay lights in large recreational facilities and gyms. These lights are excellent for illuminating storage facilities and warehouses as well. They can be used for large conference halls, event centers, or indeed for any place that needs lighting from an elevation of more than 20 feet. They are even used in hangars and other large, cavernous buildings.
One of the benefits of high-bay lighting is that it provides clear, uniform lighting of what’s below it with little glare. Different kinds of reflectors can accomplish different kinds of illumination tasks for high-bay lights. Aluminum reflectors make light from the fixtures flow directly downward to the floor, while prismatic reflectors create a more diffused lighting useful for illuminating shelves and other elevated objects in a space.
Numerous types of fixtures can be used when setting up high-bay lights. These include LED lights, induction lights, metal halide lights, and fluorescent lights. Each of these types of high-bay fixtures has its pros and cons. For instance, LED lights offer extremely long life and energy efficiency but require a bigger initial investment, while traditional incandescent lights are less expensive to purchase initially but don’t last as long and use more energy.
Besides having different costs and efficiencies, there are several types of fixtures available for high-bay lights. Round high-bay lights, linear high-bays, architectural high-bays and grid-mount high-bays all offer different light qualities and coverage styles. The type of light best for you can depend on your personal taste as well as what tasks you’ll be performing under it.
Having various fixtures and bulbs to choose from means you will have to do some research before determining what is best for you. For example, if you ask “How bright are 450w high-bay lights?”, the answer depends on multiple factors. A 450-watt metal halide light will be about as bright as a 200-watt LED light, and cooler color temperatures typically have a higher lumen output per watt. Our expert staff can assist you with your questions to make the best selection.
The right high-bay lighting choice can increase safety while maximizing energy efficiency and boosting productivity. At Take Three Lighting, we carry a wide range of high-bay lighting solutions available from the best manufacturers in the industry. For advice on the type of high-bay lighting that’s best for you, just give us a call at our toll-free number, drop us an email, or simply fill out our product quotation form. We love to hear from customers or potential customers and we look forward to working with you.
Here’s how to select the right Linear LED High Bays
We offer a diverse selection of LED linear high bay light fixtures from leading brands such as Texas Fluorescents, WareLite, and more, for quality and performance of the highest standards. These linear LED high bay light fixtures are available in various wattages, voltages, lumen outputs, color temps and other important specifications, to help you find the option that will work best for your location. Light fixtures are available in your choice of bulb number, height, width, and depth to accommodate a wide range of needs. Designed to replace various models of HID and MH lighting, our LED linear high bay light fixtures are easy to install with various knockouts for wiring already implanted in the design. These fixtures are built to last with UL listings of wet or damp in most models and lengthy warranties from the manufacturer. Looking for a dimmable model? We have several options capable of this function. Need a certain color fixture for a seamless lighting solution to match your cling? We have you covered. Add the power of LED to your high ceilings today with these reliable options!
At Warehouse-Lighting.com, we are committed to being your source for all your lighting needs. We offer the best brands in the lighting industry to cover a wide scope of applications. Our friendly lighting experts would be happy to answer any questions you may have while shopping or assist you further in any way.
What is low bay lighting ?
In contrast, low bay lighting is defined as illumination for ceiling height between 12ft to 20ft in retail store or workshop.
It is intended to have wide coverage on the floor, so you can use less fixtures and save your labor fee and installation cost.
Therefore, we don’t need any aluminum reflector most often.
However, that is not an absolute rule.
Sometimes, people will use a prisma clear lens for grocery store or exhibition hall low bay lighting.
Because light should be spotted to certain places, to make the selling items on display more appealing or attractive, no need light up all area evenly.
60W-100W LED UFO high bays or linear high bay fixtures are generally used for low bay lighting,
How To Choose LED High Bay Vs Low Bay Lighting Fixtures ?
If there are old metal halide, high pressure sodium bay light in the existing building, the first step you need to do is to look at how many wattage of the original MH HPS lamp, lumen output, beam angle is.
With that info. in mind, you can easily find the right LED to replace it.
In market, the HID (high intensity discharge) include MH, HPS, mercury vapor, and their wattage ranges from 175 watt to 1,000 watt.
Some people think it is good idea to replace the old MH HPS with a new one because it is much cheaper compared with LED upgrade.
That is not a bad solution if your ballast and fixture is still new, you can still have it running for a while.
However, we all know that MH HPS bulb light color will become yellowish after using one year or two, its maintenance cost is quite high.
Therefore, we strongly propose to upgrade to LED instead, as its lifespan lasts over 50,000hrs to 100,000hrs, and it consumes much less energy than HID.
Below are the LED equivalent to the HID for your information.
However, this is not a golden rule also, it can be changeable for different mounting height.
Where are Linear High Bay lights used?
Given their placement, linear high-bay lights are excellent fits for commercial and industrial uses. Instances include retail spaces, factories, warehouses, aircraft hangars, and manufacturing areas. They are also ideal for conference halls, event centers, large recreational facilities, and fitness centers. All of these areas need adequate illumination from ceiling heights of 20 feet or more.
What are the different types of Linear High Bay lights?
There have been many improvements in lighting technology over the years and each type has its own benefits and drawbacks over the other. Amongst the types of bulbs or arrays that can be used for high bay lighting are fluorescent, metal halide, high pressure sodium and LED. Metal halide or high pressure sodium lights aren’t as expensive to purchase at the outset but have a briefer lifespan than fluorescent or LED. Other concerns include long warm up times and less than ideal color rendering. Modern LED lighting, on the other hand offers extremely long life and energy efficiency but require a bigger initial investment.
What are the benefits of LED Linear High Bay lights?
LED lighting technology has developed to the point that it can overcome most all of the drawbacks of the technologies previously listed here.
Lighting quality is much better in terms of color rendering, color temperature and lumen output (compared to wattage used).
They have a much lengthier lifetime which means that the lights need to be replaced less often than other types. This is particularly important when it comes to high bay lighting which requires lifts or scaffolding to reach the fixtures.
Although LED lighting is more costly at the outset upon point of purchase, costs are more than made up over the long term due to the fact that they utilize much less energy than conventional lights. This saves on utility costs over time. They also don’t waste energy emitted as heat.
Finally, the other types of lights listed above are omnidirectional, which means that they produce a 360 degree output. With linear high bay light fixtures, the light needs to be directed down and out towards the floor. Much of this is squandered or needs to be directed using a reflector. LED linear high bays have a more focused light beam which means that nothing is wasted.
Our customer needed a light that would provide 150-200 lux between storage racks 30 feet high and 11 feet wide in a -4°F cold storage warehouse with a 32-foot ceiling.
As you can see in the photo below, the high bays were hung below the fluorescent fixtures via cables. The fluorescent fixtures did not even need to be removed for the installation of the LEDs.
Also notable is how each 90W linear high bay provides more light than 3 fluorescent fixtures – a testament to the high quality of LED lights.
Installation is still in progress at the warehouse, but the difference in brightness is already so extensive. This product installation is a prime example of the superiority of LED lighting over fluorescents.
If you’re looking for energy-efficient lighting for your warehouse or retail aisles, Bbier Lighting.com carries LED linear high bays in a variety of wattages, all backed by 5-year warranties.
The Modern High Bay Light
High bay lights, like almost every other kind of light, have been revolutionized by LED technology. They are now brighter, safer, more efficient, and cost less money to buy and operate.
Brightness: LEDs put out a much brighter, cleaner, more full-spectrum type of light than you used to get with fluorescent and metal halide high bay lights. There’s also no glare produced by LEDs, making your facilities look and feel more inviting and comfortable for both customers and staff.
Safety: Not only are LED lights free from mercury and other harmful chemicals, but the light they produce is so much richer and cleaner that the space they light is transformed by the new fixtures. This is a HUGE benefit in a typical high bay light setting: a distribution center, factory, hangar, or other settings that usually feature big equipment and big obstacles. Upgrading to LED high bay lights is a great way to make your business safer.
Efficiency: LEDs use a fraction of the energy required by traditional technologies. Your energy bill will be significantly reduced by switching your old lights to LEDs.
For indoor applications with high ceilings, LED high bay fixtures are a long lasting and energy-efficient lighting solution. They are ideal for warehouses, gymnasiums, manufacturing, retail and many other applications with hard-to-reach ceilings. LED high bay lights provide excellent efficiency and light output compared to traditional HID and fluorescent fixtures. LED lights provide a better quality light output coupled with energy efficiency. For increased safety and visibility, high bay LED lights from bbier lighting is the best way to illuminate large open spaces such as auditoriums, manufacturing plants, gyms, and warehouses.
Bbier has an extensive selection of LED high bay lighting fixtures to choose from that include LED linear high bays, round high bays, and ufo high bays, to meet your lighting requirements. Our LED high bays have a variety of different light outputs that range from 12,000 to 44,000 lumens. They offer bright powerful light output that is dependable with lifespans that exceed 50,000 hours. These fixtures provide a low-to-no-maintenance lighting solution, saving on replacement time and materials.
Many LED high bay lights feature 0-10V dimming to adjust light output to meet your needs. Having a reliable lighting solution for commercial and industrial applications is extremely important for enhanced productivity and safety. A wide variety of accessories are available that include occupancy sensors, wire guards, lenses, and reflectors, to help to ensure the LED high bay lights you select meet your application’s lighting needs.