What is high-bay lighting? If you’re looking into retrofitting your lights, it’s most likely that you’ve come across this term. To truly understand this term we’re going into detail about what is the high-bay light, where do you use them, and are actually as good as the competition.
Generally, you will see high-bay lighting in spaces that need a lot of lighting. We’re talking about indoor spaces that need a lot of lighting per square footage. So this means we’re looking at warehouses, department stores, manufacturing facilities, factories, gymnasiums, and so on and so forth. These facilities have large horizontal and vertical space, so you’ll be needing lights that have enough power and foot-candle levels. High-bay lights are the best option when you’re looking for power and the right level of foot-candles.
High Bay Lighting Solutions: Exploring High-Bay LED Lights and Competing Options
There are a lot of types being used for high-bay lights. There are traditional lighting, which is typically metal halide, fluorescent and high-pressure sodium lamps, which are still being used today and there is the modern LED light. Industrial LED lights truly stand out in performance when you’re looking at the traditional lights. Let’s take a look at a couple of facts as to why they’re the best option for your industrial facility or warehouse.
LED High Bay Lights Versus Metal Halide Lights
One place where you could see metal halide high-bay lights would be in huge box retail stores or even warehouses. This type of lighting is great for these spaces because they offer great color rendering and provide the right amount of foot candle levels. There are a couple of problems that you may come across when you use this type of high-bay lighting. For one, it takes quite a while for these lights to warm up before you can actually turn them on. You’re looking at about an average of 15 to 20 minutes before you can turn your lights on. Another problem is that this lighting does cost a bit. You’ll also be seeing some flickering action from time to time. Lastly, this type of lighting produces a ton of heat which is really lost energy.
LED High Bay Lights Versus High-Pressure Sodium Lights
You’ll usually see High-Pressure Sodium high-bay lights being used in distribution centers, recreational facilities, businesses, and industrial buildings. They’re inexpensive to buy and are really efficient. Basically, operational costs associated with this type of lighting are minimal. They also have a long lifespan. The only downside you’ll see with this type of lighting is it produces a poor color rendering compared to other lights out there in the market. It also takes a while to warm up as well.
LED Lights Versus Fluorescent Lights
Out of the three types of lights available in the market today, Fluorescent high-bay lighting is the most uncommon. You’ll see this type of lighting in warehouses or industrial buildings a lot more. If used, it’s because this type of light has quite a high efficiency and initial costs for this light are low. They’re a lot more efficient than HID lights. The con of this type of light is it has mercury. It’s toxic and it has to be disposed of in a certain way. Also, if you constantly turn this lighting on and off, you’re looking at a reduced lifespan. You’ll also need a ballast that will stabilize the light.
Conclusion
As seen LED lighting would be best for your LED high-bay fixtures lighting needs compared to the traditional lights available in the market today. Should you need more information on which lighting system would be best for your space, don’t hesitate to give us a call. We’ll be more than happy to help you with a consult and help you figure out the best fit for you!
