An In-depth Look at High Bay and Low Bay Lighting

What is High Bay and Low Bay Lighting?

High bay, as well as low bay lighting, is commonly used for interior lighting designed for buildings with higher ceilings. This form of interior lighting is most typically mounted higher up in a facility, then both troffer or fluorescent lighting applications and is common in warehouse lighting, industrial lighting, commercial and retail lighting, as well as gym lighting.

Some of the most commonly used high bay and low bay lighting applications utilized today are Metal Halide, High-Pressure Sodium, and Mercury Vapor Lamps, which are all forms of High-Intensity Discharge (HID) lamps.

Below are a few visual examples of non-LED high bay and low bay lighting applications.

Common Issues in Non-LED High Bay and Low Bay Lighting

Due to the fact that Metal Halide, High-Pressure Sodium, and Mercury Vapor Lamps are all forms of HID lamps. They all share common issues you should be aware of.

Energy Cost

Common HID lamps used in high bay and low bay lighting applications have a typical range of 175 watts to 1000 watts. With the higher wattage producing higher light output. There are several factors that play a role in the number of wattages that are utilized. Such as quantity, spacing, and mounted height. A 400w or 1000w HID fixture can cost between $200 and $550 to operate per lamp/year in electricity costs alone.

Lighting Performance

The performance characteristics of HID lamps can vary significantly. Depending upon the type that is utilized in your high bay or low bay lighting. If your facility is utilizing High-Pressure Sodium, you could be seeing a longer useful life then some of the other forms of HID due to slower lumen degradation. But due to their fuel structure, they can produce an Orange light with very low Color Rendering Index.  The illumination produced by operating Metal Halide lamps will initially provide a white light. But with the accelerated lumen degradation common to Metal Halide lamps the overall lifetime of your lamps will decrease and produce a pink illumination that barely provides light.

Maintenance Costs

When it comes to high bay and low bay lighting, maintenance costs are always a big concern. Not only do you have to worry about the lamp’s lifetime, but these fixtures are generally mounted in ceilings from 15ft to 45 ft and require the use of a lift to change out the lamps and ballasts.  If your organization does not have its own lift, you are forced to hire an outside contractor to maintain the high bay and low bay lighting in your facility. These expenses add up fast. Over the course of 3 years, you could be looking at $1,200 in labor and materials to maintain a single high bay or low bay light fixture.

The Benefits of an LED High Bay and Low Bay Retrofit

There are considerable benefits to performing an LED retrofit to your organization’s high bay and low bay lighting. Light Emitting Diodes or LED’s generate light utilizing a semiconductor. they do not rely on the consumption of a fuel source like an HID lamp. Most LED fixtures utilize multi-point sources which means the fixtures have multiple diodes with individual optics. When compared to the way HID fixtures distribute light. The results in illumination is more evenly distributed across a surface. With this in mind, let’s look at the three most common benefits of an LED Retrofit.

Energy Savings

LED high bay and low bay lighting commonly utilize wattages between 95– 495 watts. Which often result in a 40%-60% reduction in energy consumption. This could mean savings of up to $300 per fixture, per year in electricity costs.

For more on an LED’s energy savings, check out the section on Energy Savings on our LED Education Page

Lighting Performance

As a result of an LED fixtures multi-point design, you will see a bright evenly distributed light pattern perfect for illuminating the interior of your facility. The illumination across a given area will vary less and will eliminate the common bright spot produced by HID fixtures. In addition to your evenly displaced illumination, LED’s come in a variety of color temperatures. Providing a range of options in increasing the visual perception of brightness.

For more on an LED’s lighting performance, check out the section on Lighting Performance on our LED Education Page

Maintenance Savings

Due to the way LED’s generate light their functional lifespan is much longer. An LED’s generated light output will degrade very slowly over time. As a result, their functional lifespan can often exceed 100,000 hours. The LED’s lifespan drastically reduces the costs associated with maintaining your high bay and low bay lighting. This could result in over $5,500 in maintenance saving for a single fixture over the course of 3 years.

For more on an LED’s lifespan, check out our blog, Understanding LED Lifespan.

More LED Post Top Lighting Resources to Explore

LED Retrofit Education

When narrowing down the best solution for your organization, you will find it to be a challenging endeavor. Because of the thousands of lighting options available in the LED Industry, not all of them offer the same results. With this in mind, we have created an in-depth look at LED retrofits that covers things like;

• What is a turn-key commercial LED retrofit?
• Examples of commercial LED retrofit goals.
• LED lighting Performance
• Commercial applications
• LED energy savings
• LED maintenance Savings
• And so much more!

Read more about LED retrofits here!

A Guide to LED Warehouse Lighting

As energy efficiency and environmental footprints become more and more regulatory, finding a compliant light source for your warehouse is essential. But how do you know which fixtures are right for your warehouse? With hundreds of options, this very question can be more overwhelming than you would think. 

In this article, we will look at the three most common warehouse lighting options, lighting performance considerations, lighting product options, and more.

Read the full article here!

Advantages of a Turn-key LED Lighting Solutions

When people talk about a turnkey lighting solution, what they are talking about is a complex business practice. It is an attitude that influences not only the sale of an LED lighting or retrofit services but its prevailing culture and its approach to the customer experience. It helps shape the company behind it.

In this e-book, you’ll find the top 6 consideration you need to take into account what starting a chain-wide LED lighting project.

Download the free eBook Here!

Determining Next Steps in an LED High Bay or Low Bay Lighting Retrofit

You have weighed the pros and cons of retrofitting your high bay and low bay lighting to LED. The LED has won by a clean sweep. So, now the big question is, what are the next steps in the process? We have a few considerations for you to review.

Commercial Lighting Service Provider

Consider partnering with a commercial lighting service provider.  Make sure they can supply a regional, national, and multi-location LED lighting and electrical project management program. Review these items when vetting a national LED lighting and electrical project management provider.

• • • Available Resources
    • Available Personnel
    • Reporting Capabilities
    • Data Capturing for lighting and signage components
    • Lighting Recommendations
    • Product Neutral

Interested in Learning More About an LED High Bay or Low Bay Retrofit?

The first step in any LED high bay or low bay lighting project should be to contact a lighting and electrical solutions provider or lighting and electrical project management company. They should be manufacturer and product-neutral. With neutrality comes a higher focus on your needs. As opposed to the desire or limitation of selling a specific product.

A LED Retrofit provider should ask you about your project.

• What are your desired results?
• Are you looking at budget or project completion constraints?
• Do you have an energy reduction target?
• Do you have lighting performance specifics consideration?

At Action Services Group, our business model is designed to offer you the maximum ROI. While taking your lighting performance, maintenance cost, and energy efficiency into consideration. No solution or product is ever a one size fits all. We understand the need to customize solutions to meet the organization.

Action Services Group Services

Lighting-as-a-Service

Action Services Group Solutions

Next Gen LED