The Top Supplier of LED high bay Warehouse Lighting Fixture

Our LED bay lighting for warehouses requires little maintenance since it’s built to remain functional for years. It comes with IP65 water-resistant capacity against water splashes. It comes with a motion detection system to add to its many features.

You can get up to a 3~7 warranty on the LED high bay warehouse lighting fixture. You can as well enjoy fast, accurate, and hassle-free product delivery. Our flexible delivery system can meet your project schedule.

Reach out to VST today! We offer good prices and respond fast to inquiries.

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Warehouse High Bay Lighting – The Ultimate FAQ Guide

Large warehouse spaces with very high ceilings call for high output high bay lights capable of delivering high intensity light and effectively distributing light over an expansive space. But there are many factors that go into determining the best warehouse high bay lighting fixtures to use. Below, find all the questions you might have regarding these types of lights answered. Whether you’re installing new lighting in a commercial or industrial facility, upgrading metal halide lights to warehouse LED high bay lights, or looking to import high bay warehouse light fixtures in bulk, this guide has got you covered.

Table of Content

1. What is high bay warehouse lighting?
2. What’s the difference between high bay and low bay warehouse lighting?
3. What are the different types of high bay warehouse lights?
4. Should you choose metal halide, fluorescent, or LED warehouse lighting high bay?
5. What are the benefits of upgrading to LED high bay lighting?
6. Should you choose linear or UFO high bay warehouse lighting fixtures?
7. Where are high bay warehouse lights used?
8. What are the high bay warehouse lighting requirements?
9. How many lumens should warehouse high bay lights provide?
10. How to calculate how many high bay warehouse lighting fixtures to install?
11. How should high bay warehouse lighting fixtures be spaced?
12. How to choose the best warehouse high bay lights?
13. What warehouse environments require specialized warehouse high bay lights?
14. How to reduce high bay warehouse lighting costs?
15. How to import high bay warehouse lights from China?
16. How to find the best high bay warehouse lights manufacturer?

1. What is high bay warehouse lighting?

The name high bay says it all. High bay warehouse lights are high intensity lights designed for illuminating large spaces with ceilings higher than 20 feet above the floor level.

These types of luminaires beam out powerful lighting capable of achieving bright and consistent lighting over a vast area with high ceilings.

2. What’s the difference between high bay and low bay warehouse lighting?

The terms high bay and low bay refer to the mounting height of the luminaires. High bay lights are designed for lighting applications where the floor-to-ceiling height is taller than 20 feet – typically up to 45 feet. Since high bay lamps have to illuminate more space than low bay lights, they have higher lumen outputs than their low bay counterparts. As you can infer from the name, low bay warehouse lights are designed for buildings with lower ceiling heights – from 12 to 20 feet.

3. What are the different types of high bay warehouse lights?

Based on the lighting technologies behind warehouse high bay lamps, the different types of lights include:

• Warehouse LED high bay lights
• High Intensity Discharge (HID) lights such as metal halide high bay warehouse lighting
• Induction high bay warehouse lighting
• Fluorescent warehouse lighting

High bay warehouse lighting fixtures also come in a number of designs including:

• UFO high bay warehouse lighting fixtures
• Linear high bay warehouse light fixtures

4. Should you choose metal halide, fluorescent, or LED warehouse lighting high bay?

All these options are high intensity sources of light that can meet the lighting demands of high bay warehouse lighting applications.

Consider the advantages and disadvantages of each light technology before you can decide on a specific type of lamp.

Pros of Metal Halide Lights

• Metal Halide lights are a type of high intensity discharge (HID) lights. They beam out very powerful light that illuminates large spaces with tall ceilings effectively.
• The quality of light they emit is also optimal for commercial and industrial facilities. It promotes alertness and working efficiency.

Cons of Metal Halide Lights

• Even though metal halide lights have a high lumen output, it comes at a very high cost. These lights consume a lot of electricity as much of the energy they produce is wasted as heat output.
• They also take the longest time to warm up. Upon switching on the lights, workers have to wait 15-30minutes for the lights to reach full brightness. Definitely not efficient in a commercial or industrial space.
• Metal halide lights are also prone to lumen depreciation. They dim quickly and burn out after 15,000 to 20,000 hours.

Pros of Fluorescent Lights 

• High output fluorescent light fixtures such as T8 and T5HO fixtures put out enough light for high bay warehouse lighting.
• They make good high bay warehouse lights on a budget because they are affordable to purchase and install.
• Fluorescent lighting is also more energy efficient than metal halide lights.

Cons of Fluorescent Lighting

• The biggest disadvantage of fluorescent lighting is the poor light quality. Not only is the color rendering index poor but the bulbs and tubes are also prone to flickering and buzzing.
• Fluorescent luminaires also don’t take well to being switched on and off frequently. Doing this can decrease their lifespan.

Pros of LED Lighting

• Warehouse high bay LED lighting is superior to all lighting technologies in all areas including energy efficiency, quality of light, and longevity.
• They bring energy and running costs down while maximizing efficiency, productivity, and safety.
• It’s no surprise that LED lights are quickly becoming the go-to for warehouse and other high bay lighting applications.

Cons of LED Lighting

• Despite the many benefits of LED lighting, there’s one thing that might discourage you from installing them.
• The initial cost of purchasing LED high bay warehouse lights is higher than that of other warehouse high bay light fixtures.
• However, it’s smart to have a long term outlook here. The energy and maintenance cost savings of LED lighting actually makes them the more cost effective option in the long run.

Let’s take a deeper look at all the benefits of LED lighting you can expect to reap if you take the leap to LED lighting.

5. What are the benefits of upgrading to LED high bay lighting?

The numerous benefits of LED high bay warehouse lighting include:

Energy Saving Benefite

• LEDs are the most energy efficient light technology.
• With a luminous efficacy of about 130 lumens per watt, warehouse LED high bay lights generate a lot of light with minimal power consumption.
• Another reason for the top-level energy efficiency is that LED lamps run cool. They don’t waste a lot of energy as heat output.

Cost Saving Benefits

• The superior energy efficiency yields remarkable savings in electricity bills.
• LED lights are also low maintenance lights. They can last a full lifespan without requiring repair or maintenance. This reduces maintenance costs.
• And because they run cool, they don’t raise the ambient temperature. This not only means that power is utilized efficiently but also that the cost of air conditioning is reduced.

Light Quality Benefits

• LED lighting has a color rendering index (CRI) of 80+. The light emitted is the next best thing to sunlight.
• Because they do not rely on ballasts, they are not susceptible to flickering or buzzing.
• Plus they emit directional light that’s focused where it needs to illuminate.

Operational Benefits

• The durability of LED lights is unmatched. They have a rated lifespan of 50,000 to 100,000 hours. With the lights left on for 8 hours per day, this translates to a 20+ years lifespan.
• Even when they reach the end of their lifespan, they don’t stop shining all of a sudden. They gradually lose their brightness and will still be shining, albeit dimly, by the end of their lifespan.
• When switched on, LED lights achieve full brightness instantly. There’s no time wasted waiting for the lights to warm up.
• LED lights are also compatible with dimming and lighting control systems. This makes it easy to control the level of lighting in different zones.
• Being solid state lights, warehouse LED high bay lights are suitable for the rigors of tough industrial environments. They can withstand a lot of abuse without breaking.

6. Should you choose linear or UFO high bay warehouse lighting fixtures?

When shopping for high bay warehouse light fixtures, you will come across UFO high bay and linear high bay fittings. So which one should you choose? UFO LED high bay warehouse lighting fixtures are ideal for very high ceilings because they’re easy to install. All you have to do is hang them via a hook. They also produce powerful and widespread illumination in large open spaces with tall ceilings. Linear high bay warehouse lights, on the other hand, are the best options in areas with high shelves or racks and narrow aisles. They are effective at illuminating shelves and aisle floors without wastage of light at the tops of shelves.

7. Where are high bay warehouse lights used?

Despite their name, the application of warehouse high bay lights goes beyond warehouses and distribution centers. These are the type of lights to consider any time you’re installing lighting in a vast indoor space with very high ceilings. Examples of buildings that require high bay lighting include:

• Storage warehouses, distribution centers, loading docks, and aircraft hangers
• Manufacturing facilities such as factories and plant rooms
• Sports facilities such as gymnasiums and indoor stadiums
• Commercial facilities like malls, big box stores, and exhibition halls
• Community facilities such as even centers
• Residential spaces such as barns, basements, and garages

8. What are the high bay warehouse lighting requirements?

As a rule of thumb, warehouse facilities should be lit to between 50 to 500 lux or 5 to 50 foot candles. However, the requirements vary based on the type of facility and what goes on inside it. As an example, manufacturing and retail facilities have a higher lux requirement than warehouse and storage facilities. There are standards that specify the light intensity in different commercial and industrial facilities.  Here are the warehouse lighting requirements by two such standards:

The U.S energy recovery guide requires the following lux levels:

• Storage areas, car parks, or showrooms: 15 to 100 lux
• Workshops, sports, and recreational facilities: 100 to 250 lux
• Factory work and retail facilities: 250 to 600 lux
• Intricate assembly work: Over 600 lux

The foot candle requirements by the Illuminating Engineers Society are as follows:

• Bulk Storage Area: 5-30 FC
• Mechanical room: 20-50 FC
• Pick/Pack Area: 30-50 FC
• Shipping and receiving area: 30-50 FC
• Rack Aisles: 15-30 FC

As for the size of items being handled in the facility, the requirements are as follows:

• Large items: 10 lumens per square foot
• Small items: 30 lumens per square foot

9. How many lumens should warehouse high bay lights provide?  

The total lumen requirement for high bay lighting applications depends on how high the ceiling level in the building is. The higher the ceiling, the higher the lumens required to achieve bright illumination. The lumen requirement for different ceiling heights are as follows:

• 20 feet: 16,000 to 20,000 lumens
• 20-30 feet = 20000 to 35000 lumens
• 31-40 feet = 35000-47000 lumens
• Higher than 40 feet = 47000+ lumens

However, the total lumens requirement will also depend on how big the building is and the desired Lux level. In this case, the total lumens required can be calculated as follows:

Lumens Requirement = Floor area in square feet × Required Lux Level per square foot

10. How to calculate how many high bay warehouse lighting fixtures to install?

Since the individual luminaires come with ratings such as 100 watts, 150 watts, 200 watts, 300 watts, and 400 watts, it’s necessary to use multiple fixtures in order to achieve the required light intensity and dispersion. Before you purchase the lights for your facility, we recommend that you generate a custom lighting design for your space. You can do this using lighting layout software such as Dialux and AGI32. Simply enter details like the floor space, the ceiling height, and the lux requirements and the software will calculate your lighting needs and provide a lighting design with the following details:

• The number of light fixtures required
• The lumen output for each fixture
• Where each lighting fixture should be positioned

You can even view a simulation of the effects the lights will have on your space.

11. How should high bay warehouse lighting fixtures be spaced?

High bay lighting is all about precision. Careful placement of lamps is essential in order to ensure a bright and uniform intensity of light across the entire space. The goal of spacing should be to achieve even lighting that’s devoid of hot spots and dark shadows. This is referred to as cross over lighting. The right spacing depends on the mounting height and lux requirements. Your custom lighting design will specify exactly where to mount or suspend each light and how far apart the fixtures should be. Generally, here are the spacing guidelines based on the mounting height:

• 20 foot ceiling (15-19 feet apart)
• 30 foot ceiling (19-29 feet apart)
• 40 foot ceiling (30-40 feet apart)

12. How to choose the best warehouse high bay lights?

Beyond the wattage/lumen rating, there are some other factors to consider in order to ensure you end up with the best high bay light fixtures for your facility.

Pay attention to the following in order to get the right fixtures for your needs.

Color Temperature

A cool white color temperature of between 4500K and 5500K is ideal in warehouses and other commercial and industrial buildings.

The crisp and invigorating daylight like light promotes alertness, which reduces accidents and injuries and also promotes worker efficiency and productivity.

Light Distribution

Wide open spaces require a wide distribution pattern while narrow spaces such as aisles require a narrow distribution pattern.

Some fixtures also use reflectors to reduce glare and this also affects the distribution of light.

Aluminum reflectors focus the light to a specific place while prismatic reflectors deliver a more diffused lighting that’s ideal for illuminating shelves.

Construction Quality

Being industrial or commercial grade luminaires, warehouse high bay lighting fixtures should be constructed with rugged materials and composed of high quality hardware.

The lights should also be backed by a confidence-inspiring warranty of at least three years.

Certifications

Look for third party certifications such as UL and DLC to assure you that the lights meet quality and safety standards.

Ease of Installation and Maintenance

The ease of installation is an especially important consideration when it comes to high bay warehouse lighting.

The vast spaces and high ceilings require the use of specialized equipment such as hydraulic lifts and maneuvers such as scaffolding and catwalks. For this reason, it’s smart to opt for the easiest to install fixtures.

Replacing your facility’s lights is also an intensive task. It makes sense to look for low maintenance lights like LED warehouse lighting high bay.

13. What warehouse environments require specialized warehouse high bay lights?

When planning your high bay lighting system, it’s also important to have in mind the warehouse environment you will be installing the light. Where the lights will be exposed to harsh elements like moisture, humidity, or particulates, specialty warehouse high bay light fixtures are required.

Vapor Tight lights

For fixtures you will install in wet or high humidity areas, look for vapor tight fixtures with an IP rating of at least IP65 to protect against water, moisture, and dust ingress. Wet rated high bay fixtures are required in high humidity locations, industrial laundry facilities, car washes, horticulture, food, and pharmaceutical processing facilities.

Explosion Proof Lights 

Where hazardous or explosive items are stored or handled, look for explosion proof fixtures. Such fixtures are designed to withstand the extreme heat and pressure an explosion would generate.

Thermal Resistant Fixtures

Facilities with high ambient temperature require fixtures designed to withstand hot conditions and dissipate heat efficiently.

Impact Resistant Fixtures

In a rugged industrial environment where the lights might get banged on, opt for shock and shatter resistant high bay fixtures.

You can even go for fixtures shielded with wire guards.

14. How to reduce high bay warehouse lighting costs?

Using LED warehouse lighting high bay is the best way to keep your warehouse lighting costs down. Upgrading your warehouse high bay lighting to LED can save you 70% on your energy bills. You can increase the savings to 80% by coupling the warehouse high bay LED lighting with occupancy and daylight light control systems.

• Motion sensors automatically switch lights on when they detect occupancy and off when they detect vacancies.
• Daylight sensors constantly measure the amount of natural light and reduce the intensity of your lighting system accordingly.

15. How to import high bay warehouse lights from China?

For high-quality warehouse high bay lights at competitive prices, China is one of the best import destinations. The importation process begins with finding a manufacturer or supplier to work with and ends with the shipping of your order.

It also entails the following steps:

• Ordering and inspecting samples
• Negotiating the terms
• Paying a 30% deposit
• Verifying that the finished product is up to standards
• Making the final payment
• Arranging for shipping

16. How to find the best high bay warehouse lights manufacturer?

The search for a reliable warehouse high bay lighting manufacturer begins online. A simple search on Google or on the top B2B websites will yield a number of potential manufacturers to work with. You can then visit the manufacturers’ websites to learn more about their products and reach out to them for a consultation.

Lighting Fairs

 If you prefer to have a first hand experience with the manufacturers and their products, attending lighting fairs is a great way to do it. You will have the opportunity to meet multiple high bay lighting manufacturers in one place, speak with their representative one on one, and even purchase samples at a discount.

Sourcing Agent

The third way to find a reliable supplier is to enlist the services of an experienced lighting sourcing agent. With your best interest at heart, the sourcing agent will act on your behalf by visiting different factories, negotiating with suppliers, inspecting the manufacturing process, and ensuring the final product is up to standard.

Conclusion

Choosing a high quality warehouse lighting system is crucial for the safety, comfort, and productivity of workers. The choice of lighting also has an effect on the bottom line. A properly planned warehouse high bay lighting system will give you excellent coverage and quality of light while reducing energy consumption and increasing productivity and safety. Hopefully, this high bay warehouse lighting guide has empowered you to make the best choice of warehouse high bay lighting for your facility.

At VST Lighting, we provide powerful LED high bay warehouse lighting fixtures capable of illuminating large buildings with high ceilings effectively and efficiently.

With more than 10 years of experience in the lighting industry, we use high quality materials and guarantee our lights for 3 to 5 years.

Don’t hesitate to get in touch with us today if you’ve got a question, need assistance planning your lighting design, or for a high bay warehouse lighting quote.