What’s the easiest way to light an ample, high ceilinged indoor space? High bay lighting! This guide will cover how high bay and low bay lights differ and why getting recessed lighting could be the answer for your space.
High Bay vs. Low Bay Lights
Low bay lighting works for rooms where the floor-to-ceiling height is not much. In these scenarios, you can mount lights at lower positions and still illuminate the space. However, when lighting spaces such as conference halls and warehouses, you cannot make do with low bay lights. Instead, you need strong enough lights to illuminate the space without losing their intensity after covering a short distance. The light should be visible across the wide area and allow people to work in the space uninterrupted. Uniform lighting is the key here, which you cannot achieve with low bay lights.
Is mounting the only difference between low bay and high bay lighting? Not quite! With high bay lighting, you must be careful with your choice and choose a light that you can easily position to cast a strong and uniform light across the space. The light should not only cover the vertical space but should also move horizontally at a wide angle. Thus, placement is a key factor in how well you illuminate the space with high bay lighting.
Why should you choose UFO lights? Not only are they more powerful, but they are also the best options for ceiling heights ranging from twenty to forty-five feet. Additionally, they are suited for environments where people handle corrosive materials that could weaken other types of lighting. Did you know that you can also use Lepro lights at lower mounting positions? That’s right! These lights are pretty versatile, and if you want to achieve better illumination by spreading the light over a narrow section, you can also do this. Plus, you can get the lights in various styles, enabling you to choose what works best for your space.
On the other hand, low bay lights are best for spaces with ceiling heights less than twenty feet. If you use them across large spaces, you’ll notice spotting and reduced uniformity as the distance increases.
What about recessed LED lighting?
Recessed lighting is a versatile type of light that also goes by other names such as can lighting and downlighting. In architectural lighting, recessed LED lights are going for the win. They allow you to illuminate and update a space with minimal effort and work for residential and commercial buildings. Besides serving a role in updating the look of any space, these lights are also highly energy-efficient and last longer than the traditional bulbs. Many spaces now incorporate these lights, which have become common in workspaces across the globe.
Where can you use recessed lights? Anywhere! Whether you are setting up a warehouse, office, kitchen or even guest bedroom, recessed lighting can work for you!
Choosing Recessed LED High Bay Lighting
By getting both recessed and high bay LED lights, you combine the best of both worlds and increase the illumination and energy efficiency properties of both lights. How can you ensure that you get the best lights for your space?
Wattage
Instead of measuring the brightness needs of your space based on wattage, you can easily get it right by using lumens. Lumens are a measure of visible light produced from a light source. Here’s the interesting thing. Whether you are dealing with LED or traditional lighting, all light sources have lumen measures. As such, a 24,000-lumen fluorescent fixture amounts to a 24,000 lumen LED light. It makes it much easier to measure your lighting needs this way.
For a ceiling that is more than 40 feet high, you’ll need at least 40,000 lumens. When lighting a space with a ceiling that is 15 to 20 feet high, you will need 15,000 to 19,000 lumens. Can you guess how many lumens you would need for a space with a ceiling height of 20 to 30 feet?
Please note that your lighting setup should also consider the use of the space. A recreation center will not need as much light as a manufacturing plant. Storage space will hardly need as much light as a retail store. Think about how much light you need to avoid spending more on utility bills than you should.
Spacing
When lights are close to each other, their light overlaps, thereby increasing the intensity of the resultant light. It thus follows that when they are far from each other, the overlap would be less, and the light would not be as bright. The goal is to have at least some light overlapping as this prevents gaps between the lights, which can cause non-uniformity. As long as you have some overlap, the lighting should be fine.
Take an example of a ceiling that’s higher than 30 feet from the floor. In this case, spacing the lights at 25 feet from each other will give you uniform light. To get brighter light, you can move the lights closer and work with 20 feet. For space where the ceiling ranges from 15 to 20 feet, you can get uniform lighting at a spacing of 14 feet each. To make it brighter, you reduce the spacing to 12 feet.
You can play around with the lights to see how much light the space needs. Again, it comes down to how you use the space. For warehouses, brighter light might be necessary.
Style
LED high bay lights come in varying styles, and you can always shop around to see what option best matches your space. They include:
Round LED High Bay Lights
These lights feature the same layout used in halide setups and are an easy way to replace the old with the new. They work for large open spaces with ceilings over 35 feet. Examples of ideal spaces include factory floors and gyms.
Linear LED High Bay Lights
These lights have a similar setup to fluorescent lights, and you can use them to take the space of traditional lights at a lower cost. They work for ceilings under 35 feet and are not ideal for areas that require protection from the elements. You can use them in gyms and large office spaces.
To get more value and use from your workspace, consider getting recessed LED high bay lighting. Not only is it aesthetically pleasing, but it also reduces your utility bills by a significant amount without compromising on lighting quality.