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Warehouses are a key player in the modern business landscape. They play a critical role in supply chain management and are an integral part of the efficient storage, distribution, and delivery of goods in a wide range of industries. They vary in terms of how big or small they are, but one thing that remains constant among all is the importance of creating a safe and healthy working environment for all those working there.
In doing so, adequate warehouse lighting is one factor that needs to be addressed without compromise as it can put the workers’ safety and wellbeing at risk. Because of how warehouses are built and operated, a poorly lit space can increase the number of accidents and lead to all sorts of issues. These issues can easily be avoided by installing proper lighting solutions that are right for your warehouse and its lighting needs.
LEDs are ruling the current lighting landscape and have become the preferred option for industrial LED lighting. Warehouses generally used either linear fluorescent lamps or metal halide lamps, both of which are slowly being phased out in favour of LEDs.
Read on for a detailed explanation of warehouse LED lighting, commercial lighting installation, energy-efficient warehouses, and why businesses are making the switch:
Industrial facilities such as warehouses require reliable, efficient, and long-lasting lighting solutions due to their large area, extended business hours, and high safety standards. Keeping a warehouse well-illuminated can be a bit of a challenge, especially if the wrong lighting options are used. They can add to the operating cost of the facility and lead to workplace safety hazards.
Warehouses require proper illumination and LEDs have become the go-to lights among facility managers. LEDs offer several benefits over their traditional counterparts and are now the most used lights for residential, commercial, and industrial applications due to their energy efficiency, reliability, and longevity.
LED stands for Light Emitting Diode and these lights use solid-state lighting technology, or SSL, to emit light when current passes through a semiconductor. This process of creating light is what sets LEDs apart from traditional lighting such as halogen, incandescent, fluorescent lights, which contain filaments or gas and use heat to produce light makes them a more suitable option for industrial environments such as warehouses.
Industrial environments such as warehouses need energy-efficient lighting solutions that not only create maximum illumination for large spaces but also can operate for long hours without fail. The reason that businesses are switching from traditional lights to LEDs is because the latter can offer all of that and more.
Traditional lights not only consume more energy when compared to modern-day LEDs, but also generate more heat, are high maintenance, have a shorter lifespan, and are difficult to dispose of safely. While these reasons are enough for businesses to make the switch, this isn’t all. Here are the reasons why LEDs stand out from the rest when it comes to illuminating industrial spaces such as warehouses:
Some lights take a few seconds to get to full power and achieve maximum brightness. While this may be okay in certain situations, for industrial environments such as warehouses, it may not be the best feature to have.
Metal halide and fluorescent lamps, which have been used for lighting up warehouses, are known for their long warmup times of around 15 to 20 minutes. Not only does this mean that you must wait for them to fully turn on, but they use more energy during this warm-up phase. This makes them inefficient for industrial facilities like warehouses that require instant illumination.
LED lights, on the other hand, operate at full brightness the moment they are switched on. This is particularly beneficial for emergencies and for areas equipped with motion sensors. This also makes it possible to frequently switch them on and off without affecting the light output or causing degradation to the LED components.
LEDs come with a special component that allows them to operate at virtually any percentage of their rated power. In simple words, unlike traditional lighting technology, LED lights can be dimmed. Not all LED lights are dimmable, but if it’s a feature that you require for your facility, you can easily opt for dimmable LED lights that come with LED-specific dimming hardware.
Dimmable LED lights are a great option for warehouses as they allow greater control over the lighting levels. They can achieve this without compromising their performance and efficiency – two things that are vital in an industrial setting. In addition to that, operating LEDs at less power not only makes them more efficient but also increases their lifespan.
Dimmable LED lights can be used in warehouses as part of a smart lighting solution that adjusts the brightness of the lights according to ambient conditions and traffic patterns. They can also be integrated with timers and motion sensors as a great way to improve energy efficiency and cost savings.
It’s already a huge challenge to efficiently run and manage a warehouse, given its large area and long operational hours. Add to that the expense of lighting and things can get costly and difficult to sustain over time. Lighting solutions that are inefficient and outdated not only drive up energy costs but also lead to workplace safety hazards and lower employee productivity.
In the bid to make warehouses more energy-efficient, warehouse owners and managers are switching to LED lights for illuminating their property whilst keeping their energy and maintenance costs low. One of the biggest advantages of LED lighting is its energy efficiency compared to traditional lighting options such as halogen, incandescent, and fluorescent bulbs.
The standout feature of LED lights is their ability to use less energy which translates to incredible energy and cost savings over time and a full return on investment (ROI) within just a few years. They are the most efficient form of lighting in current times, and in today’s energy landscape, they are the ideal option for warehouses and other commercial and industrial properties.
LEDs use around 80 to 90% less energy than traditional incandescent light bulbs and approximately 60% less energy than fluorescent lighting. An LED bulb that uses just 10 watts can easily replace a 60-watt incandescent bulb to generate the same amount of light without compromising on its brightness and performance.
In addition to that, lighting controls such as dimmers and motion sensors, and the integration of smart technology can allow further energy savings by optimising energy use and adjusting the LED output based on the factors such as use, occupancy, and natural light.
Because of the way that LEDs work and produce light, they are incredibly low-maintenance and last a long time. This is a particularly beneficial feature for properties such as warehouses that depend on continuous lighting and are looking to reduce energy costs.
The need to frequently change lightbulbs can be seriously inconvenient, especially in warehouses due to accessibility issues owing to their high ceilings. It can be quite a hassle for warehouse owners in terms of effort, disturbance, operational downtime, as well as replacement cost.
LED lights have an average lifespan of 50,000 to 100,000 hours and, upon reaching their maximum lifetime, they gradually lose their brightness instead of abruptly burning out. They can last 2 to 3 times longer than fluorescent bulbs and 50 times longer than a standard incandescent bulb.
They are also extremely durable and can withstand temperature fluctuations and shock much better than their counterparts, making them a great option for a wider scope of operations and industries.
Since warehouses have long operational hours and need adequate lighting for a smoother and safer workflow, their energy consumption can easily escalate, especially with inefficient lighting.
With businesses looking to switch to more energy-efficient practices, LED lights have become the go-to solution for promoting environment friendliness and sustainability. LEDs play a major role in contributing to a greener future and helping businesses reach their sustainability goals.
Since LED lights consume less energy, they have a reduced carbon footprint and help lower greenhouse gas emissions linked to traditional energy and electricity generation. Another way that they are better than their traditional counterparts is that LEDs do not contain any toxic and hazardous materials and are much safer to dispose of. Most of their components are also recyclable which reduces waste and promotes sustainability.
From commercial properties to industrial applications, LED lights are the ideal solution for your lighting needs. These versatile lights offer great cost savings and are best suited for demanding and somewhat challenging environments such as warehouses.
When it comes to commercial LED lighting installation, it is best to call a professional electrician to do the job. If it’s something as simple as a bulb change, you can do it yourself, but in places such as warehouses where accessibility is an issue due to the high ceilings, the DIY approach may not be best suited, especially if it requires installing new components and wiring work.
Professional LED installation is the recommended route to take as it considers safety and compliance and, if done by an expert, leads to optimal LED performance. An expert electrician is equipped with the necessary skills, experience, and tools to carry out the LED installation for peak performance, even in challenging environments such as warehouses.
When choosing the right warehouse lighting for LED installation, you need to consider a few important factors:
The height of your warehouse and the general layout will be one of the most important factors when it comes to installing efficient LED lights. Higher ceilings require high-intensity lighting options that can efficiently illuminate the entire space at peak performance.
The type of lighting you need will determine the type of light fixtures you need to install, whether you want targeted illumination, distributed light, or ambience lighting. Keep in mind the brightness, colour temperature, and beam angle of the lights during installation.
The brightness of the LED lights is determined by their lumens. High lumens mean more brightness, whereas a low lumen level indicates lower brightness. Warehouses typically need to be well-lit, which makes high-lumen LEDs a more suitable option keeping in mind their high ceilings nature of work.
LED bulbs are available in a wide range of colour options ranging from cool whites to warm yellows. The colour is determined by the temperature of the bulb on the Kelvin Scale and the light is emitted at a constant colour temperature. You can choose the colour according to your preference and suitability by reading the details on the pack.
Last, but not least, the beam angle is an important characteristic that applies to directional bulbs, particularly for downlighting. It denotes the width of the light beam that the bulb casts. A lower beam angle of 20° would be very narrow and perfect for task visibility, whereas a higher beam angle of 120° would cover a wide area and be perfect for larger, open areas.
There are several types of LED lights, and a professional electrician will also know which type of LED to install and its best placement and positioning. Some of the most popular types of warehouse LED lighting include:
If you wish to learn more about LED lights and the best lighting solutions for your property, Calder Electrical Services is here to help! From LED installation to upgrades, repairs, and troubleshooting, we offer a complete package for your homes and businesses – ensuring that everything complies with the latest electrical safety standards and regulations.
We can offer fittings with 3 to 5+ year warranties that will not only reduce energy costs but also make your homes brighter. We can also provide a forecasted energy calculation so you can see what your energy bills and savings will look like.
Our specialists can survey your property and create a lighting design to not only reduce the number of light fittings but also make the area reach a lighting level suitable for use. We can also incorporate motion detectors so that lighting in areas that are low usage is only switched on when someone enters them.
We can give you an energy calculation to show your current lighting costs and the estimated costs by upgrading to LED lighting so that you can see how much you will save, normally aiming for a 40% saving.
Contact us here or call us on 0800 612 3001 to talk to our LED lighting experts for more information on warehouse LED lighting and why businesses are making the switch.
Photo by Mark McGregor on Unsplash
