What Are High Bay Lights?What Are High Bay Lights?

High bay lights and low bay LED fixtures have quite a bit in common. If you were to put two of these fixtures side-by-side it’s likely that you could get confused by the similarity. Understanding the difference between high bay lighting and LED low bay lighting means examining the two closely. Still asking “what are high bay lights”? No worries, we got you!

What Are High Bay Lights?

High bay often refers to a tall ceiling space. A high bay is a ceiling that’s over 20 feet high that requires a special type of light. The light that’s installed in these areas is often called a high bay light fixture because it is designed to light up the floor at a height of greater than 20 feet. It’s likely that you will find extremely high-powered lights in fixtures that are this height. In most cases there is a need for 1000 W metal halide lighting at over 30 feet and 400 W metal halide lighting at 20 to 30 feet.

LED high bays can be used to replace this later and there are equivalents that can be used for the replacement of 400 W bulbs as well as the 1000 W bulbs. Most of these lights need to be placed at proper spacing to ensure that there is ample lighting for the floor.  Fixtures placed at a height above 20 feet are often spaced 20 feet apart and for fixtures that are mounted above 30 feet the lights are also spaced around 30 feet apart.

Low Bay Lighting

Low bay lighting is designed for ceilings that are at a height between 10 to 20 feet. The lighting that’s used in this area is usually between 10,000 to 20,000 lm. The lighting that’s required here is often less powerful because the lighting fixture is closer to the ground. The main difference between these two types of fixtures comes with the beam angle of the lighting and the lumen output that’s required from the lighting. Using the wrong type of fixture can result in poor lighting conditions for an area as well as the chance that the light could be distributed poorly. You can end up with an area that’s overlit or underlit.

If you feel as though your area is poorly lit, using a system like a photometric report can be an excellent way that you can manage high bay and low bay lighting conditions. Determining the best picture to suit each location as well as determining the space between each fixture can make sure that you end up with the right lighting configuration and the perfect combination between low-grade and high bay lighting to suit your area.

Working with a professional lighting specialist can also make sure that you can handle the process of converting your lighting over to LED. Making the choice to convert your lighting over to an LED fixture will ensure that you are ready to enjoy the best quality of lighting that’s also available at a discount price. By switching over to LED lighting you can make sure that you are using lighting systems which are rated to the same lumen rating but with a much lower wattage.

When choosing a high daylight at 400 W for example, you could switch over to an LED light that draws only 100 W of power. Making a crucial decision with these types of fixtures could help you cut your energy consumption by 75% or more every year.

If you would like to learn more about the process of LED lighting and the differences between high bay and low bay lighting, contact us today