Light accounts for a large portion of energy in most warehouses. Good lighting is important in such a setting as it promotes employee safety and increases productivity. Proper lighting solutions are also important as they ensure smooth operation in warehouse spaces. 

There are several factors that go into a warehouse’s lighting design. From efficient lamps to the number of luminaries required. Here is everything you need to know about warehouse lighting. 

Lighting is an essential tool in any warehouse. This component is important for providing an enhanced user experience at the location.

Proper LED warehouse lighting improves work management, safer operations and improves storage of products. A bright level of illumination is also great for improving visibility in certain areas. 

Warehouses are an important part of businesses; therefore, if you want to ensure the steady growth of your company, you need a well-illuminated warehouse. Poorly lit warehouses can lead to decreased productivity, accidents and higher utility bills. Since lights remain operational for a long time in warehouses, it is important to seek out energy efficient solutions. 

Special warehouse lighting is designed to meet the lighting requirements of a warehouse work environment. Therefore, you should not opt for standard lighting as these will not work best in this application. 

One of the best energy efficient lamps for warehouses are LED lamps. LED warehouse lighting has a long lifespan, and these lights do not consume a lot of energy, especially when compared to other traditional warehouse lighting. 

If you want a warehouse to operate smoothly, you must look for efficient lighting solutions that provide good illumination. These types of lights improve productivity and ensure the safety of warehouse employees. 

Poor lighting can lead to various hazards and drastically decline the work quality of the warehouse. Warehouses are also usually deprived of natural light; therefore, it is important to put in light fixtures that will provide adequate illumination.

Apart from these factors, here are some reasons why you should opt for proper warehouse lighting. 

Improve Visibility Levels: most warehouses also have high shelves and narrow corridors. Therefore, you must look for light fixtures that provide better visibility. To achieve improved visibility, you must look for LED warehouse lighting with a narrow light beam angle. This will light up important areas and improve the work experience. 

Reduce Employee Mistakes: with good lightings, such as LED warehouse lighting, you can get rid of dimly lit spots in the area. These include places where employees might strain their eyesight to see paperwork and labels. When employees see better, they make fewer mistakes. 

Reduce Employee Fatigue: if your warehouse has proper illumination levels, your employees are less likely to feel lethargic during midday hours. Proper lighting ensures that warehouse workers remain alert and productive. It is important to ensure the lighting produces the correct colour temperature and brightness level to achieve this level of productivity. 

Reduce Work Related Accidents: Heavy machinery is commonly found in most warehouses which is why it is important to have proper illumination to reduce accidents. 

Without proper lighting, heavy machine operators can not see what they are doing and run into shelves or, even worse, injure someone. Effective lighting helps operators use machinery without damaging property and fellow employees. 

Keep Energy Cost Low: LED warehouse lighting is one of the most efficient types of lighting on the market. These do not waste energy compared to incandescent lamps. LED lighting is also much more efficient than fluorescent lamps, so you can keep your energy costs low without interrupting your light use. 

LED warehouse lighting is also cool to the touch and does not produce heat energy, unlike traditional luminaries. This heat energy can become an even bigger strain on your energy bills; therefore, switching to LEDs is much more cost-effective for warehouse purposes.

Most warehouse lighting comprises three different types. Each of these luminaries comes with its own set of pros and cons. The three types of warehouse lighting are:

• Metal Halide Lamps
• Fluorescent Lamps
• Light Emitting Diode Lamps. 

Metal Halide Lamps

Metal halide lamps are one of the most common warehouse lighting options. These lamps have an electric light that produces energy through a combination of electricity and a mixture of gasses. 

These gasses contain vaporised mercury and metal halide compounds of bromine and iodine. This lamp is often referred to as a high-intensity discharge (HID) lamp. These luminaries were developed in the 1960s, and they operate just like the mercury vapour of a halogen lamp. 

However, the metal halide lamp contains additional compounds in the arc tube, which improve its colour rendition of the light and efficiency compared to traditional lighting. 

At the time of their development, these lamps were considered one of the most efficient light fixtures on the market for warehouse use. But with recent innovations, these lamps' efficiency quality has seen a sharp decline. However, many warehouses still use these lamps as they have a low initial cost. 

It is important to note that even though inefficient lighting is more economical initially, it can cost you a lot of energy consumption in the long run. Metal halide lamps also have the highest rate of light depreciation, and these lamps do not provide a wide range of options when it comes to colour temperatures. 

Most metal halide lamps only come with a color white colour; therefore, if you want something with a warmer colour temperature, you will need to look beyond this option. Another disadvantage of halide lamps is that they need a warm up time before reaching their full illumination.

These lamps also need a cool-down period after they are turned off and before they need to be back on again. This means that you will waste a significant portion of your energy costs. 

While metal halides are one of the most commonly used lightings in warehouses, these are not very efficient and are being replaced by more innovative models. 

Fluorescent Lamps

If you are looking for an energy efficient option that is also economical, fluorescent lights are the best choice. 

Fluorescent warehouse lighting consumes a lot less energy than metal halide lamps, and they come in a variety of colour temperatures. These fluorescent lamps also come in a variety of shapes and sizes to give you more flexible applications when designing your light network. 

Due to these qualities, fluorescent lights are the common choice when it comes to warehouse lighting. However, these lamps come with several downsides as well. Fluorescent lamps are highly sensitive to temperature conditions, and they do not work well in extremely cold or hot areas. 

For example, for warehouses that store freezer products, the extreme temperature will decrease the fluorescent’s lifespan. A fluorescent lamp’s lifespan is also negatively affected by frequent on/off modes; therefore, these lamps are not recommended for areas that require constant switching of lighting. 

If you are looking to make a positive impact on the environment, fluorescent lights are not the way to go. These lamps contain toxic mercury compounds in the tube structure that can be dangerous to human health and the environment. 

More recent models of fluorescent lamps have decreased the amount of mercury; however, these lamps are not as efficient. Fluorescent lamps are highly dependent on mercury which means it's hard to find a lamp of this type that is environmentally friendly. 

Light Emitting Diode Lamps

If you are looking for warehouse lighting that is highly efficient and versatile, Light emitting diode lamps are the best choice. These LED warehouse lighting use less energy than any other light source without compromising on the illumination. 

LED lamps rely more on lumen output to deliver outstanding light output that is not heavy on energy costs. LED warehouse lighting has a much longer lifespan. These lamps can either be purchased as retrofits for current fixtures or complete fixtures for newer applications. 

In general, LEDs are energy efficient for multiple applications. These lamps are most commonly used in domestic and commercial areas. However, manufacturers have also created linear and strip light style LEDs to work better in industrial and warehouse settings. 

These specialised LEDs have a much longer lifespan and provide high-intensity brightness. The main reason why LEDs are so much more efficient than any other light bulb is because of their structural component. These lamps do not contain any sensitive materials such as filaments or mercury vapour to provide high-intensity brightness. 

The structure of an LED also lasts a lot longer than other lamps as there is no risk of burnout. Most LED warehouse lighting can last between 50,000 and 100,000 hours, giving them a much longer lifespan compared to another warehouse lighting. 

With LED lamps, you won’t have to halt your workflow to replace lamps constantly. These bulbs don’t suffer from on/off cycles the same way metal halides or fluorescents do. As soon as an LED lamp is switched on, you will experience its full brightness, and there is no cool-down period required when you want to switch them back on again. 

LED lamps work well in colder temperatures; however, this lighting might not be suitable for higher temperatures. Despite this problem, most LED lamps can still operate at a decreased light output and lifespan in higher temperatures. 

LED lamps are one of the most efficient luminaries for warehouse lighting, but you might wonder just how efficient they are. To understand the efficiency of these lamps, it is important to compare their lumen output with other lighting sources. 

Since LED luminaries do not rely on wattage to deliver superior performance, the lumen output is the best way to measure their quality. LED lights are highly efficient because they do not waste energy, unlike other light sources. 

Most LED lamps use 90% less energy than an incandescent or halogen light bulb of similar brightness.  This is because LED bulbs are much more efficient at converting electricity into light energy. 

The structural component of LEDs makes a key difference in this conversion because, in other light models, most of the energy would get wasted as a heat emission. However, LED lights do not produce heat; therefore, they make much better use of the energy consumed. 

As mentioned before, LED warehouse lighting has a longer lifespan compared to other warehouse lighting. The lack of thermal emission is another reason these lamps suffer less damage over prolonged use. 

If you are still unsure about switching to LED warehouse lighting, here is how these lamps compare to both metal halide and linear fluorescent lights. 

When it comes to warehouse lighting, there is a wide variety of choices. Many people tend to choose larger lights as they give the appearance of providing better brightness. Such lamps include metal halides which are much larger in size compared to other warehouse lighting. 

Despite the larger size, metal halide lamps are highly inefficient when compared to LED warehouse lighting. While most metal halide lamps provide a reliable light output, they have a weak staying power. 

LED lamps use fewer watts to create lumen output. In terms of lumen output comparison, LED lamps perform much better. These two lamps offer completely different technologies as methods of producing light. 

Metal halide lamps contain a combination of metals, including mercury, that is evaporated into an inert gas. This gas is contained in the glass casing of the metal halide structure. In comparison, LEDs contain a solid state semiconductor component. 

While both technologies produce high quality lights, LEDs use energy more efficiently and last a lot longer. LEDs also require less intensive maintenance over prolonged use. As mentioned earlier, metal halide lamps have a longer warm-up period compared to LEDs. 

Some lamps can take 15 minutes to turn on completely, and you also need to give these lamps a cool-down period before turning them back on again. Additionally, some metal halide lamps carry a small risk of exploding. 

While this possibility is rare, and there are preventative measures that reduce this risk, there is still the possibility of warehouse employees being injured and sustaining other damages. 

Some preventive measures include changing the lamps before their expected end lifespan. This includes changing the lamps as a group instead of spot changing single bulbs. This maintenance can significantly increase costs and create a sharp decline in the lifespan of the light. 

In addition, metal halides are inefficient consumers of energy. These lamps need a much longer period of time to warm up and deliver your desired brightness level successfully. These qualities translate into costs which lead to higher utility bills. 

Even though some metal halide lamps cost about the same as LED lamps, the halide luminaries keep adding expenses over time based on their inefficient operation. In large-scale applications such as warehouse lighting, these costs will add up significantly. 

Here are some other areas where metal halide is extremely inefficient compared to LED lamps. 

• Dimmer function: LED lamps are very easy to dim, and there are multiple options available to adjust the dimmer function of these lamps. LEDs exercise dimming by either modulating the pulse duration or lowering the forward current. Metal halide lamps can be dimmed through an electric magnetic ballast, but this process can significantly alter the light component. Most metal halides are less efficient when run at less than full power, and the dimming function can cause the light to expire prematurely. 
• Directionality: Metal halide lamps are omnidirectional, which means they emit light 360 degrees. However, most of these light beams must be redirected or reflected, which results in losses and less overall system efficiency. LED lamps emit light at 180 degrees. While this might seem less efficient than a halide lamp, 180 degrees provides an advantage. This is because most lighting is used to target certain objects; therefore, 360 degrees becomes wasteful.
• Failure components: recognising the failure components in lighting is important as it helps you decide which lamps are worth investing in. LEDs' most significant failure component is their gradual decline in light output. However, LED lamps usually operate with multiple light emissions in a single lamp, which means the loss of or two emissions does not result in the failure of the entire luminaire. On the other hand, metal halide lamps experience a phenomenon called cycling. This is when the lamps switch on and off without any human adjustment. Shortly after this, the lamps stop working completely. For this reason, metal halide lamps can be highly inconvenient compared to LEDs. 

After metal halide lamps, many warehouses switched to fluorescent lighting as it was more efficient than its predecessor. However, these lights still do not match the efficiency of LED lights. The most common form of fluorescent lighting is high bay lights. Here is how LED compares to high bay fluorescent lights.  

Fluorescent High Bay Lighting

High bay fluorescent lighting was created to illuminate large indoor areas with high ceilings properly. Such spaces include factories, gymnasiums and warehouses. Since their locations have a larger distance between the ceiling and the floor, extremely high lumen output is required. 

In addition, these lights are needed to provide a concentrated light beam downwards. Fluorescent high bay lighting can be mounted directly to the ceiling or hung with cables and hooks. These lamps typically use a linear bulb configuration which is easy to replace when older lighting reaches the end of its lifespan. 

Some important benefits of fluorescent lamps include cheaper upfront costs and higher efficiency than halide lamps. However, these lights also come with various drawbacks. Frequently switching these lights on/off can significantly decrease their lifespan. 

Additionally, their lamps contain hazardous components such as mercury that are harmful to waste disposal. Some fluorescent lamps also require a ballast to stabilise the light system. In comparison, LED lights have all the best technology to combat high fluorescent issues. 

• LED lights maintain better colour rendering than fluorescent high bays. These lamps also provide better colour temperatures and lumen output in terms of wattage used. 
• LEDs have a much longer lifespan. Even a fluorescent lamp's extended lifespan does not match an LED lamp. Light longevity is extremely important in high bay lighting as the installation and maintenance process is time-consuming. 
• Even though LED lights are more expensive in terms of upfront costs, these lights pay for themselves in the long run. LED lamps consume much less energy than fluorescent lamps, so you can enjoy lower energy bills. These lights also don’t waste any energy compared to another warehouse lighting.

Now that you know all the different types of warehouse lighting, you must plan your lighting system. A warehouse lighting plan will ensure that all working areas of the property remain properly lit throughout the operation. 

Many warehouse owners seek expert advice to aid in their lighting plans. Here are a few basic steps you should undertake to ensure a proper warehouse lighting system. We have a guide on choosing the correct industrial lighting for your project - check it out here! 

The first step to creating an efficient lighting plan is identifying how much brightness you need. You must undertake this step before completing the light selection process. Each warehouse is unique in structure, architecture and operation; therefore, the brightness should be based on specific layouts and interior designs. 

The colour of the ceiling and walls in a warehouse can bear a significant impact on the illumination. Lighter coloured walls and ceilings will have higher reflectance than darker colours. This means you can use fixtures with a lower lumen output to illuminate such a warehouse. These types of warehouses can experience even more energy savings by switching to lower lumen warehouse lighting. 

If you are opting for brighter lights, make sure that they don’t cause a high level of glare in the warehouse. Light with glare can decrease productivity and cause workplace accidents. If glare is an issue, you should add a diffuser lens cover to the lamp. 

Colour temperature might not seem like an important detail to consider, but it can make a big difference in productivity and visibility. Most experts recommend a colour temperature between 4000K and 5000K for warehouse lighting. 

This colour range emits a cool white light that sometimes has a faint blue tint. This light helps create a more productive work environment and reduces eye strain. 

Allowing natural light into the warehouse is a great way to reduce energy costs. If your warehouse is equipped with skylights, you won’t need to rely on artificial lighting as much. Natural light is also a great way to maintain productivity in your workspace. 

Each warehouse has a unique structure; therefore, you must plan a lighting system that is specific to your warehouse’s layout. For example, areas with shelving might require targeted lighting, whereas large open spaces might work well with panel lighting. 

For walkways and corridors, you might need dimmer lights or task lighting. Consider the different sections of your warehouse when purchasing your lights. 

If lights are placed too close together, you can create hot spots of glare zones due to light beams overlapping. However, if you position lamps too far apart, you might create dark areas, which might increase the danger of work accidents. Make sure to map out your lighting design before setting it up. 

Special warehouse lighting is a great way to illuminate your workspace effectively. For more efficient illumination, LED warehouse lighting is a great option as it is low on energy consumption. For more information about LED Warehousing Lighting, check out our blog.