Finding the best LED lights for your business is a team effort. Indoors and out, a host of lighting solutions work together to illuminate your business and create a safe, productive environment for workers and visitors.
You've already made a smart decision by considering LED lights. Known for their remarkable energy efficiency and longevity, LED lights are an investment in your business's future. In this LED lighting guide, we'll help you navigate the essentials of selecting the right LED light fixtures, from high bays to wall packs, ensuring you make choices that enhance your space while optimizing energy use and maintenance costs.
Whether you're outfitting a cozy boutique or a sprawling warehouse, the right lighting impacts the aesthetics and functionality of your environment.
Ready to get started? Let's examine the considerations that will guide you to the perfect LED solutions for your specific business needs while highlighting the best of what Revolve LED has to offer.
LED Lighting 101
Before we talk about the types of LED lights, let's clarify a few fundamental concepts that are crucial when choosing LED lighting for your business. Understanding these will help you make informed decisions and discuss your needs more effectively with lighting professionals.
- Lumens and Watts: Lumens measure the amount of light emitted in LED lights, giving you a clear idea of the brightness to expect. Unlike traditional lighting, where more watts mean more brightness, LED technology provides more light with fewer watts. This means LED lights are far more efficient, providing brighter illumination using less energy.
- Color Temperature: Measured in Kelvins, color temperature describes the appearance of the light emitted by the LED. Lower values like 2,500K produce a warm, amber glow ideal for cozy, intimate settings. Higher values around 6,500K emit a cool, bluish light perfect for task-oriented environments like a manufacturing floor or a medical lab.
- Efficiency and Longevity: LEDs are championed for their efficiency and longevity. They consume significantly less power than traditional bulbs and can last up to 25 times longer. This reduces frequent replacement hassles, cutting down on long-term maintenance and energy costs.
Types of LED Lights and Their Applications
To select the right type of LED lighting for your business, you need to know a little something about how different fixtures can dramatically enhance specific spaces. Here's a look at some common types of LED fixtures and their ideal applications to help you choose the best fit for your business needs.
High Bay Lights
Perfect for large, open spaces with high ceilings, such as warehouses, factories, and gymnasiums, high bay LED lights provide powerful, widespread illumination from above. These fixtures brighten large areas uniformly, ensuring that every corner of your space is well-lit, thus enhancing safety and productivity. There are two types of high bays: Round High Bays (also called "UFOs" because of their distinctive shape) and traditional-style Linear High Bays.
LED Area Lights
Safety and visibility are paramount for outdoor areas, especially after dark. LED street lights and parking lot lights offer durable, long-lasting performance that withstands outdoor conditions while providing ample lighting for visibility and security. They're crucial for businesses that operate during night hours or have large exterior spaces frequented by vehicles and pedestrians.
Flood Lights & Stadium Lighting
Ideal for illuminating outdoor sports arenas, signage, facades, and even stadiums, LED flood lights cast a wide, intense beam of light. They're perfect for highlighting specific points of interest or enhancing security by deterring potential intruders. Stadium lights are particularly effective in large venues where visibility from great distances is essential.
Office and Retail Lighting
In offices and retail environments, the right lighting can enhance staff performance and the customer experience. LED panel lights provide bright, adjustable lighting that enhances the appearance of products and provides a welcoming atmosphere for clients and employees alike. LED recessed downlights provide discreet illumination, casting a focused glow where it's needed. LED strip lights, the modern equivalent of old-style fluorescent fixtures, are a staple in many commercial and industrial settings.
Versatile Indoor & Outdoor Lighting: Wall Packs and Canopy Lights
For those areas where versatility meets necessity, wall packs and canopy lights are indispensable. Wall packs illuminate exterior walkways, parking garages, and building perimeters, providing security and visibility in a compact form that easily mounts on any vertical surface. They're rugged, weather-resistant, and perfect for commercial environments that require reliable, long-lasting outdoor lighting. Canopy lights are ideal for gas stations, drive-thrus, and underpasses, offering a broad, bright light that enhances visibility and safety under overhead structures. These lights are built to hold up under various environmental conditions, making them viable for indoor and outdoor use. Together, wall packs and canopy lights cover a broad range of applications, ensuring that your business is well-lit from all angles, no matter the setting.
| Application | Indoor Lighting Solutions | Outdoor Lighting Solutions |
|---|---|---|
| Warehouse | Bay Lights, Strip Lights, Exit Signs | Wall Packs |
| Parking Lot | N/A | Parking Lot Lights, Wall Packs, Flood Lights, Canopy Lights, Vapor Tight Lights |
| Office | Panel Lights, Strip Lights, Recessed Lights, LED Tubes, Exit Signs | N/A |
| Parking Garage | Strip Lights, Low Bay Lights, Canopy Lights | Wall Packs |
How To Buy LED Lights
Knowing how to buy LED lights involves finding the perfect blend of form and function that fits your business environment. Let's explore the factors you should consider to ensure your lighting enhances both the efficiency and aesthetics of your space.
- Size of Your Space: The scale of your area dictates the intensity and number of lights you need. Larger spaces like warehouses may require high bay lights that cover more ground with fewer fixtures, while smaller retail spaces benefit from more focused recessed lights or panel lights that enhance product displays.
- Height of Ceilings: Ceiling height impacts how light is distributed. High ceilings require lights with higher lumen output to adequately illuminate the area below, such as high bay lights. In contrast, lower ceilings might be better served by softer, more diffused lighting options that prevent glare.
- Ambient Conditions: Consider the typical conditions in your space. Is it dusty, humid, or prone to temperature extremes? Select LED fixtures – such as vapor-tight lights – are designed to operate in harsh conditions, ensuring longevity and performance. For environments like kitchens or manufacturing floors, look for lights with appropriate ratings for moisture and particle resistance.
- Business Aesthetics: The style of your lighting should complement your business decor. Sleek, modern fixtures suit a high-end retail environment, while more industrial-looking lights are better for factories or workshops.
- Functional Requirements: Lighting should also meet the functional needs of your space. For instance, adjustable and dimmable LED lights are great for areas like conference rooms where the mood and atmosphere might need to change. In contrast, fixed, bright lights are ideal for task-heavy areas like assembly lines.
Pro Tip: When choosing your LED light fixtures, make sure they're in compliance with safety standards. Need help deciphering the many alphabet letters associated with these certifications? Take a crash course with the help of our article on LED Lighting Certifications.
Calculating Your Lighting Needs
Once you understand the types of LED fixtures and have considered your space's specific requirements, the next step is to determine how many lights you'll need to achieve optimal illumination. This involves a bit of calculation, but fear not—it's quite straightforward with the right guidance.
- Measure Your Space: Start by measuring the length and width of the area to be lit. Multiply these figures to get the total square footage.
- Determine the Lux Level Required: 'Foot-candles' measure the intensity of light per square foot and vary depending on the type of environment. For instance, a warehouse might require about 30 foot-candles for general tasks, while a detailed task in an office might need up to 50 foot-candles.
- Choose Your Fixtures: Select fixtures based on their lumen output, which is listed in the product specifications. Ensure the total lumen output of all selected fixtures meets or exceeds your calculated needs.
- Consider Fixture Placement: The distribution of light is crucial. Arrange fixtures evenly to avoid dark spots and ensure consistent lighting across the area.
If you're new to this sort of thing, no worries. Revolve LED is here to help. Give us some basic information, and we'll create a lighting layout customized for your business.
Benefits of Upgrading to LED Lighting Systems
Making the switch to LED lighting systems brings a multitude of benefits that extend far beyond simple illumination. Here's why upgrading to LED is a smart choice for any business looking to improve its operational efficiency and sustainability. We've summarized several of the advantages of LEDs here, but if you'd like to learn more, check out our article on the Benefits of LED Energy-Efficient Lighting.
Cost Savings
One of the most immediate benefits of LED lighting is the significant reduction in energy costs. LEDs consume up to 90% less power than incandescent bulbs and about 50% less than fluorescent lights. This drastic decrease in energy usage translates directly into lower utility bills. Additionally, the long lifespan of LED lights (up to 50,000 hours or more) means fewer replacements and lower maintenance costs over time.
Reduced Environmental Impact
LED lights are free from toxic elements such as mercury, which is in fluorescent lighting and can be harmful to the environment when disposed of improperly. Moreover, LEDs' reduced energy consumption means a lower carbon footprint, supporting your business's sustainability goals. By switching to LED, you're saving money and doing your part to protect the planet.
Improved Lighting Quality
LED lighting offers superior color rendering, meaning colors appear more vibrant and true to life beneath LED lighting than fluorescent or incandescent light. This is particularly beneficial in retail settings where product presentation is key. LEDs also provide better directional control, allowing for focused lighting that can be directed exactly where it's needed, reducing waste and improving efficiency.
Enhanced Workplace Productivity and Safety
Good lighting plays an important role in workplace productivity and safety. LED lights provide bright, even lighting that helps reduce eye strain and improve visibility, thereby enhancing workers' comfort and efficiency and reducing the risk of accidents. View our guide Workplace Lighting Standards for more information.
Conclusion
Selecting the best LED lighting for your business is a crucial decision that impacts the operational costs, environmental footprint, and workplace productivity, not to mention the aesthetics of your space. With the help of this guide to LED lighting, you'll better understand the different types of LED lights, know how to calculate your specific needs and recognize the many benefits of upgrading. You're well on your way to making an informed choice that will benefit your business for years to come.
Find the Best LED Lights for Your Business at Revolve LED
Revolve LED is committed to providing you with the best LED lights tailored to meet the unique needs of your business. Whether you're lighting up a small office or a large industrial complex, the breadth of our high-quality lighting solutions ensures that you'll find the perfect setup to enhance your space.
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