Overhead LED Lighting
Commercial, retail and other large scale facilities throughout the globe use overhead lighting fixtures as an integral part of their everyday activities. While often taken for granted, these lights are critical to ensure efficient, safe and effective business operations. Traditional technologies such as HID, metal halides and fluorescents were the go to fixture type for decades in the commercial market.
However, in recent years LED lights have surpassed these older technologies in terms of performance, durability, efficiency and longevity. In fact, because of the significant benefits they have to offer, LEDs have become the dominant form of lighting for commercial users, and have expanded into a wide range of different fixture types and styles. Our selection of high quality LED overhead lights offer a complete package for any new building installation or retrofit.
How to Select Overhead Lighting
There are several factors that go into selecting the right overhead LED fixture for a particular application. This mainly has to do with the height of the ceiling, the type of facility, as well as other factors such as color temperature and the wattage required to meet the desired illumination output. There are a wide range of fixtures available in order to suit each application perfectly. However this can make the selection process confusing for those who are not familiar with the intended use of each type of fixture.
High ceilings, such as those seen in warehouses, large auto repair shops and certain retail and commercial facilities require fixtures that can provide intense illumination over long distances. These are typically high bay fixtures, which come in both round “UFO” styles and linear styles. Normally these lights are suspended from ceiling mounting points using chains, cables or a similar suspension system.
For areas such as lower ceilings such as entryways, overhangs and office spaces, choosing a light with a wider angle spread is the best choice. There are a number of different lighting fixtures that work for this, which include troffers for drop ceilings, flush panels, strip lights as well as recessed lighting using BR30 style bulbs. Additionally, many commercial facilities choose to retrofit existing light fixtures to use LEDs, which is an effective and economical option.
Advantages of LEDs over Traditional Ceiling Lights
- Energy Efficiency
The largest advantage of LED ceiling lights is their dramatically improved energy efficiency over traditional lighting technologies. In most cases, users see an efficiency boost of approximately 70% after making the switch to LEDs. - Better Lighting Quality
Something immediately noticeable upon making the switch to LED lights is the improved quality of light produced. This is measured using the Color Rendering Index (CRI), which quantifies the accuracy of a light in replicating color. Higher CRI lights, such as LED fixtures, improve visibility, reduce eye strain and boost safety. - Longer Service Life / Low Maintenance
Traditional lighting has a relatively short lifespan, in addition to having considerable regular maintenance requirements. By comparison, LED lights have a much longer lifespan, most in the 50,000 hour range at a minimum. They also do not require regular maintenance, which not only eliminates parts costs but also labor hours - resulting in considerable savings over time. - Better Flexibility
LED lights give better flexibility in terms of the colors of light they offer. Most traditional lights usually come in just a single color, which is a result of the limitations of the technology used. LED technology on the other hand offers a range of color options, with many fixtures offering in field user selectable color temperatures. - More Compact Sizes
Another advantage of LED lights for commercial ceiling applications is their size. LED technology is far more efficient than traditional lighting, offering more lumen output in a smaller package. This allows fixtures to fit in more compact spaces, and/or allow more fixtures to be used in the same area - increasing lumen output over what was previously possible.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How do you install led lights on a ceiling?
This will depend on the type of fixture in question. Most LED ceiling lights are suspended, however others can be installed by being directly affixed to a ceiling or hung from a drop ceiling setup. In certain installations, it is best to have a licensed electrician complete the installation in order to ensure proper functionality.
Q. How do you install led strip lights on a ceiling?
Strip lights can be mounted several ways. The most common is by being suspended through cables or chains. However, in certain situations, such as exceptionally low ceilings, it is best to mount the lights directly to the ceiling itself. It should be noted that lights affixed directly to the ceiling must have proper ventilation in order to prevent overheating.
Q. How do you replace existing fluorescent lights?
There are several options for replacing existing fluorescent lighting. The first of these is replacing the fixture entirely with a new LED unit, which is usually the most streamlined option. The other option is to retrofit the existing fixture to use LED bulbs, which often can be the most economical, especially with T8 style tube lights.