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.
Types of LED Ceiling Lights
LED Panel Lights - LED panel lights are sleek, contemporary light fixtures designed to provide uniform, efficient, and bright illumination across a flat surface. They are commonly used in commercial and residential settings where a clean, professional look is desired. These lights are typically mounted on ceilings or integrated into suspended ceiling grids.
LED Downlights - LED downlights are recessed ceiling lights that direct a narrow beam of light downwards into a space. They are embedded into the ceiling, providing a sleek and unobtrusive lighting solution that blends seamlessly with the environment. LED downlights are widely used for ambient, task, or accent lighting due to their versatility and the quality of light they provide.
LED Troffer Lights - LED troffer lights are recessed ceiling fixtures designed to fit into a modular dropped ceiling grid (typically 2x2 or 2x4 feet). They are primarily used in commercial and institutional environments such as offices, schools, and hospitals. LED troffers provide broad, even lighting that is ideal for creating well-lit, productive work environments.
Linear Strip Lights - Linear strip lights are long, narrow light fixtures often used in commercial, industrial, and residential settings. They provide a continuous line of illumination and are perfect for areas that need bright, uniform light. These fixtures are commonly found in warehouses, workshops, retail spaces, and under-cabinet lighting in kitchens.
LED Shop Lights - LED shop lights are high-brightness, durable lighting solutions designed for garages, workshops, and utility spaces where high-quality illumination is crucial for tasks. They are typically suspended from the ceiling, providing bright, directional light that covers a wide area.
LED UFO High Bays - LED UFO high bay lights are named for their unique, round, and compact design that resembles a UFO. These fixtures are commonly used in industrial settings such as warehouses, manufacturing facilities, and gyms where high ceilings require powerful, focused lighting.
LED Linear High Bays - LED linear high bay lights are elongated fixtures that provide a wide distribution of light. Perfect for lighting up long, narrow spaces such as warehouses, assembly lines, and retail stores, these lights are an efficient alternative to fluorescent tube lighting in commercial and industrial applications.
Vapor Tight LED Lights - Vapor tight LED lights are enclosed and gasketed fixtures designed to withstand harsh environments where moisture, dirt, and dust are prevalent. Commonly used in car washes, cold storage, subways, tunnels, and industrial facilities, these lights protect the internal components from water and vapor without sacrificing light quality.
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.