When you think about saving energy in your home you probably don’t think much about your light bulbs. How could a single bulb save much money?
That’s what I thought before I began this research. I knew I could save some energy by switching to LEDs, but I didn’t think it was worth the effort.
On top of that, I worried that LEDs were expensive and produced harsh light. I imagined my home looking more like a dentist’s office than a peaceful place where I could retreat to after a long day.
But I was wrong. To my surprise I learned three things:
But I wasn’t alone. American homeowners across the country waste billions of dollars every year on inefficient incandescent and CFL light bulbs.
And all that wasted energy leads to a lot of unnecessary pollution. Residential lighting emits 53 million tons of CO2 into the atmosphere each year. If we all switched to LEDs tomorrow we could cut that number by more than half.
In this article I’ll share everything I learned during my research into LED lighting and show you how to make the switch.
There are three common types of light bulbs:
In a traditional incandescent light bulb—the ones you’re probably looking to replace—light is created by heating a tungsten filament in the bulb. The filament is heated to the point where it starts to glow but does not meet its melting point (tungsten is used because it has the highest melting point of any metal). Although this process creates light, around 90% of the energy used is given off as heat and not light. Not great.
Halogen bulbs, and other “modern” versions of the incandescent bulb, operate using the same principle, often with modifications (such as filling the bulb with halogen gas) in order to increase operating life. But they still waste 90% of the energy on heat.
Compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) are easily recognizable because of their tubes of gas, which are often shaped in a swirl in order to maximize the light emitted by the vapor inside. They work by flowing electricity through argon and mercury vapor in a tube, creating ultraviolet light, which then interacts with a coating on the tube to create light. This process means that very little heat is created—but the process is also more energy intensive than a LED for the amount of light created, and it creates potentially dangerous ultraviolet light as a byproduct. Additionally, there’s the possibility of mercury being released into the local environment if the bulb is ever broken.
A decade ago, this was the light bulb you got to replace the traditional incandescent. It’s much more efficient than the incandescent, and because it’s been in development since the 1970s, it was in a position to scale up production in order to bring costs down enough to compete with incandescents. But the CFL technology has not been able to keep up with the advances in LEDs. CFLs generally fall between incandescents and LEDs in terms of price and energy use.
Light emitting diodes (LEDs) create light using circuits. Electricity flows into the bulb, where some interesting physics and semiconductor design work together to create light. Very little heat is produced during this process (as much as just having your phone or computer screen on), with up to 80% of the energy used resulting in visible light.
Because of this design, LEDs also last much longer. They have no moving parts, no parts undergoing thermal stress, and no gases and coatings which could wear off. This gives the LED bulb fewer points of failure, and allows it to continue operating long after other forms of lighting would have broken.
If you’re switching from incandescent to LED bulbs, you’re likely going to notice that the measurements don’t line up. For example: your incandescent bulb probably has a big 60W at the top, and the LEDs you’re looking at are advertising in lumens.
Lumens and watts measure different things.
In the past, because there was only one type of light bulb, the incandescent, energy use in watts was directly related to how bright the light was. A 100W bulb was brighter than a 60W bulb, a 150W brighter than a 100W, and so on. With the rise of new lighting technologies, this relationship broke down.
Now you need to look at the brightness of the LED bulb—not the wattage—to compare it to your existing lights. Brightness is measured in lumens (lm), which is found by measuring how much light something creates in a given amount of time. Now, lumens is what you need to look for when looking at light bulbs.
Light bulbs with identical lumen values are identical in brightness—this is important. Whether it’s a 60W incandescent, 14W LED, or a 10W LED, if they have the same lumens value, they have the same brightness. The differences in wattage just mean they differ in cost to use, with the higher wattage costing you more for the same amount of light.
A lot of LED bulbs are marketed as “60 watt equivalent,” but if it’s not actually 60W, what does that mean? In simple terms, it means that this bulb can be a 1 to 1 replacement for what was the most common type of light bulb: the 60W incandescent bulb. But there are some details worth going over here.
A couple decades ago, a bunch of lighting and electricity nerds at federal agencies with acronyms like NREL, DOE, and EPA decided that the average 60W incandescent bulb is equivalent to 800lm. In practice, you can expect a 10% difference from the average, meaning 60W incandescent bulbs could have a brightness of anywhere from from 720lm to 880lm.
Because this value is an average and not a standard, manufacturers are free to market with it and use it however they want. Meaning a LED bulb with 750lm, while below the average for a 60W incandescent, has a brightness within the reasonable expected value for an individual 60W bulb and might call itself a “60w equivalent.”
In general, you can use 800lm as the brightness of the 60W incandescent bulb you need to replace. But if you see a bulb slightly over or under 800lm, don’t treat them the same. If a bulb has fewer lumens than the alternatives also marketed using “60W equivalent,” be sure to take that into account when looking at the price.
Here’s a watts vs. lumens chart courtesy of the Light Bulb Company that might be helpful in switching bulbs.
The average home with incandescent bulbs uses about 2,000 kWh of electricity per year. And that results in almost one ton of carbon being released into the atmosphere—just for lighting. For reference, that’s the same amount of emissions as a flight from NY to Europe.
At the national average of $0.10 per kWh, that means these homeowners spend about $215 per year on lighting. By switching to LEDs, the average homeowner can bring that number down to $50–$115 and cut roughly 600 pounds of carbon per year, depending on where they live.
Of course the actual amount of electricity your home uses on lighting will depend on a number of factors including:
We won’t get super deep into the math here, but if you’re interested in getting into the nitty gritty, take a look at our LED savings guide to figure out precisely how much you can save.
When you’re buying new bulbs you’ll probably see a label like the one below with things like lumens, yearly energy cost, lifespan, and light appearance (or color).
Let’s go over what all this means.
The brightness of the bulb you need depends on personal preference and where you intend to place the bulb. Lumens per square foot (lm/sqft) is a measure of how much light you need in an area.
Generally, the more detailed work you expect to do in an area, the brighter you want the space to be and the higher lumen per square foot value you want. Makes sense.
Remember: lumens are the only way you can compare the brightness of bulbs, and they mean the same thing no matter what the other statistics of the bulb are.
LEDs save money and energy. The label will show you the estimated energy cost per year per bulb, which means you don’t need to do any math. Add up this value for all the bulbs you buy, and you’ll get a great estimate on your total yearly costs.
But keep in mind this is just an average based on 3 hours of use and $.11 per kWh electricity costs. If you keep your lights on all day or if you live in a place like Massachusetts where electricity is twice the national average, you should expect to pay more.
On every LED bulb label, you’ll see a box for “Life,” which gives you either the total hour lifespan or the total year lifespan (given a specific amount of daily use). The expected LED lifespan should be about 25,000 hours, so if it’s drastically lower, you might want to try something else.
Note: if it gives you the lifespan in days, just multiply that number by 365 and then by the number of daily use hours it gives. (In the label above, 18.3 year * 365 days * 3 hrs/day = 20,038.5 hours.)
Light appearance — also called correlated color temperature (CCT) or just temperature — is the “color” the light is, meaning what sort of light the bulb gives off. This is measured in kelvins (K). And it’s one of the most noticeable differences between light bulbs (if you’ve ever bought a really cold, blue light bulb for your bedroom you know what we mean).
The cooler the light, the closer to daylight the human brain thinks it is. This makes higher temperature lights perfect for areas where you need to be alert and be able to perceive contrasts, like a kitchen. But these kinds of lights would make it harder to fall asleep if used for reading in bed. Generally, you should use warmer colors (below 3500K) for 70% of your lighting, saving the whiter or bluer lights for areas where more detailed work is done. (Or if you’re like the author of this guide, you’ll just want to stick with warm lights for your entire home!)
To find out which color bulb you need for each room, take a look at our guide to LED colors and temperatures.
The final box gives energy use in watts. The lower the watts, the cheaper the bulb is to use. Again, consider that the typical incandescent bulb uses 60W, the typical CFL uses 16W and the typical LED uses 10W.
It will cost between $1 and $5 a bulb to replace your existing bulb with a LED.
Why the big range? All the stats above will factor in, but it’s also dependent on the quantity purchased, the type of bulb purchased, and where you purchase the bulb.
Bulk purchases of any type of bulb will naturally make it cheaper to switch over. But always make sure to check the label.
For example, this deal of 24 bulbs for $24 seems great, with a price per bulb of $1, but the bulbs have a far lower lifespan than you’d expect from LED bulbs (15,000 hours vs. the expected 25,000 hours). They’re also less bright than alternatives also marketed as “60 watt equivalent” (750lm vs. the expected 800lm). While this is still a better light than an incandescent or CFL alternative, it might not be the best deal in the end.
Always check to see if the bulk order of bulbs is Energy Star compliant and can be sold in California. Energy Star is a mark of quality that ensures that the bulb you’re getting follows a set of strict quality and lifespan guidelines. The California Energy Commission sets the strictest efficiency requirements in the country, and if an LED bulb is unable to be sold in California, it may be less efficient or otherwise inferior to other alternatives.
How complicated you want your bulb to be is up to you. You can get a simple LED bulb, one capable of being used in a dimmer switch, or even a “smart bulb,” which can emit different colors of light and be controlled by your phone or other smart devices.
The more complicated the bulb, the more expensive it will be, but this gives you the ability to customize your home’s lighting. Generally, you can expect a standard bulb to run between $1 and $5, a dimmer bulb between $2 and $7, and a smart bulb between $10 and $40.
Local utility and state programs can help you lower the cost of switching to LEDs even more. Your local power utility has as much of an incentive to cut your home electricity use as you do. Yes, it means they’re able to sell you less electricity, but to the provider, it’s worth more today to avoid the potential costs of producing more electricity. Energy efficiency allows the utility to continue to run the power grid with the existing power plants and lines even with population growth, and not have to make costly investments in new power plants or power lines that may not pay for themselves for decades.
In part because of this, all utilities run some sort of residential energy efficiency program to help offset some of the costs of retrofitting or upgrading your home.
Many of these programs come in the form of rebates, where you send the utility a proof of your purchase and they send you a check for some portion of the cost. You can use this link to see if your local utility is running a rebate program for LEDs.
Because of the success of the programs, many of them have been successfully completed, terminated, or no longer include LEDs. If your local utility doesn’t have a rebate program, it most likely has what is called “upstream incentives.” Your local utility will work with (and often just give money to) manufacturers and local retailers in order to guarantee lower prices at the store. This often results in the same price savings as a rebate, but with less paperwork for you.
Using all these factors, we did research for our own home and office to find what might be the best bulbs. Our local utility no longer had any efficiency programs aimed at LEDs, so we looked online for the best deal.
We found this bulk order of 6 bulbs for $15.99, or $2.67 per bulb. It’s a perfect replacement for most of the average home’s lights, with the statistics we expect from a modern LED bulb. They are 800lm, as bright as most of the incandescents or CFLs we already have. They’re capable of being used in dimmer switches, so we don’t have to go out and purchase a second set of bulbs for those rooms. And they have a lifespan of 25,000 hours, so we won’t have to think about replacing the bulb for decades.
Of course, you might have different requirements: maybe you don’t have any rooms with dimmer switches (and don’t plan to). Or maybe you’re looking for bulbs just for your bedroom and want them to be dimmer because you use them right before bed. Keep in mind your personal preferences when making that decision.
High bay lighting has been a popular choice for commercial and industrial users throughout the world for decades, due to its relatively compact size and intense lumen output. Over the past several years, LED technology has come to dominate the high bay marketplace due to improvements in energy efficiency and service life as well as considerably improved color rendering accuracy. This great leap forward in high bay lighting technology has saved users a considerable amount in operating and maintenance costs, as well as improved workplace safety and efficiency.
Oftentimes, first time or even seasoned buyers of LED high bays find it difficult to understand and shop for these new lights, due to differences in wattage to lumen ratios and a considerably wider range of options and choices than what was previously available. Recognizing this need for clarification, we have compiled one of the most comprehensive buyers guides available to assist in the selection of the best LED high bay light for a variety of applications. We also have included information regarding the technical and performance benefits of LED lighting, to help buyers understand why they should choose LEDs over conventional types of lighting fixtures for their commercial and industrial applications.
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LED – Short for “Light-Emitting Diode”, this is a solid state type of lighting using a semiconductor diode that glows when voltage is applied. This type of light dates back to the early 1960’s and has been commonly used in electronic and computer equipment since its inception. As technology has improved over the years, the lumen output of LEDs have increased exponentially and today they can outperform practically any other type of commercially available light source.
Lumens – This the measure of the quantity of visible light emitted by a source. In the past a lights output was typically quantified in wattage instead of lumens. This was due to the linear relationship between wattage and lumen output in traditional incandescent lights. Due to the wide variance in lumen outputs of LED lighting compared to traditional lighting sources, comparing lights based on their lumen output is now the standard.
Wattage – This is the standard measurement of power consumption for the lighting industry, often used in a ratio to a lights lumen output in order to determine its energy efficiency. A watt is defined as the rate at which work is done when one ampere of current flows through an electrical potential difference of one volt. This can be expressed as [1W = 1V * A].
Voltage – This is defined as the potential for energy to move. Voltage is considered analogous to water pressure, as the characteristics of voltage are similar to that of water flowing through a pipe pressured by a pump.
DLC Listed – Short for “Design Light Consortium”, when a product is listed under this standard it means that it has been certified to perform under high levels of energy efficiency.
Color Temperature – Used as a way to define the color hue of a light, color temperature is measured using Kelvins on a scale ranging from 1,000K to 10,000K. The most common color temperatures in commercial lighting today range from 3000K to 6000K, with 5000K being the closest equivalent to daylight.
High Bay Lights – These are a specific class of lighting fixtures intended to be mounted high up in order to provide vertical clearance for daily operations as well as to provide wide illumination capabilities. High bay lights have a high lumen output and are intended for industrial and commercial environments.
Color Rendering Index – Also commonly referred to by its acronym “CRI”, this is the measurement scale used to determine a light’s accuracy and its performance in proper color rendering. This numerical scale ranges from zero all the way up to 100, which is the CRI of daylight, and considered to be a perfect light source. The higher the CRI of a light, the more accurately it will illuminate its surroundings.
See our comprehensive article on CRI illumination for more information.
High bay lights come in a variety of different wattages in order to suit a wide range of applications and illumination requirements. In the past, a lights output was usually measured in watts, as performance for certain wattage ranges was very consistent across different manufacturers. This made it easy for buyers to select replacement light fixtures, as well as plan out the quantity and placement of fixtures in new construction.
However in today’s market there is a wide variance in performance between manufacturers, with some providing considerably more efficient lighting than others. LED lights require considerably less power than traditional lighting, which also makes it difficult for those familiar with metal halide and HID technology to choose the correct wattage LED high bay for their application. The chart below highlights common HID wattage ranges for high bays and how they correspond to modern LED technology in order to help with the selection process.
Low Wattage (30-90 Watts) – At the low end of the wattage scale, these lights generally fall within the 30 to 90 watt range. They are most popular with users looking to illuminate smaller areas in the most energy efficient manner possible. A good portion of high bay lights in this wattage range also have the benefit of being plug-in-play with existing outlets without requiring manual rewiring.
Medium Wattage (100-230 Watts) – In the middle of the range, these medium wattage high bay lights are by far the most popular for commercial and industrial users. Lights in this wattage range provide the best balance of lumen output and power consumption for the majority of applications and can be commonly found in warehouses, commercial facilities and manufacturing centers.
High Powered High Bays (280-360 Watts) – At the top end of the wattage range, these lights provide the most intense illumination possible while still featuring the energy efficiency benefits of LED technology. Most commonly used for sports arenas, stadiums and other facilities with high ceilings that require immense amounts of light.
Selecting the correct lumen rating for your application is critical for proper lighting performance and to ensure the maximum return on your investment. In fact in today’s marketplace, lumen output has supplanted wattage as the main measure of a lights performance. Considering most people are still thinking about lighting performance in terms of wattage, transitioning to lumens as a primary measurement of a lights output can be a confusing task. However this will be the way in which the lighting industry measures performance for the foreseeable future, and therefore its vital to understand how lumen ratings translate into real world performance.
In LED lighting, the number of lumens produced is usually proportional to the wattage of the light fixture, although this does vary depending on the manufacturer. Because of this, we have listed several common lumen ranges to help simplify the buying process:
Low Lumens (4,000-20,000) – At the low end of the lumen range, these lights are primarily for applications requiring a high value light that also has exceptionally good energy efficiency. These lights are commonly used for illuminating smaller to medium sized areas in manufacturing and commercial facilities, or non-critical areas that do not require intense illumination.
Medium Lumens (21,000-35,000) – By far the most popular lumen range, lights in this category are often used for large scale operations such as warehouses and large commercial facilities. They are highly sought after due to their balance of impressive illumination capabilities and energy efficiency. In addition to this, these lights are usually moderately priced which makes them accessible to a wide range of users.
High Powered High Bays (40,000-50,000) – Lights in this category are by far the most powerful and are used when maximum illumination is the primary objective. While these lights still offer the energy efficiency benefits of LED technology, they have the highest wattage consumption out of all high bay lights in order to provide their lumen output. These lights are commonly used in sports stadiums, arenas, public venues and other areas requiring accurate and intense lighting.
In addition to selecting the correct wattage and lumen output for your application, it is important to determine the correct color temperature for your application. This will vary depending on the overall purpose and objective of the lighting. Certain color temperatures work better for ensuring worker attentiveness and efficiency, and others are better for relaxation and setting a positive mood. Below we have compiled a summary of the most common color temperatures available in high bay lighting today in order to assist in the buying process.
5000K – 5000 Kelvin LED high bays are by far the most common. This color temperature projects a cool white illumination that emulates day time environments. This is ideal for general illumination of warehouses, manufacturing facilities and other commercial spaces that require accurate lighting. This color temperature also works best with higher CRI lighting as it is the most natural of all color temperatures.
4000K – 4000 Kelvin LED bulbs project a natural colored light you commonly find within workspaces. Although these are generally less common than 5000K high bay fixtures, there are still many electrical contractors and building managers that prefer this color temperature. This is due to its warmer feel and because it closely mimics the color temperature of traditional lighting such as HIDs and fluorescent lights. As a result, 4000K high bays are easily found throughout the LED lighting marketplace.
3000K – 3000 Kelvin is a warm color of LED light used primarily inside restaurants or houses. It’s uncommon to find 3000K LED bulbs in high bays fixtures since these lights are designed for larger buildings such as warehouses and commercial gyms as opposed to residential or hospitality lighting applications.
High Bay lights are used in a wide variety of commercial and industrial applications, ranging from workshops, automotive repair facilities, warehouses, manufacturing plants, fitness centers, indoor sports arenas, and even large scale retail stores. Their high power to size ratio makes them ideal for applications where traditional lighting does not have the ability to provide enough illumination. Below are a list of the most common types of high bay lighting fixtures available:
UFO High Bays – Named after their resemblance to a stereotypical UFO, these round shaped fixtures are the dominant lighting option for warehouses, workshops, and other industrial areas. Their popularity owes to several key factors that makes them an excellent choice, including exceptional durability, high lumen output and compact design that is easy to set up and install. This design provides highly focused lighting while maintaining a high energy-efficiency and low maintenance costs.
Linear High Bays – These long LED tube fixtures are popular in applications that require high bay lighting that is dispersed over a more broad area than a regular UFO light. Linear high bays are popular in commercial facilities and storage areas, especially those that value simplicity and cost efficiency in their facility’s lighting setup. They provide a wider beam angle than UFO style high bays which allows them to illuminate a larger area at a lower lumen intensity.
Yoke Mount Bracket – These brackets are used to mount UFO style high bay lights on a flat surface while allowing for angle adjustments to accommodate for sloped roofs. These are also popular for lights that are mounted up against a ceiling, especially in facilities with lower roofs that still would like to use high bay lighting.
Suspension Hook Mount – By far the most popular of all high bay mounting systems, these mounts suspend a light from a ceiling at a variable distance depending on the application requirements. While these require a certain degree of customization for the suspension system, they are relatively straightforward to install and sometimes require zero modification to their mounting point. They typically use cables or chains for their suspension system, although they technically can mount anywhere with a hook.
V-Hooks – These are standard hooks used on high bay fixtures to suspend them from a ceiling or other raised surface. Normally they are separate pieces that are screwed onto the fixture itself using a standard electrical conduit type threading. Most also feature a locking screw to secure them and prevent accidental disengagement and prevent them from falling.
Surface Mount – These are the closest fitting mounts for applications requiring maximum vertical clearance under the light itself. In order to accomplish this, surface mount lights have a low profile fixed angle bracket that brings the unit as close to the ceiling or mounting surface as possible while still providing sufficient clearance for heat dissipation and ventilation.
Rod and Plate Mount – Similar to suspension mounts, this mounting system uses conduit style rods to connect a high bay light fixture to a metal mounting plate affixed to the ceiling. These are the most stylish of all suspended or hanging style mounting systems, as it offers the ability to enclose the wiring into a sleek rod that can then be painted or designed to suit the interior of the facility.
Q. What are LED high bay lights?
These are a type of lighting fixture designed to be mounted from a high ceiling. Typically used in large facilities, these lights have a relatively narrow light pattern that provides intense illumination over the surface below. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes, although circular or round UFO style fixtures are the most popular due to their versatility.
Q. How do you hang high bays?
High bay lights can be hung or mounted in a variety of different ways, depending on the application requirements. The most common and easiest mounting option is by suspending the fixtures from the ceiling using a cable, chain or other method. This normally involves a v-hook or pendant hook attached to the backside of the fixture, to which the chain or cable would be connected.
The other common option is direct mounting, using either a surface mount or yoke mount. Surface mounting is the lowest profile and is popular for level ceilings that do not require any angle adjustment to the fixture itself. Yoke mounting is similar however it does allow for adjustments for ceilings that are on an angle.
Q. How many high bay lights do I need?
The number of high bay fixtures you’ll need for your specific project depends on several factors. The first of these is determining what your lumen requirements are for the coverage area. Afterwards, you would then have to calculate how many fixtures needed to fulfil your application requirements, which is dependent on the amount of lumens produced by each fixture. The height of the fixtures off the ground will also play a factor in this, as the higher a light is off the ground the higher the wattage requirement in order to provide proper illumination.
Obviously, this can be a complex task and it is therefore best to consult with a commercial LED lighting expert in order to properly design your project. Consulting with an expert will minimize cost and maximize illumination throughout your area.
Q. Why use LEDs for high bay lighting?
There are several benefits to using LED technology in high bay lighting fixtures. The primary reason for most users is the dramatically lower energy consumption of LED lights compared to traditional lights such as HIDs. Additionally, LED fixtures require zero maintenance throughout their lifespan, providing significant savings in terms of both parts and labor hours costs. They also produce a more accurate and higher quality of light that improves visibility and safety when compared to traditional lighting sources.
Q. How do you replace metal halide with LED?
There are multiple ways in which lighting systems can be retrofitted with LEDs, depending on how the existing lighting setup is configured. In many cases, the easiest and most straightforward way to accomplish this is by simply replacing the existing fixture with a new LED fixture that provides an equivalent lumen output. In other situations, it may be desirable to reconfigure an entire lighting system layout in order to effectively upgrade to LED technology. There are even a select number of scenarios where it may be possible to upgrade the existing fixture with a LED retrofit kit, however this requires some electrical expertise in order to properly complete.