Properly lighting your warehouse will not only improve your energy consumption, but also ensure compliance to code. To save you time, money and hassle, Penna Electric will help you create a lighting plan for your commercial warehouse.
There are several factors to consider, from lighting power or lumens to lumen efficiency and distributions. A lighting plan will help take any guesswork out of your upgrade, presenting light levels and distribution levels, as well any lighting needs for high ceiling areas.
Proper lighting is key to operating a safe and efficient warehouse. Old, outdated fixtures, as well as harsh lighting can cause fatigue, eye strain, as well as distractedness, which all lower productivity. LED warehouse lighting can not only address these issues, but it can help improve visibility.
The high-pressure sodium warehouse lights, as well as Metal Halide, use 4 to 5 times more electricity. On top of that, they require more maintenance, and they don’t function properly with motion sensors or dimming technology. LED warehouse lighting can save you up to 75% energy and provide improved light quality.
Penna Electric has great experience in lighting warehouses and our commercial electricians know that this can be a daunting process, whether it’s a new construction or a facility retrofit. We’re here to help every step of the way.
Title 24 is part of California’s Building Energy Efficiency Standards, an energy code that is meant to reduce “wasteful and unnecessary energy consumption in newly constructed and existing buildings”. This is updated every three years, and our commercial electricians will make sure that lighting your warehouse will be done in compliance with the latest code.
Although the code applies to new constructions as well, it focuses significantly on retrofits, also known as alterations or modifications in place, which do require code compliance.If you convert 10% or more of the lighting fixtures or 40+ total, then the work qualifies as a “luminaire alteration”.
This means you need to make sure that the lighting per square foot, or the watts, meet current Title 24 standards. Contact Penna Electric today for more information or to plan your warehouse lighting.
Frequently Asked Questions about Office Lighting
How much energy can I save with led warehouse lighting?
Typically, lighting can be anywhere between 75 and 80% of your warehouse electricity costs. A LED warehouse lighting system can be highly efficient and help you cut down on energy usage from 50 to 90% depending on the size of the warehouse, the type of operations, and other such factors. This will make a significant financial difference year over year, and you’ll be able to get a fast return on investment.
How will new warehouse lighting help?
A new lighting system in your warehouse will help first and foremost by saving energy. It will reduce your building’s energy requirements in 3 ways:
What lighting requirements should I be aware of?
Title 24 is one of the most important sets of standards when it comes to energy efficiency, representing a broad set of requirements for “energy conservation, green design, construction and maintenance, fire and life safety, and accessibility”. Title 24 applies to all buildings in California, and that includes your business’ warehouse.
According to Title 24, the Allowed Lighting Power Density for General Lighting (W/ft2) in warehouses is 0.45, while for Shipping & Handling is 0.6. The requirement for minimum levels of illumination for safety for Loading Areas and Warehouses is High.
There are also quality expectations in warehouses, referring to aisles and open spaces that need adequate illumination from lighting systems so that:
Why do I need to upgrade my warehouse lighting?
Because poorly performing lights or badly designed systems can cost you money. Accidents can happen, especially with fork lift trucks, reach trucks or side loads and you might have to deal with personal injury or damage to valuable stock.
Additionally, stress, eye strain and migraines or headaches, all caused by bad lighting can increase staff absenteeism, not to mention the fact that difficulty with identifying and picking items most likely reduces their work efficiency and productivity in the first place.
When thinking about upgrading to LED warehouse lighting, you should also consider the deterioration of light levels. Over time, the lights in the warehouse can become unfit because of their age, which means they don’t emit the same light output level.
