storage building lighting

[earnest79]

trying to decide what indoor lighting to get for a 50'x40'x12' building. Looking for something fairly efficient. I was thinking about trying 5ow leds but maybe metal halide or hid would be better? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[LEDninja]

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01-18-2011 09:42 AM #2 JohnR66

How long will the lights be on? How cold in the building?

HID is best suited where the lights are not cycled on and off much. They warm up slow and are best left on hours at a time. Not ideal for a storage building.

LEDs will work but good quality fixtures that are efficient are very expensive. They are often several hundred $$ a pop. It will take many of them to light a 2,000 Sq/ft building.

Fluorescent. Forget CFLs and go linear tubes. They can be 30% more efficient than CFLs. There are HO (high output) versions available that are brighter per fixture and can handle cold better. These are the best choice cost wise.

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01-19-2011 12:23 AM #3 earnest79

thanks for the reply. I am located in north west indiana and the building will not be heated. I seen 50w leds and the driver for around $50.

I have metal halide dome type fixtures but i think they are 3 phase, i may try putting 50w leds in the fixture kinda like this one
http://images.drillspot.com/pimages/3564/356489_300.jpg
Think it will work?

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01-19-2011 08:15 PM #4 andersonEE

As much as I love LED's, JOHNR66 is right. High Output T8s are the way to go for price/performance. But if you want a fun project...go with Bridgelux LEDs.

 

[Ken_McE]

If you can locate T-8 ballasts that will come on quickly in an Indiana winter, I would suggest four foot T-8 fluorescent tubes. They're easy, effective, efficient. HID would be OK if you turn the light on and leave it on. They don't like lots of on/off cycles in a short time. LEDs would work, but make good and sure that 50 watter has good heatsinking, so it doesn't overheat and burn out. I would suggest you consider a fifty-dollar, fifty-watt LED to be experimental until you get one and put it through some testing.

 

[purduephotog]

If you can locate T-8 ballasts that will come on quickly in an Indiana winter, I would suggest four foot T-8 fluorescent tubes. They're easy, effective, efficient. HID would be OK if you turn the light on and leave it on. They don't like lots of on/off cycles in a short time. LEDs would work, but make good and sure that 50 watter has good heatsinking, so it doesn't overheat and burn out. I would suggest you consider a fifty-dollar, fifty-watt LED to be experimental until you get one and put it through some testing.

HomeDepot is currently carrying a highbay 6 tube t8 fixture that is cold rated. It is metallicized plastic reflectors- extremely bright. 80$/pop plus tubes. Can be hard mounted and hard wired.