How much lux does an industrial hall or warehouse need?
The European standard EN 12464-1 specifies a minimum illuminance and an increased value for each area. Choose the increased value for long working hours, little daylight, small details or when mistakes are costly. If people work in a storage area all day, 200 lux applies.
| Area or task | Minimum | Increased | Colour rendering | Uniformity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stores and stockrooms | 100 lux | 150 lux | Ra 80 | 0.4 |
| Racking warehouse, floor between racks | 150 lux | 200 lux | Ra 80 | 0.5 |
| Open storage, loading and unloading | 200 lux | 300 lux | Ra 80 | 0.4 |
| Packing and dispatch | 300 lux | 500 lux | Ra 80 | 0.6 |
| Production and assembly | 300 lux | 500 lux | Ra 80 | 0.6 |
| Metalworking and welding | 300 lux | 500 lux | Ra 80 | 0.6 |
| Fine assembly and precision work | 500 lux | 750 lux | Ra 80 | 0.7 |
| Vehicle workshop and garage | 500 lux | 750 lux | Ra 80 | 0.6 |
| Agriculture: machinery, loading | 200 lux | 300 lux | Ra 80 | 0.4 |
| Livestock buildings | 50 lux | 75 lux | Ra 40 | 0.4 |
| Sports hall | 300 lux | 500 lux | Ra 80 | 0.6 |
| Traffic routes with forklifts | 150 lux | 200 lux | Ra 40 | 0.4 |
The values apply at floor level, after ageing and soiling of the luminaires (maintained values). Uniformity is the lowest measured value divided by the average. For competitive sport, EN 12193 applies. Read more about the difference between the two terms on lumen and lux, and about colour rendering on CRI rating.
National workplace regulations require adequate lighting at the workplace. EN 12464-1 is the common benchmark across Europe for showing that your lighting meets that requirement.
How many lumens per high bay at which mounting height?
Compare high bays by lumens, not by watts. The wattage only tells you how much power a luminaire uses. A 100W high bay at 200 lm/W delivers 20,000 lumens, more than a 150W high bay at 120 lm/W (18,000 lumens). The higher you mount, the more lumens each luminaire needs and the narrower the beam angle can be.
| Mounting height | Lumens per luminaire | Beam angle | For example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 to 4 m | up to 10,000 lm | 90° to 120° | Linear high bay 50W |
| 4 to 6 m | 12,000 to 17,000 lm | 120° | 100W (120 to 150 lm/W) |
| 6 to 8 m | 17,000 to 26,000 lm | 90° to 120° | 100W (190 to 200 lm/W) or 150W |
| 8 to 10 m | 26,000 to 34,000 lm | 90° | 150W (190 to 200 lm/W) or 200W |
| from 10 m | from 34,000 lm | 60° to 90° | 200W (190 to 200 lm/W) or 240W |
Lower than 2.5 metres? Then a high bay causes glare. Choose tri-proof LED battens or LED light bars.
How do you calculate the number of high bays?
Lumens are the light a luminaire emits; lux is the light that reaches each square metre of floor. That is always less: part of it falls on walls and racks, and dust and ageing reduce the light output. That is why you use a correction factor: 0.55 in an open hall with light walls, 0.45 with high racking or dark walls.
Then arrange the luminaires in a grid. The spacing between them is at most 1 to 1.5 times the mounting height. Where the light needs to be more uniform, as in production, mount them closer together.
Example: workshop of 30 × 15 metres, 7 metres high, 300 lux
- Floor area: 30 × 15 = 450 m²
- High bay of 20,000 lumens: 450 × 300 ÷ (20,000 × 0.55) = 12.3, rounded up to 13
- Maximum spacing 1.2 × 7 = 8.4 m. In an even grid of 5 × 3 that makes 15
- Spacing 6 × 5 metres
- At 100W per luminaire, the total load is 1.5 kW
UFO high bay or linear high bay?
UFO high bay
Round and compact, with a lot of light from a single point. The standard for open halls, production and workshops. A 120° beam angle spreads the light widely; with 90° it reaches the floor more directly at greater heights. View the UFO high bays.
Linear high bay
Elongated and designed for aisles. Mount it lengthwise above the aisle so the rack faces also get light and labels stay readable. From 7,500 lumens (50W) to 37,500 lumens (250W), dimmable. View the linear high bays.
From HQL or HQI to LED: what does it save?
An LED high bay uses up to 70% less power than an HQL or HQI lamp with comparable light. A 100W LED replaces roughly a 250W lamp, a 150W LED a lamp of 250 to 400W, and a 200W LED a 400W lamp.
A worked example: a 400W HQI luminaire draws about 440W including its ballast. Replace it with a 150W LED high bay and, at 3,000 operating hours a year and €0.25 per kWh, you save about €220 per luminaire per year. The luminaire pays for itself within a year, excluding installation.
Dimming, DALI and motion sensors
0-10V dimming
All high bays except the Basic series are dimmable. This lets you set each zone to exactly the light level the standard requires, without paying for light you do not need. View the dimmers.
DALI
The dimmable UFO series from 100W to 240W is also available with a DALI driver, for connection to a building management system.
Motion sensor
UFO high bays from 100W to 240W are available with an HF sensor: the light is only on when someone is there. Useful in storage areas and aisles that are rarely used.
Lighting by type of hall
Warehouse and storage shed
100 to 200 lux. Linear high bays above the aisles and a sensor in aisles that are rarely used.
Production hall
300 lux, 500 lux for intensive work, with Ra 80. Choose 4000K or 5000K.
Workshop and garage
500 lux in a vehicle workshop, with Ra 80. Extra task lighting helps for work underneath vehicles.
Agriculture and livestock
200 lux at machinery and for loading, 50 lux in livestock buildings. Choose IP65 against dust and moisture.
Sports hall
300 lux, evenly spread over the whole court. For competitions the higher values of EN 12193 apply.
Frequently asked questions about industrial hall lighting
How much lux does a warehouse need?
According to EN 12464-1, at least 100 lux in a storage area, 150 lux on the floor between racks, 200 lux for open storage and for loading and unloading, and 300 lux for packing and dispatch. If people work there all day, plan for 200 lux or more.
How many lumens per m² does an industrial hall need?
Divide the required lux by 0.55. For 300 lux in an open hall you need about 550 lumens per m², for 200 lux about 365 lumens per m². With high racking, divide by 0.45.
How many lumens does a high bay need per mounting height?
About 12,000 to 17,000 lumens at 4 to 6 metres, 17,000 to 26,000 lumens at 6 to 8 metres, 26,000 to 34,000 lumens at 8 to 10 metres and more than 34,000 lumens above 10 metres.
How far apart should high bays be mounted?
At most 1 to 1.5 times the mounting height. In storage the light may be less uniform, so you can space them further apart. In production and workshops, mount them closer together, around 1.2 times the height.
What colour rendering (Ra) should a high bay have?
For most workplaces in a hall the standard requires Ra 80 or higher. Only traffic routes and livestock buildings allow lower colour rendering.
What is the payback time of LED high bays?
That depends on your operating hours and electricity price. Replacing a 400W HQI luminaire with a 150W LED high bay saves about €220 a year at 3,000 hours and €0.25 per kWh, so the luminaire pays for itself within a year. The calculator at the top shows the total cost over 5 years for each option.
Are the high bays dimmable?
All high bays except the Basic series are dimmable via 0-10V. The dimmable UFO series is also available with DALI, and there are models with a motion sensor.
Which colour temperature is best for a hall?
4000K for workplaces where people work for long periods, 5000K or 6000K for storage and production. More on light colour.
What if my ceiling is lower than 4 metres?
Then choose a 50W linear high bay (7,500 lumens). Below 2.5 metres, tri-proof LED battens or LED light bars are the better choice.
Sources and standards
EN 12464-1:2021 Light and lighting, lighting of indoor work places · EN 12193 Sports lighting · product data of the luminaires shown.
