How to Convert High Bay to LED
With fluorescent and incandescent lamps dwindling out of the market, LEDs are now the primary choice for lighting everywhere. LED bulbs are energy efficient, meaning they use less power to produce brighter and better-quality light. By upgrading to LEDs, not only are you saving money, but you’re also keeping up with modern trends and technology.
Retrofit kits have versatile installations so that new homes and businesses can install new LEDs directly into their space. However, many LED products also have retrofitting capabilities that allow you to replace existing fixtures with LEDs.
Why upgrade to LED?
The benefits of converting to LEDs go beyond just saving money. LEDs last approximately up to 10 times as long as their incandescent and fluorescent counterparts, upwards of 50,000 hours. Because they last longer, they require far less maintenance and bulb replacement over time.
LEDs also drastically improve energy savings. LEDs use 75-80% less energy than fluorescent or incandescent bulbs to create the same amount of light. If you upgrade your home to LEDs, you can see up to $225 dollars in energy costs saved per year. For businesses and other facilities, converting to LEDs can cut energy costs and consumption by up to 65%.
Lastly, LED bulbs have high lighting levels that provide better overall lighting quality for a space. After upgrading to LED lights, you will see improvements in visibility and work efficiency.
To facilitate upgrades from old metal halide fixtures, many LED manufacturers equip their bulbs and fixtures with retrofit capabilities.
What is retrofitting?
Retrofitting is adapting old technology into new technology. To retrofit is to upgrade an old traditional light, such as a metal halide, into an LED. The purpose of retrofitting to LEDs is to increase the quality and energy efficiency of your lights.
Although there are many ways to convert your old lights to LEDs, we recommend these two methods:
1. Retrofit Kit (New Fixture)
A retrofit kit allows you to replace the inefficient components of your existing fixture in its entirety. No more ballast, inefficient bulbs, or wasted energy. This option is the most beneficial, but it is also the most expensive upfront.
2. Ballast Bypass (Direct Wire)
The ballast bypass option enables you to ignore the ballast altogether. LEDs don’t require a ballast because they don't run a large amount of electric current that needs regulation. LEDs draw less power overall and typically use direct current (DC), bypassing the need for a ballast.
For ballast bypass, the rewiring can be a simple task since LED light fixtures only require a direct connection. With ballast bypass, the ballast does not need removal. However, any time you work with electrical wires, consult with a certified electrician first.
Benefits of Retrofitting
Retrofitting provides a much easier installation process than acquiring an entirely new lighting system. With retrofit kits, you don’t have to spend time mounting new sockets or fixtures on the wall or ceiling. The ability to install the LED lamps directly into existing fixtures or wiring setups lowers installation costs and labor.
Retrofit kits are also simple enough that users can do the installations themselves. In many cases, you won’t even need to hire a contractor or electrician to install your lights.
Considerations
As with any new lighting technology, there are a few things to consider and keep in mind. Retrofitting existing fixtures does limit your options in the whole scope of LED lighting. Make sure to always check the specs of the LED lights you’re buying to ensure they will fit in the fixtures you have. Most LED retrofit products have multiple configuration options, but it’s good to keep an eye on it.
One thing retrofit LED lights are not capable of is adjusting to traditional dimmer switches and controls. Traditional dimmability technology will not work for LED lighting. So, to utilize the dimmable features on your LED lights, you will have to install LED-specific switches and controls.
Applications
LED retrofits can happen anywhere a lighting system exists. Outdoor areas that suffer from poor visibility are a huge target for retrofitting. Parking lots, building exteriors, street lighting, and even subway stations see significant improvements after upgrading to LEDs.
For your home or business, there is a wide range of LED retrofit styles to choose from. Some of the most common LED retrofit fixtures are high bay LED lights. These fixtures hang from high ceiling heights and are perfect for illuminating large areas. Types of high bay lighting include UFO high bays and linear high bays.
Other types of LED lights include LED downlights, strip lights, troffer lights, and vapor tight fixtures.
Shop HomElectrical’s selection of LED high bays to find the right LED retrofit kit for your lighting replacement needs!
Recommended Reading
LED retrofits allow you to install LED lights without having to replace your fixtures. Read our guide to learn about the different types of retrofit kits and find the one that works best for your fixture.
Retrofit your warehouse light fixtures with LED's to increase the quality of your light and save energy and money. You can choose to either retrofit the fixture or replace it entirely.
Retrofitting refers to the process of removing the internal components of your current fixtures and replacing them with LED technology. Read our guide to learn about the different types of fixtures you can retrofit.
LED high bay lighting is ideal for spaces with high ceilings such as grocery stores and warehouses. For the best performance, LED high bay lights should be installed at a minimum ceiling height of 20 feet.
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