Warehouse lighting

Warehouselighting LED means better light

Research has shown that better light and thus better visibility leads to higher labor productivity, fewer production errors and safer working conditions.

Today, many warhouses are still equipped with conventional lighting, often with fluorescent tube light lines or high bay luminaires with gas discharge light sources such as mercury vapor, metal halide or high pressure sodium (HPL/HQL, HPI/HQI, SON/NAV). In addition to the fact that these old fashioned lighting systems consume a lot of electricity, they often no longer meet the lighting requirements and/or current European Norms (EN 12464-1).

In addition, it is important for e.g. order pickers in warehouses that they can see well what they are doing.
For this they need the right light level, as well as an optimal uniformity ad the right light quality. Our experts know which parameters are required in your particular situation. When it comes to warehouse lighting, we always comply with the applicable local standers (European Norms) in our offerings.

Light level
The light level is expressed in lux. At warehouses and storage areas where people work, the light level is measured at working height (0.75m-1m). An average is taken from multiple measuring points. The average needs to reach the applicable standard (European Norm). In most cases the average light level required in warehouses is between 100 and 150 lux, depending on the articles that are being stored. Ask our experts which light level is required in your company.

Uniformity
A uniform light pattern over the entire production floor is even more important than the light level. Uniformity is expressed by the quotient of the minimum measured light level over the average measured light level. If there is uneven lighting, the human brain must adjust continuously. The pupils become larger and contract which does not benefit visibility. It also causes fatigue and therefore a higher chance of mistakes and unsafe work situations. The uniformity at warehouses (Emin/Eav), both on the bottom of a storage rack, as well on the top should be in order. Ask our experts which uniformity is required in your company.

Light quality
CRI. The quality of light is a.o. expressed in the Color Rendering Index (CRI). The color reproduction of the LEDs is of great importance for light quality. If the applied LEDs are not of the highest quality, this can lead to fatigue among employees and therefore cause errors and unsafe working conditions. The LEDs must have the right Color Rendering Index (CRI) and that means a CRI of more than 80 (Ra> 80). All LEDs that are applied in the luminaires we offer are of a high quality from only A-manufacturers.

Colour temperature. A second variable which determines the quality of light is the color temperature, expressed in Kelvin. This is about how the light is perceived. The color temperature determines whether the light is perceived as “warm” or “cool”. Research has shown that warm light (,3000K) makes the brain produce more melatonin (sleep hormone). This makes people sleepy. A cooler color temperature (>5000K), more in the direction of daylight, makes people more awake and therefore more alert. We recommend a color temperature of around 4-6000K in production environments.

Prevention of a shadow. It is extremely annoying for warhouse workers to work in their own shadow. This slows down the work and is a recipe for mistakes. The challenge is to get the  light from all directions, without creating sharp shadow lines.

Please contact our experts for advising you on the right lighting in your warehouse.

Dynamic warehouse lighting and storages

It often occurs in storages and warehouses that work is not being done in a part of the hall for long periods. In that case, we always recommend using a dynamic lighting solution. This also applies if there is a lot of daylighting through roof windows or windows. By the use of motion and daylight sensors, the luminaires can be controlled in such a way that they always bring the desired light level.

In orientation paths where no one is coming, the light can simply be completely switched off. At the moment that a person or machine enters the path, the light of the warehouse lighting goes directly to full strength. If the sensor detects that there is no movement after some time, the light can gradually dim back to zero. This results in a considerable extra saving in the consumption of electricity.

The same applies to areas with a lot of daylight. Sensors control the luminaires to burn until the desired light level is reached. Under a daylight dome, it may be that the light is completely off, while it is burning at full strength in a dark corner of the building.