Confused with lighting requirements

[TheClaw]

I broke ground on a new garage/shop today. I'm trying to finalize the lighting requirements and I'm confused about how much I will need.

My shop is 16x36. The back half will be 9ft ceiling height. The front half will be vaulted. I'm looking at these light from Hyperlight due their ease of install. However, how many and how big is the question. Here is a diagram of the proposed shop.



I'm going to leave the ceiling vaulted in the front



(*just noticed, that's an old rendering. the length of the shop will be 36ft, not 24ft.

I realize it's not that big by some standards here but while I have a blank slate, I'd like to get the lighting right.

The online calculators I've seen have my requirements anywhere from 19,000 lumens/140 watts to 57,600 lumens/720 LED watts.

I'll take suggestions.

 

[TheClaw]

Moderators, I should have looked at @Platonic Solid's thread Light Fixture Layout Collections first.

If you want to move this post to his thread that would be great.

 

[TheClaw]

I reached out to Hyperlite. Just called, didn't leave a message. They called me back! Already the modeled my space and have give me recommendations.



Looking at using these, https://hi-hyperlite.com/products/led-high-bay-light-hero-black-4000k-5000k

 

[Stuart in MN]

One thing I'll add is having separate task lighting over the workbench is usually a good idea. Having the whole place lit up like an operating room isn't necessarily required, but having bright light over the bench usually is.

 

[Shiftless]

One thing I'll add is having separate task lighting over the workbench is usually a good idea. Having the whole place lit up like an operating room isn't necessarily required, but having bright light over the bench usually is.

I agree 100%

I did the lighting design and install on my 20x20
I wired in 2 circuits for lighting. One switch controls LED floodlights over the main workbench 32 inches by 7 feet along with more floodlights aimed at a 12 foot row of floor to ceiling open shelves.
Another switch controls a bank of 9 four foot twin tube LED fixtures mounted on the ceiling.
A great majority of the time I don’t need the 9 twin tube lights on.

 

[dave*99]

Give some thought to linear lightning in the 9' ceiling part. High bays are tough on the eyes if they are not high enough.

 

[cybrdyke]

I reached out to Hyperlite. Just called, didn't leave a message. They called me back! Already the modeled my space and have give me recommendations.



Looking at using these, https://hi-hyperlite.com/products/led-high-bay-light-hero-black-4000k-5000k

I've said it before and I'll say it again....Hyperlites is the crappiest company on the internet. Just what the heck is that model supposed to represent? It's a big blob of white surrounded by some pretty colors. Doesn't tell you a damn thing. There's no reference to foot-candles anywhere, no photometric data at all. Completely useless. And...are they really suggesting that you should use a 21,000 lumen highbay on a 9' ceiling? That's just irresponsible lighting advice.
You have to realize that Hyperlites is just a made up company name that uses lights made in a filthy factory somewhere in China that makes the same thing for a hundred other no-name brands. Their only expertise is how to use the internet to separate people from their money. They also tell you to total up the lumens in lighting fixtures to determine how much light you need, which is also irresponsible lighting advice. You need to run away from these clowns and find someone who knows lighting.
Good luck,
CD

 

[billconner]

I think you should have more smaller sources so there are fewer shadows and less glare. At least 2 rows of 4, if not a linear solution.

 

[BillK]

Not a lighting specialist but with that low of a ceiling I think you will be much happier with 8' tubes. Or 4' ones doubled up.

Buy one of the ones you are showing and hang it up with an extension cord and i think you will see what I mean.

 

[TheClaw]

..... You need to run away from these clowns and find someone who knows lighting.
Good luck,
CD

@cybrdyke Who do you recommend?

 

[dave*99]

I followed a lighting design process. I used a lighting design program from a reputable manufacturer. You can read about it here:

Lighting for 24x28 shop

So I think I'm off to a rocky start..... I've been reading the best light fixture ever thread for a long time. And I still think I need some help. The basics: Woodshop above garage. Under construction. I have some woodworking machinery to go in the shop. It will have drywall finished...

www.garagejournal.com

 

[Shiftless]

CD says it like it is. I’ve been in spaces with super bright fixtures on relatively low ceilings. Very unpleasant and almost painful. I like my 4 foot tubular lights.

 

[dave*99]

CD says it like it is. I’ve been in spaces with super bright fixtures on relatively low ceilings. Very unpleasant and almost painful. I like my 4 foot tubular lights.

Agreed on both points. After reading a few thousand posts on lighting over the years I learned that if @cybrdyke says you're doing it wrong, you are.

 

[cybrdyke]

@cybrdyke Who do you recommend?

Hey there,
Understand what we're doing with the lights. The ceiling lights are for general overall illumination of the area. They create a base level of light that should be even across the floor and well reflected off the walls to help eliminate shadows and contrast without also creating a bunch of glare. If you need more light in certain spaces, that's ok, and can be accomplished with task lights or by using more ceiling fixtures in that area.
Here's the process that you should use. The first thing you need to do is to determine how much light you want/need. This figure is in foot-candles, not lumens. This can be tricky because most people dont know what a foot-candle looks like. There are many charts online (google something like 'foot-candle requirements') that will show you how many fc's you need for any particular space. In general, residential garages are lit to about 40fc, but if you are going to be working on your bikes, you might want more in that area. Shoot for 60 to 70-ish in those spaces. Guys that are using their garages for workshops shoot for 75fc and some older folks even shoot for 100fc, which is waay overkill. Remember, the more light you get, the more it will cost you. Potentially, if you have your bike lift under the lower ceiling, that might be an area to use a few extra fixtures.
The next thing that you need to do is to determine which style of fixture you prefer. Folks lean toward UFO's because they're cheap and they're powerful. But they really are super glarey and toss down big blobs of light which create deep dark shadows. Your ceilings are too low for them to work properly. Look around for some linear fixtures (google 'surface wraps', linear ceiling lights, strip fixtures, and words like that), there are literally thousands of styles. Look for something cool looking that you like. Try to find one that emits about 4000 to 5000 lumens in a 4' section. If they can be linked together in a long run, it might make your installation easier.
Once you know which fixture style you like, now you need to know how many you'll need to achieve the fc level you want. That's where the computer comes into play. Alot of guys here like to play with the online photometric layout programs to do their own layouts. They're pretty easy to use and you'll learn a lot. If that's not your bag, then some of the online wholesalers, like Primelights, Prolighting, or Greenlightingwholesale will happily do one for you. Tell them the style you like and how many fc's you want and they'll put it into their computer. These are people that work with multiple manufacturers and are not married to any particular one, so they wont shove any one brand down your throat. They also might have some good suggestions for you.
Personally, I like the LBI and LBIMAX strips from Light Efficient Design. They're linkable, power & cct selectable, 0-10V dimmable, small and powerful. They're not the cheapest, but they're the best.
Good luck,
CD

 

[TheClaw]

Awesome, thanks @cybrdyke