Does my lighting plan pass the sanity test

[pgoldston]

I have tried to do my research and read up on several threads. I am starting to plan out my electrical and lighting so I can knock it when I return from Korea. I am having a 30x60x12 shop. I have always worked in small shops with dim lighting and I told myself when I build my own I will have ENOUGH lighting. With that said here is my plan:

18 6-bulb (t-8) Metalux high bay lighting fixtures evenly spaced.
Right now the fixtures and bulbs are on sale and I can get each setup at $31 each after taxes. By the numbers this gives me about 17.5K lumens per fixture or 174/sqft. I was aiming for 100/sqft but with the price being that low I figure Ill run more switches and kill what I dont need. With that being said, which direction do you think would spread the light the best, running the fixtures north to south or east to west? Couple of pics for reference.

https://scontent-icn1-1.**.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/20368743_1616449141708580_8311555730716153451_o.jpg?oh=9e0e48db823178d06e86cd3c2bf2fb42&oe=5A07826F

https://scontent-icn1-1.**.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/20280556_1616449208375240_1488967897614682972_o.jpg?oh=265e503815a2a51c3386bcebac867fa6&oe=5A08BA2D

My concern with the HBL fixtures is that it will produce most of a spot light versus spreading the light enough. Do yall think I will be good, or need to adjust something?

Thanks Patrick

 

[cybrdyke]

You wont know for sure without someone running a lighting layout for you. The way you are figuring it is wrong, that's for sure. Lumens per square foot means nothing. All that said, an educated guess....from 12' it looks pretty decent. It will be even enough for you. And it will be bright....not 174fc, maybe not even 100fc, but it will be good.
$31 for a 6 lamp fixture with lamps is a fantastic price!! Where did you find them?
Good luck,
CD

 

[mike93lx]

Afaik, 12' is too low for hi bays

 

[pgoldston]

Cyberdyke - Lowes has them for 19.99 on sale right now. Then they have T-8 bulbs@2900 lumens on sale in bulk for 30 for $60 bucks. That brings 6 bulbs 12 + the fixture to 19.99 and my military discount equates to 3 percent after tax=31.03

Mike - Why is that? I ask because I could just stick 2 bulbs in there and it would be the same as a standard light? Apologize for my ignorance on HBL.

 

[matt_i]

So if you fire up all the lights you are into 3.4kW of power being drawn, that's up there with the AC unit for my house! (18 fixtures x 6 tubes x 32W/tube)

I don't think you are going to have any problems.

I think you'll need 3 circuits and I would switch those independently, so you could either have something like 1/3 of the fixtures come on at a time in sort of a peppered array, or else put them in neat rows of 6 fixtures each.

In my shop I have the staggered array, so half of the lights in a pepper pattern come on with one switch, the other switch fires up the other half.

 

[mike93lx]

Cyberdyke - Lowes has them for 19.99 on sale right now. Then they have T-8 bulbs@2900 lumens on sale in bulk for 30 for $60 bucks. That brings 6 bulbs 12 + the fixture to 19.99 and my military discount equates to 3 percent after tax=31.03

Mike - Why is that? I ask because I could just stick 2 bulbs in there and it would be the same as a standard light? Apologize for my ignorance on HBL.

It has to do with how the light is diffused. Hi bays reflect it more downward so more light reaches the work at a distance. You'll likely end up with hot spots and shadows.

I would use standard 2 or 4 bulb fixtures if this was me.