A poorly lit warehouse is a safety risk and an energy drain. Traditional metal halide and high-pressure sodium fittings that light most London warehouses take up to 15 minutes to reach full brightness, deliver inconsistent lux levels and cost three times more to run than modern LED high bay lighting. Our industrial lighting team designs and installs LED systems for warehouses, distribution centres, manufacturing units and industrial estates across Greater London.
Every installation begins with a free site survey. Our engineers measure your floor area, ceiling heights, racking layouts and existing lux levels, then design a system that meets CIBSE recommendations and your specific operational requirements.
What Is High Bay LED Lighting?
High bay LED fittings are designed for spaces with ceiling heights above five metres, which describes the majority of London warehouses and industrial units. They deliver a very high lumen output in a compact housing, directed downward and outward to illuminate wide floor areas without wasted upward light.
We install two main types: linear high bays for racked storage aisles, which produce a narrow-beam distribution ideal for high-density shelving, and round high bays (UFO style) for open floor areas, vehicle access bays and production zones. Both types are available in wattages from 100W to 400W to suit ceiling heights from 5m to 15m and above.
Lux Requirements for Warehouses
CIBSE Recommendations
The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) sets out maintained illuminance targets in its Lighting Guide LG1. For general storage areas the recommended minimum is 100 lux. For inspection and order picking areas where visual accuracy matters, 300 lux is the minimum. For fine assembly or quality control workstations, 500 lux or above is recommended.
Many London warehouses operating under old metal halide fittings fail to meet even the 100 lux minimum at floor level, particularly in aisle ends and bay corners. Our DIALux-modelled designs confirm compliance across the whole floor plate before installation.
Safety and Legal Compliance
The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 require employers to provide adequate lighting in every part of the workplace. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) specifies that lighting must be sufficient to allow work to be carried out safely, and inadequate illuminance is cited in approximately 5% of all workplace accidents reported under RIDDOR (HSE, 2023). Upgrading to correctly specified LED high bays is so a direct investment in workplace safety as well as energy efficiency.
Energy Savings in Industrial Lighting
Metal halide high bays of 400W produce around 32,000 lumens at the lamp but lose significant output through the gear and the fitting itself. A modern 200W LED high bay produces the same usable lumens at the floor at half the wattage. For a 10,000 sq ft warehouse with 40 fittings running 16 hours a day, six days a week, switching from 400W metal halide to 200W LED saves approximately £14,000 per year at current commercial electricity rates (Carbon Trust, 2023).
LED high bays also respond instantly. There is no warm-up time, so they can be integrated with PIR occupancy sensors and daylight harvesting controls without the lamp degradation that made these controls impractical with metal halide. A sensored system in a part-occupied warehouse typically adds a further 20% to 30% saving on top of the base LED saving.
Types of Industrial Lighting We Install
Linear LED High Bays
Ideal for racking aisles and conveyor lines where a long, narrow light distribution matches the geometry of the space. We specify 1200mm and 1500mm linear high bays with asymmetric optics to push light down the aisle rather than wasting it against the rack faces.
UFO LED High Bays
The round UFO profile suits open production floors, loading bays and areas where forklifts or vehicles operate. Wide-beam optics spread light evenly across a large radius from a single mounting point.
LED Floodlights for Yard and External Areas
We also cover external loading yards, car parks and secure perimeter areas with LED floodlights on motion-sensor controls. These replace old sodium or halogen floods with fittings that are cheaper to run, last longer and deliver better colour rendering for CCTV camera performance.
Our Warehouse Lighting Installation Process
After the free site survey, we produce a written proposal including a DIALux lux plot, a product schedule and a projected ROI calculation. On agreement, we programme the installation around your operating hours. Our teams work nights and weekends to avoid disrupting warehouse operations. Old fittings are removed and disposed of responsibly; metal halide lamps are handled as hazardous waste.
On completion you receive an Electrical Installation Certificate confirming compliance with BS 7671, plus a completed maintenance record for your health and safety file.
Frequently Asked Questions
What lux level do I need in my London warehouse?
For general storage areas, CIBSE recommends a minimum maintained illuminance of 100 lux. Order picking and inspection areas should achieve 300 lux, and fine assembly or quality control zones should reach 500 lux or above. Our free site survey will measure your current levels and confirm the specification needed.
Can you install lighting while the warehouse is operating?
Yes. We programme all installations to minimise operational disruption. For active warehouses we typically work in sections overnight or at weekends, keeping the majority of the floor operational throughout the project.
How long do LED high bay fittings last?
Commercial-grade LED high bays are rated at between 50,000 and 60,000 hours. In a warehouse running 16 hours a day, that is over eight years of continuous operation before the first lamp replacement.
Do occupancy sensors work with LED high bays?
Yes. Unlike metal halide fittings, LED high bays reach full output instantly, so they are fully compatible with PIR occupancy sensors and DALI dimming controls. Adding sensors to a warehoused LED system typically reduces energy consumption by a further 20% to 30%.
Are you able to work on food-safe or temperature-controlled premises?
Yes. We specify IP65-rated and food-safe LED fittings suitable for chilled, frozen and wash-down environments. All fittings for food production or cold store use carry the appropriate IP and impact ratings.