HIGH-BAY FLUORESCENT SALES ARE LIGHTING UP!

In the past few years the adoption of high-bay fluorescent fixtures in industrial settings has been on the rise. According to TED magazine, this trend will continue to accelerate. As a weighted average, manufacturer respondents said that between 2000 and 2005, fluorescent high-bay fixtures rose from 8% to 24% of their industrial lighting fixture sales, which are predicted to increase to 36% by 2010.

In the past, high-intensity discharge (HID) light sources dominated the market for lighting indoor spaces with high ceilings, such as warehouses, factories, large retail stores, and athletic facilities. Although there are several different types of HID lamps, the most popular types for indoor applications have been metal halide and high pressure sodium lamps. Of these two types, metal halides – with their high-quality light, high efficacy, and wide range of sizes – are more versatile.

The characteristics of standard fluorescent lamps and fixtures have made them a great choice for commercial, institutional and industrial lighting applications with ceilings 15 feet high or less. In recent years, the emergence of more intense and energy efficient fluorescent lamps along with specially designed reflecting fixtures has enabled fluorescent systems to break through the ceiling-height barrier and compete directly with HID lamps in indoor applications. The improvements and developments to the fluorescent lamps and high-bay fluorescent fixtures have given them an advantage over the HID counterparts.

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