Getting Started with LED Indoor Lighting

LED indoor lights have long been a favorite because they require small lights in hard to reach spaces not necessarily suited to larger, more conventional lighting solutions like compact fluorescent or incandescent bulbs. What they have not been used for in the past is larger applications like ceiling or wall mounted area lighting. For a while LEDs were not quite powerful enough, or not cost effective, in comparison to conventional solutions, when it came to illuminating the entire room as desired. This is all changing. LEDs are fast becoming the go-to solution for both indoor and outdoor lighting requirements in residential and commercial properties alike. They provide an equal or better comprehensive solution in just about every lighting application you can think of. Here’s how they’re making an impact on the inside of your facility:

LED Ceiling Lighting: Rome's Pantheon: Natural Interior Light In Architecture Many if not most lights in a home or office setting are ceiling mounted lights. Ceiling lights are used for general illumination and are typically seen in foyers and hallways with lower ceilings. One of the advantages of LEDs is that they naturally emit light directionally (for only 180 degrees). All other types of lighting ( fluorescent , incandescent , high-intensity discharge , etc.) emit light omnidirectionally (360 degrees around the bulb). Omnidirectional lights require the use of reflectors and/or housing to redirect their light to the desired place: the room itself (not the ceiling). LEDs do not have this problem. As you might imagine, reflecting light is an imperfect science and there are losses in trying to do so. That means that all other things being equal, a directional light (like an LED) is likely to be more efficient than an omnidirectional light (like a CFL ) .

Recessed Lighting: Recessed lighting or “flush-mounted” lighting is a common type of interior light that is typically hung from a residential or commercial ceiling such that the bottom of the light is flush with the ceiling or fixture. These lights are often used to illuminate large spaces with open floor plans and may require the use of an extended pole with a “light changer head” in order to replace. In a warehouse it is more typical to utilize recessed troffers than to simply insert bulbs into the ceiling. Among the many relevant advantages of LED lighting when it comes to recessed lighting is the long lifespan of the lights themselves. Many new LEDs last more than 100,000 operating hours (two to four times as long as the best CFL bulbs and 100 times as long as a conventional incandescent bulb). This means you’ll spend less money buying replacement bulbs and less time changing them out (or staring at a burnt out bulb for months while you consider whether or not to change it).

Planning Your Recessed Lighting or Recessed Troffer:

Recessed Troffers:

Image From Bees Lighting

Troffers are typically constructed of metal, are about 12”-24” in width, and range in length from 24”-96” (2’-8’). They can be used in conjunction with different bulbs and are visually consistent with the linear fluorescent tubes for which they were first designed. Nowadays, however, recessed troffers are readily available with improved lighting technologies like LED lights. LEDs can be incorporated in many currently installed troffers or they can be purchased in conjunction with the LED lights themselves.

Recessed Lights: There are three major types of recessed light: “A,” “R,” and “PAR.” “A” bulbs provide a wide distribution of light while “R” and “PAR” lights focus light in a more concentrated fashion. A good rule of thumb says that for the average general service (“A”) light (providing around 20 foot-candles of light), the area on the ground illuminated is equal to the height of the ceiling in which it is mounted. This means that a recessed light hung from a 10’ ceiling will illuminate an area on the ground measuring 10’x10’ (100ft ) and directly centered on the light above. Spacing lights 8’-10’ apart will provide good, even lighting throughout the room while increasing the spacing to 12’-14’ between lights will provide a generally softer light. It is also generally recommended to keep recessed lights at least 3’-6’ away from any wall depending on the height of the room (higher ceilings necessitate more spacing from the wall).

LED Hanging Lighting: Hanging lights include direct/indirect fixtures, fan lighting, highbay lighting, and pendant lights suspended from the ceiling by a chain or a wire. This type of lighting is most often seen in dining rooms, living spaces, at bars, and above entrances. One of the major advantages when it comes to LEDs for these types of applications is their small size. Small size makes LEDs extremely flexible and adaptable to new design aesthetics and creative lighting solutions in general. As you might imagine, this is an important thing for lights like chandeliers. LEDs really have no limitation when it comes to size as many of the wafers (the part that emits light) measure less than a millimeter in length. Another advantage of LEDs is that they emit almost all of their energy as light. Traditional solutions like halogen or incandescent lights emit up to 90% of the energy they consume as heat. This is both a safety hazard (as it has much higher potential to start fires) and also a huge waste of energy.

Planning For Your Highbay Lighting: Highbay lights are often used in commercial properties, retail spaces, schools and universities, gymnasium and sports facilities, and industrial warehouses. They are available using modern LED lights which improves upon metal halide lights in a number of ways (to include instantaneous switching on and off, better energy efficiency, and longer bulb lifespan). The major considerations for a space using highbay lighting are the number of fixtures, the size and lighting output of the fixtures relative to the size of the room, and the height at which they are being suspended above the ground.

LED Wall Lighting: For reasons similar to those mentioned in the section on hanging lighting, LEDs are adaptable to many different designs when it comes to wall mounted lighting and the use of sconces to showcase the light.

LED Accent Lighting: As mentioned above, one of the major advantages of LED lights is their small size. This means they can be used just about everywhere; definitely a useful characteristic when it comes to accent lighting. A second advantage is their high energy efficiency . LEDs burn less than 60-75% of the energy of conventional lights which means that you can use a large number of them without breaking the bank to showcase certain features of a room or to provide functional lighting in a small space that might otherwise have poor options for illumination.

LED Task Lighting: LED strip lights and point lights are particularly advantageous when it comes to lighting used to discretely highlight different aspects of a room or for use in a particular task. Cabinet lighting (both internal to the cabinet and underneath cabinets to illuminate a walkway) is one of these applications. Others might include lighting to illuminate the range or other kitchen appliances.

Planning For Accent Lighting: Generally speaking, focused lights like “PAR” rated bulbs are a good choice for accent lighting. Typically one light is used per item being highlighted. Hanging the light roughly 5’ above the item being illuminated and 3’ away from the wall will give you an ideal angle to shine the light (around 30 degrees).

LED Utility Lighting: LEDs are very useful for illuminating electrical outlets, exit signs, and for various purposes in different mechanical equipment.

Because of their many advantages, LED lights are fast becoming the choice for indoor lighting across the entire spectrum of lighting requirements. If you need help doing an LED conversion or indoor lighting retrofit please reach out to Stouch Lighting .

Related Articles