Shop Lighting?

[BDaugherty]

I've just finished building a 50x50 shop for my business. It's a "red iron" freespan building with 16' walls and a 1-12 roof pitch. I used faced fiberglass metal building insulation and did not install any skylites.
The next step in the process is to install the lighting. I'm leaning toward T5 4 bulb fixtures in the ceiling and a row of single T5's 8' above the floor along each side. I've been trying to compare T5's with T8's and other types of lighting. Does anyone have any recent experience or good input? This building will be used 5 days a week, year round...for the most part. There are always "off days" and days we work in the field.

 

[Wertles]

I looked into both while building my shop. I couldn't justify the cost difference between the two so I am going with the T-8 but my shop isn't used every day all day. I figured I could add a few more T-8's to get the lumens needed and still be under budget of the T-5's. I went to the lighting store and they had a computer that would lay out your shop and tell you how many lights and where to put them for appropriate light for your exact application.

 

[ScottLewis]

Some years back I built a 30'X40' X12' shop. I installed a half dozen exterior 500 watt halogen light and found they gave me pretty good illumination. I did have a few skylights though.

 

[Hoefler]

The T5's have tremendous light output for sure. They are about 2 times the price of the T8 fixtures. My shop is a 40' x 60', with a 20'x 40' work shop inside. In the 40'x40' area, I installed 2 rows of 3 8' T8 fixtures. My walls are 14' with a 3/12 vaulted ceiling, the lights are approximately 17' off the floor. I have exceptional light in the big bay to do whatever I need to do. In the workshop, I have a 9' ceiling in a 20' x 30' work area, I have 7 8' T8 fixtures in a horseshoe, I have a horse shoe workbench on one end that the lights are over. With the walls painted white, I never get a shadow.

 

[p-Bar]

I used the metal halides as you see in warehouses and home depots run them on a 220 circuit not to much current draw . My shop is 30 x 40 used 5

 

[BDaugherty]

I've also been looking into T8's with high frequency electronic ballasts.

 

[Bill Stockard]

I have a 50'x 60' open span insulated metal building with 16' walls and about 25' at the peak. There is a 12'x 40'x 8' enclosed office on one side fully decked on top for storage. The insulation backing is white and there is white metal 8' high on the inside around the outside walls. I have three insulated roof skylights along opposite side from the office and six T-5 four bulb fixtures over the open section mounted on the roof purlins halfway between the walls and the roof peak. I have a separately switched fluorescent two-bulb reflector fixture suspended at 8' above my main work bench. It's very bright inside day or night and I'm very pleased with the results. I don't usually run the overhead lights during the day except when it's overcast, raining, and/or cold and I must keep the doors closed.

Bill

 

[Sled Dog]

I've just finished building a 50x50 shop for my business. It's a "red iron" freespan building with 16' walls and a 1-12 roof pitch. I used faced fiberglass metal building insulation and did not install any skylites.
The next step in the process is to install the lighting. I'm leaning toward T5 4 bulb fixtures in the ceiling and a row of single T5's 8' above the floor along each side. I've been trying to compare T5's with T8's and other types of lighting. Does anyone have any recent experience or good input? This building will be used 5 days a week, year round...for the most part. There are always "off days" and days we work in the field.

If you have 3 phase power I could make you a Sweet deal:--) on some High Bay's-metal halide ( like in home depot/lowes)