The 11 Most Efficient LED High Bay Lighting Fixtures
July 28, 2021
A listing of high-performing LED high bay lights.
Ranked by Lumens per Watt.
High efficacy isn't the only factor one should consider when selecting a high bay, but it certainly is an important part of the decision process.
LED technology and fixtures are in a mode of continuous performance improvement. The bar continues to rise on the performance of LED packages, drivers and fixtures. As a result of these perpetual improvements, we decided to crunch some data in a valiant quest to discover the lighting industry's most efficacious LED high bay fixtures.
Simply stated, Luminous Efficacy is the ratio of light output and power measured in Lumens per Watt (lm/W).
Efficacy is certainly an important consideration when selecting fixtures of nearly any type. But it should not be the sole consideration. Just like price, aesthetics, installation-ease, quality, warranty, manufacturer reputation and other factors are not typically the sole reason to decide on a fixture, efficacy is simply one measure of many when lighting decision makers evaluate their options. The decision makers determine how much importance and weight to apply to the efficacy factor in comparison to the other important considerations.
It should also be noted that there are often trade-offs to achieving high efficacy. Light distribution, glare, diode image, visual comfort and other factors may be negatively affected in fixtures with ultra-high efficacy. The best manufacturers have found effective ways to maximize efficacy while minimizing the impact of those potentially negative drawbacks. By nature, high bay fixtures are often mounted at 15' - 40' heights, so negative side effects that reduce visual comfort are usually acccepted and tolerated.
All information was pulled from the DesignLights Consortium Qualified Products list in July 2021.
Category 1: 400W metal halide replacements
19,000 - 40,000 lumens
Orion Energy Systems ISON™
209.8 lm/W
The ISON HBIF3 is an industry leader in meeting high bay and low bay illumination requirements for industrial, warehouse, manufacturing, commercial, wholesale, and retail applications.
Listed model: HBIF3C1OAUNVNDXX750NL
Metalux OHB
202.6 lm/W
OHB (Optimized High Bay) LED High Bay luminaires are designed for a wide variety of applications and mounting heights while delivering a value proposition of industry leading performance and reliability to customers.
Listed model: OHB-18HE-NL-[xx]-L750
(Cooper Lighting Solutions)
Power Q
202 lm/W
Ultra-high efficiency. Big rebates save more through utility rebates. All models are DLC Premium listed. 10 hours daily use and rated to last 27 years, dramatically reducing maintenance and relamping costs.
Listed model: PQ-HBLS2-051K-130W-UNIV
NaturaLED® MillWright
201.2 lm/W
The naturaLED® Industrial Round High Bay offers the perfect solution for your lighting needs for your industrial application. The design optimizes all the beneficial characteristics of LED lights in a high-performance fixture that will endure toughest environments.
Listed model: FX23HBR200/110/840/IP66
(Plusrite)
Lithonia Lighting IBG
200.8 lm/W
The versatile I-BEAM® IBG LED high bay boasts a single base platform design with a wide selection of options, taking IBG from basic applications to complex environments, including unconditioned spaces.
Listed model: IBG 24000LM HEF L/LENS GND [XX] 40K 70CRI ROTO
(Acuity Brands)
Orion Energy Systems HARRIS
195.4 lm/W
The HARRIS HHSL1 is an innovative high bay for new construction or retrofit. The low profile design offers energy savings, low maintenance, and control options for low or high bay settings in industrial, commercial, and retail applications.
Listed model: HHSL1E1HEUNVFD850XX
Big Ass Fans - Double LED Bay Light
187.9 lm/W
With twice the light output as its smaller twin, Double LED Bay Light transforms dark, dreary facilities into inviting and invigorating spaces fit for high-quality work and guest enjoyment.
Listed model: BAF-DBL1-24040200[10,P0][01,04,10]
EnviroLite - HBR
186.8 lm/W
EnviroLite LED high bay lights are the perfect solution for commercial lighting needs in garages, warehouses, gyms, manufacturing space, and large retail spaces.
Listed model: HBR22DMDP50
(Cordelia Lighting)
Holophane Phuzion™
185.1 lm/W
The Phuzion® PHG LED high bay will elevate your outdated HID or fluorescent lighting to create an environment that is comfortably lit, protected from contaminants, and is virtually maintenance-free.
Listed model: PHG 30000LM HEF MALR 50K 80CRI
(Acuity Brands)
Horizon LED 1st Star 190 Series
185.0 lm/W
The 1st Star 190 line of high bays is available in various wattages and has a high-grade aluminum heat sink. The driver is designed for input voltage from 100v to 277v.
Listed model: LED-HB-UFO150-SV/5000-MV-1ST STAR-190-
LSI Lighting Alliance High Bay
185.0 lm/W
The Alliance indoor LED high bay is designed to provide flexibility on any project. For use with applications ranging from school gymnasiums to industrial facilities, a variety of distribution patterns & lenses, and flexible control options.
Listed model: ALI4 LEDHE 30L LL W
Category 2: Ultra-high lumen output
Greater than 40,000 lumens
Metalux OHB
207.0 lm/W
OHB LED High Bay luminaires are designed for a wide variety of applications and mounting heights while delivering a value proposition of industry leading performance and reliability to customers.
Listed model: OHB-48HE-MCL-[XX]-L750
(Cooper Lighting Solutions)
53,205 lumens
Orion Energy Systems HARRIS
189.9 lm/W
The HARRIS HHSL1 is an innovative high bay for new construction or retrofit. The low profile design offers energy savings, low maintenance, and control options for low or high bay settings in industrial, commercial, and retail applications.
Listed model: HHSL1G1HE[347,480]FD850-
40,620 lumens
Lithonia Lighting IBG
187.1 lm/W
The versatile I-BEAM® IBG LED high bay boasts a single base platform design with a wide selection of options, taking IBG from basic applications to complex environments, including unconditioned spaces.
Listed model: IBG 48000LM HEF L/LENS WD XX 40K 70CRI
(Acuity Brands)
49,892 lumens
Related Report:
Methodology
There is probably over a dozen different satisfying ways that we could have sliced and diced the data to come up with this list. We chose to keep the list relatively short and decided upon the following methods that we believe provide a useful snapshot for lighting professionals. Since all of the source information is publicly available for download, interested parties who want to do research beyond our list, can do so by visiting the DOE and DLC websites.
Source:
Information was downloaded on July 24, 2021 from the DesignLights Consortium Qualified Products List. If you have issues with the specifications that we cite on inside.lighting, please know that we pulled the data directly from the DLC website.
Information was gathered using the Reported Efficacy and Reported CCT of each fixture. Initially, we wanted to report only on fixtures that were actually tested by DLC, but doing so eliminated a large quantity of highly efficient fixtures from many reputable manufacturers.
Fixtures:
- Fixtures are full, complete LED high bays; not retrofit kits.
- The fixtures must also be commercially available. (i.e. If a fixture was not cited on the manufacturer's website, we would exclude it.)
Color Rendering Index:
All fixtures must be greater than 70 CRI.
Color Temperature:
All fixtures must be less than 5250K.
Important Product Specs Not Considered:
- Total harmonic distortion may be >10% in some cases
- Inrush current protection is an important consideration for most commercial/industrial fixtures, especially high bay lighting. This factor was not considered in preparation of this list.
Manufacturers:
Since inside.lighting primarily serves lighting professionals in the U.S. and Canada, we thought it would be prudent to list manufacturers that meet at least one of the following criteria:
- Manufacturer has a U.S. or Canadian office.
- Manufacturer's website cites U.S. or Canadian lighting agent partners
- Manufacturer's website cites U.S. or Canadian distributors or dealers.
- A Google search for the manufacturer name and "representative" returns one or more top 20 results with North American agents that represent the product.
- A Google search for the manufacturer name and "distributor" returns one or more top 20 results with North American electrical distributors that sell the product.
Undoubtedly there are high-performing products from off-shore companies that possibly meet this eligible manufacturer criteria. North American OEMs likely sell them under different brand names.
