What lighting for new shed???

Hi all,

Having a new shed built and would welcome some input on lighting.

Shed is 12m x 18m x 6.3m at gutter and 8m at top of roof. Down both sides of the shed from the gutter down 1500mm will be clear laserlite or similar which should provide a good deal of lighting. I can't have skylight panels in the roof due to noise control issues with the council ( don't ask!).

In my current leased shed which is a fair bit higher - around 10m, there are double flouros in each bay and each roof purlin but they don't seem to be very effective.

Does anyone have any suggestions on lighting for a large area like this? I have no experience with mercury vapour type lamps but would welcome any opinions on these regarding energy consumption and lighting capacity.

BTW, shed is used for boatbuilding so lighting needs to be good.

TIA

AD

My thinking is Northern Exposure and as large as possible. Then if you are working in the dark corner of the shop a half dozen or so Fluorescent fixtures each on their own switch. Use daylight when you can and Fluorescent only when you have to.

6.3m at the gutter and 8m at the peak would be ideal for highbay type lights. Either mercury vapour or high pressure sodium. Twin fluorescent fittings with tri-phosphor lamps over detail areas should fill any holes at night time.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by NCArcher

6.3m at the gutter and 8m at the peak would be ideal for highbay type lights. Either mercury vapour or high pressure sodium.

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Mercury vapour is far less efficient than high pressure sodium, and the light spectrum isn't as good. HPS isn't optimal either (if and when daylight is the yardstick), but at sufficient power levels (and HPS doesn't really come in low-powered flavours) there's plenty of lumens anyway. I'd definitely go with HPS.

AD,
if you go to an electrical wholesaler with a shed layout they or their suppliers should be able to work out a few different options for you. I did this for my shed, but actually got lucky and scored 4 metal halide lights and a stack of fluros for next to nothing, which turned out to be enough.

Mick

Go with metal halide, they lighting maintains a more constant Kelvin over a few years the HPS or MV. They are more expensive on the short term but about the same over the long term.

Also if you go with double ended MH bulbs you will produce more light per watt then with single ended AND you can also get bulbs with different Kelvin from a really bright blue too a very yellow buttery colour, plus sunlight and so forth.

Our new CFA shed extension is about the size of yours and we has three high-bay lights that light the entire shed perfectly. If you run similar, then suspend (or mount from brackets off the wall) double fluro's over specific work areas like benches, lathes, pedistal/bench grinders, etc.

Thanks for the replies people. I spoke to the lighting consultant and MH are the go with some decent flouros.

heres a couple of pics of the shed.

My builder did a no show on day one so I decided to get it up myself. It is an absolute quagmire but well worth the effort.

regards,

AD

It has been covered before.
Go here & have a read, also go here & look at all the other stuff in the Workshops section too.