We levelled up a Worcester factory with bespoke high bay LED lighting.
Recently, we were instructed to undergo an upgrade of the lighting system of an industrial factory in the Worcester U.K. area.
Here is a before photo:
The original lighting in the property was very dim, poorly set out and the wiring had failed the electrical test where it was considered to be dangerous.
The client contacted us because they know we have vast experience with high Bay LED lighting where they are hard to reach, so access equipment would be required.
Firstly, we set up a meeting with the client on site to go through exactly what their needs and requirements are. How many lights they would like, what areas need to be lit up more than others, do they require emergency lighting for escape routes?
After this, we can advise and design a lighting system for them that works perfectly for the business and their employees.
Once everything had been confirmed, we gather all the relevant information and put a quote together. The client is over the moon with our quote because we are very reasonable and we’re not in the business of ripping people off. Once a date is confirmed can we order all the materials, order the cherry picker to be delivered to site and we’re ready to go.
The light fittings that we chose for this unit were a 200watt LED High Bay light fitting with a five-year high-performance warranty. We also included 4 emergency fittings that were compatible with the main lights, where if there was a power failure than these lights would stay on for a minimum of 3 hours so emergency service services and employees can navigate their way through the building safely.
What things are taken into account when making a lighting plan?
When designing the lighting plan and deciding how many light fittings we should put on each switch there are a number of things that we have to take into account.
- The length of the run what size cable should we be using?
Normal lighting circuits are normally wired in 1.5 mm cable, but because this factory is 100m long we had to upgrade that to 2.5 mm cable.
- We have to take into account the high current start-up of these light fittings.
For example if we have 10x 200Watt on one switch that’s 2000watts in total of running amps. We then take 2000 and divide it by the voltage 240v and we get 8.3 which would be 8.3amps.
Now 8.3amps on a normal lighting circuit is fine for a 10a trip switch, but these lights have a larger start up current through the LED drivers. The start up is much greater than the 10amps on the trip switch, if only for a split second. Meaning every time these lights are turned on they will trip the circuit breaker.
One way to ensure this doesn’t happen is to reduce the amount of lights per circuit and install type C breakers that don’t trip as easily.
What kind of lighting set up can be used for industrial factories?
On this specific job we reduced the lights on each circuit to 7, 7, 6, giving enough room for that start up current. Also we installed type C RCBOs as per regulations and to give even less of a risk to nuisance tripping.
Then it’s onto the wring, we needed something that’s rated highly and with the protection required, so we opted for NYY cable.
Every light and all cables were to be installed over head, so we needed to install metal fixings throughout the entirety of the cable runs. This prevents the cables from being subjected to premature collapse in the case of a fire.
With everything complete and working, it’s just time for the testing.
End of line zs, measuring the earth cable resistance of how quickly a fault will go down the protective earth cable.
RCD, how quickly the trip switches turn off in the events of a fault.
Insulation resistance, to make sure the cable isn’t damaged during manufacturing or installation.
R1 + R2, making sure the connections are electrically sound and the polarity of the cable / circuit is consistent.
Perfect, everything is complete. We are happy the client is happy what more could we ask for.
We go through everything with the client, how to operate and test the emergency lighting etc.
Warranty of the products, where the trio switches are and we answer any questions.
We tidy up and leave the site knowing those lights are exactly what the customer wanted and it’s another successful installation by our team.
As NICEIC approved electricians with IPAF certification and many 5 star Google reviews, we believe our work speaks for itself.
Frequently Asked Questions
What warranty do the lighting fittings come with?
The 200W LED High Bay fittings we install come with a 5 year manufacturer's warranty.
When will we receive the electrical test sheets?
We provide all electrical test certificates within five working days of completing the installation so you have everything you need for your records.
When can we complete the next phase of work?
Whenever you're ready. Many businesses upgrade their premises in stages, and we're happy to return when it suits your programme.
Do you provide quotations for commercial lighting?
Yes. Every project is different, so we provide bespoke quotations after carrying out a site visit. That allows us to recommend the most suitable lighting system for your building.
If you’re ready to take the next step and upgrade you’re commercial or industrial unit lighting please feel free to contact us on
0121 517 1097 or fill in the form on our website.
Thanks for your time.
The team.
