What Makes it a 'Highbay'?
The term 'highbay' refers to the mounting height - specifically ceilings above 6 metres. At these heights, the light source must project a concentrated beam downward to achieve adequate lux levels at the working floor. A standard 100W LED highbay light mounted at 8m height produces approximately 150–200 lux at floor level. A regular flood light at the same height would spread light in all directions, wasting most of it on walls and causing glare without adequate floor illuminance.
Where Are Highbay Lights Used?
Manufacturing plants and assembly lines (ceiling 8–12m). Warehouses and distribution centres (ceiling 6–15m). Automobile showrooms and service garages (ceiling 5–8m). Steel fabrication and heavy industry (ceiling 10–20m - use high mast for very tall structures). Cold storage facilities (ceiling 6–10m). Sports halls and indoor stadiums (ceiling 8–15m). Large retail stores and hypermarkets (ceiling 5–7m - use lowbay for below 6m). Agricultural poly-houses and large shed farms.
Highbay vs Lowbay - Which Do You Need?
Lowbay lights (for 3–6m ceiling): these are essentially downlighters or panel lights with wide beam angles. Highbay lights (for 6–15m ceiling): use narrower beam angles (60°–90°) to concentrate light downward. For very high ceilings above 15m (like ship-building sheds or aircraft hangars): use super-highbay lights of 300–500W with 30°–60° beam angle. Xera Tech manufactures both highbay and lowbay variants across 50W to 300W.
Wattage Selection for Industrial Spaces
6–8m ceiling height: 100–150W highbay at 6m spacing for 200 lux (general industry). 8–10m ceiling height: 150–200W at 6–7m spacing for 200 lux. 10–12m ceiling height: 200–250W at 6m spacing for 200 lux. 12–15m ceiling height: 250–300W at 5–6m spacing. For precision work areas (quality control, assembly): add 50% more fixtures or use direct task lighting in addition to ambient highbay.
