Lighting control systems with sensors may reduce the on-time and energy consumption in warehouses significantly. Motion detection sensors switch on the light only when people or trucks are present. Dividing the hall into zones makes it possible to switch off or reduce lighting levels in parts of the building.
Indoor-outdoor transitions at vehicle entrances and exits represent an accident risk. Higher illuminance levels are needed, but it’s important to avoid exceedingly high luminance differences. A careful storage lighting design plan is critical to evening out the different lighting levels in the transition zone between lit and dark areas.
For high-bay storage facilities, a high vertical illuminance helps with reading labels on the stored goods and racks. Linear luminaires with narrow-beam reflectors can be mounted at heights of up to 15 m. Special high-bay reflector luminaires are an alternative for bays higher than 6 m. These narrow beam luminaires cast the light onto the aisles and shelf systems. For warehouses with lower ceiling heights and greater distances between aisles, wide-beam or asymmetrical-beam luminaires are preferred.
Lighting requirements in EN 12464-1
General areas inside buildings – Storage rack areas
| Type of task / activity area |
Lux-level (Em) |
Glare rating (UGRL) |
Uniformity (U0) |
Colour rendition (Ra) |
Em,z | Em,wall | Em,ceiling | Specific requirements |
|
| required | modified | U0 ≥ 0,10 | |||||||
| Unloading / loading area | 200 | 300 | 25 | 0,40 | 80 | 50 | 50 | 30 | |
| Packing / grouping area | 300 | 500 | 25 | 0,50 | 80 | 100 | 100 | 30 | |
| Configuration and re-handling | 750 | 1000 | 22 | 0,60 | 80 | 150 | 150 | 30 | |
| Open goods storage | 200 | 300 | 25 | 0,40 | 80 | 50 | 50 | 30 | |
| Rack storage - floor | 150 | 200 | 25 | 0,50 | 80 | - | - | 30 | Illuminance at floor level. UGRL only in the viewing direction of the luminaire. |
| Rack storage - rack face | 75 | 100 | - | 0,40 | 80 | - | - | - | On aisle rack face. Band of 1,0 m may be excluded from the perimeter. |
| Central logistics corridor (heavy traffic) | 300 | 500 | 25 | 0,60 | 80 | 100 | 100 | 30 | |
| Automated zones (unmanned) | 75 | 100 | 25 | 0,40 | 80 | - | - | - | |