A Guide to Commercial LED Lighting

The main product types

LED strip lights and linear LED — the most versatile product in the commercial range. Used for cove lighting, perimeter coves in hospitality, under-shelf retail display, mirror surrounds in hotel bathrooms, plinth lighting, and joinery integration. 24V strip is standard for commercial use — more efficient over longer distances and easier to manage within DALI or 0-10V control systems.

LED profiles and channels — in commercial settings, bare strip is rarely used alone. Profiles protect the strip, dissipate heat, and control light output through the diffuser. Surface, recessed, and plaster-in profiles are available for different architectural applications.

LED panel lights — for office and commercial environments with grid ceilings. Replace fluorescent troffers at typically 40 to 60% of the energy consumption. A 600×600mm 36W panel typically delivers 3,600 to 4,000 lumens.

LED downlights — used for general ambient and accent lighting in offices, retail and hospitality. Fire-rated downlights are required where a fire compartment boundary passes through the ceiling void.

Exterior and IP-rated LED — facade lighting, car parks, covered walkways and landscape features require IP-rated fittings. IP65 minimum for most exterior strip applications; IP67 or IP68 where immersion is possible.

Lux levels for commercial spaces

Lux is a measure of illuminance — how much light falls on a surface. The following are CIBSE-referenced maintained average illuminance values:

• Office general lighting: 300–500 lux at desk height
• Retail general: 500–750 lux; up to 1,000 lux in fashion retail
• Retail accent and display: 1,000–3,000 lux on product
• Restaurant dining: 100–200 lux ambient; 300+ lux at service areas
• Hotel corridors: 100–150 lux; bedrooms 100–300 lux
• Warehouse aisles: 100–200 lux; picking stations 200–300 lux
• Manufacturing and precision work: 500–750 lux

Control systems for commercial LED

On/off switching — appropriate for storage, plant rooms, and simple single-zone spaces.

0-10V dimming — a low-voltage analogue signal controls the driver output. Straightforward to install and compatible with most commercial drivers. All drivers wired to the same signal are controlled simultaneously — no individual addressing.

DALI (Digital Addressable Lighting Interface) — the industry standard for intelligent commercial lighting control. Each DALI driver has a unique address on the bus, allowing individual commands. Supports occupancy sensing, daylight harvesting, emergency lighting monitoring and BMS integration.

Casambi and Bluetooth mesh — wireless system, no bus wiring required. Good for retrofit projects where running DALI bus cable is impractical.

Energy savings and the financial case

A T8 fluorescent tube typically consumes 36W including its control gear. An equivalent LED tube uses around 15W. An LED panel replacing a four-tube 144W fluorescent fitting uses 36W.

Maintenance savings add to this. A quality LED fitting has a rated lifespan of 50,000 hours or more — compared to 10,000 to 15,000 hours for a T8 tube. In a commercial building with high ceilings where access requires scaffolding, the reduction in maintenance visits is a significant additional saving.

What to look for in a commercial LED supplier

• Product data sheets with photometric data (IES or LDT files) for lighting calculation software
• Lumen maintenance data — L70 or L80 figures at 50,000 hours to verify claimed lifespan
• DALI compliance certification for any dimmable drivers specified
• IP rating certification with test standards cited (IEC 60529)
• A warranty of 7 years on the full fitting, not just the lamp
• A track record of supplying commercial projects at similar scale