Warehouse LED Lighting Upgrade Rendlesham, Suffolk | Oxbow Electrical

LED Warehouse & Cold Store Lighting Upgrade – Rendlesham, Suffolk
Oxbow Electrical recently completed a major LED lighting upgrade for agricultural warehouses and cold stores in Rendlesham, near Woodbridge, Suffolk.
The client, a vegetable grower, storer and processor, wanted to replace an ageing lighting installation with a more energy-efficient and reliable system. However, reducing energy consumption was only part of the brief.
The storage buildings are used differently throughout the year. At times they are empty, while during the harvest and storage season they can be filled with rows of vegetable storage boxes. The lighting therefore needed to adapt to the changing use of the buildings while continuing to provide suitable illumination for staff, vehicle movements and general operations.
Oxbow Electrical designed and installed a flexible LED lighting system incorporating individually controlled high-bay lighting, microwave sensors, dimming, emergency lighting and upgraded pedestrian and external lighting across the site.
The Challenge: Lighting That Adapts to a Working Agricultural Store
The project covered multiple storage sheds with a combined area of approximately 2,800–3,000m².
The existing installation included 250W metal halide and sodium high-bay fittings, together with fluorescent lighting within gangways and other areas of the buildings.
As well as their relatively high energy consumption, deterioration of the older fittings had increasingly become a source of lighting faults and maintenance requirements.
Simply replacing the existing fittings with LED equivalents would have improved efficiency, but it would not have taken full advantage of the way the buildings are actually used.
When the stores are full, vegetable storage boxes form rows throughout the sheds. Lighting areas which are inaccessible or not being used would unnecessarily consume energy.
Our solution was therefore designed around how the client uses the buildings, rather than simply replacing one type of light fitting with another.
LED High-Bay Lighting with Individual Microwave Controls
We installed 40 new 150W LED high-bay fittings to replace the existing 250W high-bay lighting.
Each high-bay is equipped with its own microwave sensor, allowing the lighting to respond individually to movement within its area rather than switching large sections of the warehouse unnecessarily.
This becomes particularly beneficial once the stores are filled.
As rows are filled with vegetable storage boxes, the individual sensors serving those areas are effectively screened from movement. Lighting within inaccessible rows therefore no longer activates unnecessarily, while lighting remains available within the routes and working areas that continue to be used.
The result is a lighting installation that naturally adapts as the layout of the warehouse changes.
More Than Simple On/Off Control
The high-bay lighting has also been configured with different operating times and settings depending on how particular areas of the building are used.
Higher-traffic areas without storage boxes can remain illuminated for longer periods, while other areas can respond differently to suit their use.
Rather than simply switching off immediately, the high-bay fittings can also dim to a predetermined output, helping maintain useful background illumination while further reducing unnecessary energy consumption.
Each sensor can be individually adjusted using a remote control, giving the installation additional flexibility should the client's requirements change in the future.
The automatic controls can also be overridden when required. This was particularly important for the client because the lighting can be operated continuously when required for activities such as potato chitting.
The finished system therefore provides the client with a balance between automatic energy-saving controls and manual operational flexibility.
Reducing Lighting Energy Consumption
Replacing the existing 250W high-bay fittings with 150W LED alternatives represents a 40% reduction in the connected load of the high-bay lighting alone.
However, the potential energy saving goes considerably further than the reduction in fitting wattage.
Individual microwave occupancy detection, adjustable operating times and dimming mean that lighting does not need to operate at full output throughout an entire storage building simply because one area is occupied.
This is particularly valuable in large agricultural stores, where operating patterns and storage layouts can vary significantly throughout the year.
Rather than making an assumed claim about annual energy savings, the system has been designed to minimise unnecessary lighting use whenever the operation of the site allows it.
Emergency, Gangway and Pedestrian Lighting Upgrades
The project extended beyond the main warehouse high-bay lighting.
We installed approximately 30 emergency bulkhead fittings, together with new emergency supplies and additional emergency lighting where required.
Emergency lighting to pedestrian routes was also upgraded, incorporating both new and replacement fittings to improve coverage of the routes used by staff around the storage buildings.
Existing fluorescent fittings within gangways and walkways were replaced and supplemented with new 5ft LED lighting, improving general illumination within these areas.
External lighting was also upgraded with new and replacement LED floodlighting to provide suitable illumination around the buildings and working areas.
The result is a more comprehensive lighting installation covering the main storage areas, pedestrian routes, gangways and external areas rather than concentrating solely on the warehouse high bays.
Designed for an Agricultural Environment
Agricultural electrical installations require additional consideration because of the conditions in which electrical equipment is expected to operate.
As part of the project, we assessed and modified the existing electrical installation and installed new supplies where required. This included providing the necessary RCD protection appropriate to the agricultural location.
Oxbow Electrical carried out the lighting design for the project, including lighting calculations and assessment of the required lux levels, allowing the new lighting arrangement to be planned around the client's working environment rather than simply following the positions of the old fittings.
Following completion, the electrical work was inspected, tested and certified.
Installation Between Storage Seasons
Timing was an important part of the project.
We had a relatively small window in which to complete the work between the warehouses being emptied and the arrival of the new harvest for storage.
Working within the empty stores also provided the access needed to safely replace and install the high-level lighting before vegetable storage boxes once again occupied the buildings.
Our electricians used a scissor lift to access the high-bay lighting and other equipment at height. Oxbow Electrical's operatives are IPAF trained for the use of mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs), allowing the high-level installation work to be undertaken safely and efficiently.
Planning the works around the client's operational requirements allowed the lighting upgrade to be completed within the available window and ready for the next storage period.
Lower Maintenance and Improved Reliability
Energy efficiency was an important part of the project, but reliability was another significant consideration.
The condition of the existing high-bay fittings had deteriorated considerably and they had become responsible for a number of electrical faults.
Replacing the ageing metal halide and sodium lighting with modern LED fittings removes many of the components associated with traditional high-intensity discharge lighting while also reducing the need for routine lamp replacement.
For a large warehouse or cold store where fittings are installed at high level, reducing maintenance requirements is particularly valuable. Accessing a failed fitting can require specialist access equipment and may become considerably more difficult once a building is filled with stored produce.
The LED upgrade therefore provides benefits in energy consumption, lighting control, reliability and ongoing maintenance.
Commercial & Agricultural LED Lighting in Suffolk
This project demonstrates how a well-designed LED upgrade can provide significantly more than a simple reduction in wattage.
By combining efficient LED high-bay lighting with individual microwave controls, dimming, emergency lighting and a design tailored to the client's operation, we were able to create a lighting system that changes with the way the storage buildings are used.
Oxbow Electrical provides commercial and agricultural electrical services throughout Suffolk, including Woodbridge, Rendlesham, Framlingham, Saxmundham and the surrounding areas.
Our services include LED lighting upgrades, warehouse and industrial lighting, agricultural electrical installations, emergency lighting, lighting controls, electrical testing and the design and installation of new electrical systems.
If you are considering upgrading the lighting within a warehouse, cold store, agricultural building or commercial premises in Suffolk, Oxbow Electrical can assess the existing installation and design a solution around the way your premises are actually used.