What is best and relatively energy efficient?! I'm beginning the process of lighting my new barn and I know I do NOT want to go with hundreds of 4' fluorescent lights!! I always have lights out in my old barn and I'm sick of changing those damn worthless lights that don't put out squat for light. I hate those things!!
Otherwise, I've read that mercury vapor lights are on the out but there are still plenty of other selections. So far from what I've read I think I want to go with high bay metal halide lighting. Just for estimates, figure that I'm lighting an area that is 80X120 with 20' high ceilings. I'm told that the high pressure sodium (like I have in a dusk to dawn light) wouldn't be satisfactory because it puts out a yellowish color light. That seems to leave the metal halide lights, but unless I go with the far more expensive pulse start metal halide they take a few minutes to come up to working brightness. If that is the only drawback, I think that is the way I want to go.
It appears that the suggested size is a "medium" base 400 watt metal halide bulb. I've been told that they are "relatively efficient". I have to wonder "relative" to what?! I want decent light but I don't need to light a stadium nor want to pay $25 an hour to light my barn. Anybody have experience with this type of lighting? Bob, you light warehouses don't you? Is this what you use?
Otherwise, I've read that mercury vapor lights are on the out but there are still plenty of other selections. So far from what I've read I think I want to go with high bay metal halide lighting. Just for estimates, figure that I'm lighting an area that is 80X120 with 20' high ceilings. I'm told that the high pressure sodium (like I have in a dusk to dawn light) wouldn't be satisfactory because it puts out a yellowish color light. That seems to leave the metal halide lights, but unless I go with the far more expensive pulse start metal halide they take a few minutes to come up to working brightness. If that is the only drawback, I think that is the way I want to go.
It appears that the suggested size is a "medium" base 400 watt metal halide bulb. I've been told that they are "relatively efficient". I have to wonder "relative" to what?! I want decent light but I don't need to light a stadium nor want to pay $25 an hour to light my barn. Anybody have experience with this type of lighting? Bob, you light warehouses don't you? Is this what you use?