Industrial Electrical Services · Pillar Guide

Warehouse lighting that pays for itself.

LED high-bay retrofits, production floor lighting design, aisle-level occupancy controls — Title 24 compliant, PG&E-rebate optimized, designed for the lifetime of the facility.

Written bySteven Lockhart

Reviewed byAlex Towery · C-10 #989290

Updated: June 2026 · Read: 7 min

11 yrsMarin electrical work

C-10CSLB licensed contractor

1st passInspection rate

48 hrTypical estimate turnaround

Key Takeaways

LED high-bay retrofits typically deliver 50-65% energy reduction over metal-halide and T8 fluorescent high-bay systems.
Occupancy-based controls (motion-sensing dimming when zones are unoccupied) compound LED savings, often achieving 70-80% total energy reduction.
PG&E commercial lighting rebates typically cover 20-35% of qualifying industrial retrofit cost — paperwork-heavy but materially valuable.
High-bay LED quality of light dramatically exceeds metal-halide — CRI 80+ vs 65 for older HID, with instant-on (no warm-up).
Title 24 lighting power density limits apply to retrofits over a threshold scope — design for compliance from project start.

Towery Electric — Warehouse & Production Lighting.

01 — OverviewWhat Warehouse & Production Lighting actually covers in Marin.

Warehouse and production lighting represents one of the clearest energy ROI opportunities in industrial facilities. Older metal-halide and T8 fluorescent high-bay systems often consume 30-40% of total facility electricity, run inefficiently, deliver poor light quality, and require ongoing maintenance (ballast replacements, lamp changes via lift). LED high-bay retrofits attack all of these simultaneously: 50-65% energy reduction, near-zero maintenance for 8-12 years, instant-on operation, and CRI 80+ light quality.

Beyond the LED retrofit itself, the modern best practice adds occupancy-based controls and zone-based dimming. A warehouse with aisles that are unoccupied 60-70% of the operating day can save another 25-40% on top of LED savings by dimming unoccupied aisles to 10-30% rather than full output. This control layer adds modest cost ($0.40-$0.90/sq ft) and dramatically improves the payback math.

Definition

'Warehouse and production lighting' covers the high-bay LED fixtures, occupancy controls, dimming systems, and Title 24-compliant design for industrial illumination — distinct from office or retail lighting in scale, mounting height, and operational context.

LED high-bay selection

Modern industrial LED high-bays range 100-300W per fixture, deliver 130-170 lumens/watt efficacy, and replace older 400W metal-halide or T8 fluorescent fixtures one-for-one. Selection considers mounting height, ceiling reflectance, lumen target, and beam pattern.

Occupancy controls layer

Networked occupancy sensors mounted at fixtures enable aisle-by-aisle dimming based on motion. Modern systems use wireless mesh (BLE or proprietary RF) — lower install cost than wired control networks for retrofit applications.

For the broader context this guide supports, see our Industrial Electrical Services overview.

Explore the Full Guide

Warehouse and production lighting work organizes by scope and by control sophistication.

Three guides to read first

Cornerstone

LED High-Bay Retrofit Process

End-to-end retrofit process — fixture selection, lighting design, install scheduling, controls integration.

Explore the guide →

Economics

Warehouse LED ROI Analysis

Honest payback math — energy savings, rebates, maintenance avoidance, control benefits.

Explore → Controls

Occupancy-Based Aisle Lighting

How occupancy controls work in warehouses, what's possible with modern wireless systems, install considerations.

Explore →

Browse the Full Library

By facility type

Fixture types

Controls

Rebates & compliance

02LED retrofit economics — typical warehouse.

For a 25,000 sq ft Marin/Sonoma warehouse currently running 400W metal-halide high-bays at 12 hour operating day.

Energy savings

~58% reduction in lighting energy (400W MH → 165W LED per fixture). For typical warehouse with 30-40 fixtures: $12,000-$18,000/year in saved energy at current PG&E commercial rates.

Maintenance avoidance

MH lamps fail every 18-24 months requiring lift-truck access. LED life 50,000+ hours = 10+ years before replacement. Maintenance avoidance over 10 years: $8,000-$15,000.

PG&E rebate

Prescriptive rebate at $130-$250 per qualifying LED high-bay fixture. For 35-fixture warehouse: $4,500-$8,800 rebate. Custom rebates available for full-design retrofits with measurable performance improvements.

Payback timing

Combining energy + maintenance + rebate, typical warehouse LED retrofit payback is 22-36 months. Add occupancy controls and payback extends 6-9 months but lifetime savings are 30-40% higher.

03Why light quality matters in warehouses.

Light quality in warehouses isn't just aesthetic — it directly affects safety, productivity, and product handling accuracy. Metal-halide systems produce CRI 65 light (color accuracy is poor), have 5-15 minute warm-up periods after power interruption, dim over their 18-24 month life, and produce a yellowish-greenish cast that makes color-coded inventory difficult to identify. LED high-bay produces CRI 80-90 light, instant-on (no warm-up), maintains output over 10+ year life, and renders colors accurately.

The operational benefits compound: warehouse staff can read labels and color codes faster, safety inspections of equipment and merchandise become more reliable, picking error rates drop, and security camera footage quality improves dramatically. These benefits don't always show up in the ROI calculation but show up in operations. We typically include light-quality comparison samples during the design phase so the customer sees the difference before committing.

04Occupancy controls — when they pay back.

Adding occupancy-based controls to an LED retrofit adds $0.40-$0.90/sq ft of cost — meaningful but not extreme. The payback depends on operating pattern. For warehouses with continuous operation (3-shift facilities, 24/7 operation), occupancy controls deliver modest additional savings because most areas are occupied most of the time. For warehouses with intermittent operation (single shift, weekend-only operation, large warehouse with concentrated activity zones), occupancy controls can double the LED-alone savings.

Wireless control systems have dramatically improved the economics. Modern systems (Cooper Halo, Acuity nLight Air, Cree SmartCast) use BLE or proprietary RF for sensor-to-fixture communication, eliminating expensive control wiring runs. Install cost is now competitive even on retrofit applications where wired controls would have been cost-prohibitive. We size the controls system to the operational pattern — typical warehouse retrofit gets aisle-level occupancy with adjacent-aisle ramp control.

05PG&E rebate process — what's involved.

PG&E commercial/industrial lighting rebates can cover 20-35% of qualifying retrofit cost. Process is paperwork-heavy but materially valuable.

Pre-approval

For larger projects (over $10,000 in retrofit cost typically), pre-approval is recommended before purchase. Submit design with fixture specs, expected energy savings, and rebate calculation.

Installation documentation

Photos of old fixtures, new fixtures, installation locations. Final fixture count and specifications confirmed. Inspector visit verifies install matches application.

Rebate disbursement

After install verification, PG&E processes rebate as direct payment (60-90 days typical). Some rebates apply as utility bill credits depending on customer type.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a warehouse LED retrofit cost?

For typical Marin/Sonoma warehouse retrofits in 2026: $4-$8 per square foot installed for LED high-bay replacement (including fixtures, install labor, basic controls, permit, and inspection). Per-fixture cost runs $280-$520 installed including LED hardware. For a 25,000 sq ft warehouse with 35-40 fixtures, total project cost typically lands $100,000-$200,000 before rebates. PG&E rebates typically cover 20-35% of that. Adding occupancy controls layer adds $10,000-$22,500 for typical scope.

How long does a warehouse LED retrofit take?

For a typical 25,000 sq ft warehouse: 2-4 weeks of project calendar — 1 week of permit and material lead time, 4-7 working days of install (typically scheduled during off-shift or weekend to avoid operational disruption), 1 week for inspection and PG&E rebate documentation. Larger warehouses (75,000+ sq ft) scale proportionally. We work in zones — most warehouses can continue operating during retrofit with single-zone shutdowns at a time.

What's the difference between LED high-bay and LED linear?

LED high-bay fixtures are pendant-mounted at 15-30+ foot ceiling heights, optimized for downward illumination patterns at warehouse mounting heights. LED linear fixtures are 4-8 foot fluorescent-style fixtures, typically mounted at lower heights or in cleaner production environments. Most warehouses use high-bay; some production facilities with lower ceilings or cleaner aesthetics use linear. We design based on mounting height and operational requirements.

Will my fixtures still work if the power goes out?

For PG&E grid outages, LED fixtures shut off like all electrical equipment — they aren't UPS-protected unless explicitly designed to be. Emergency lighting (battery-powered fixtures with 90-minute backup) is required by code in certain areas (egress paths, exit doors) and operates during outages. For full backup lighting during outages, we install dedicated emergency lighting alongside main fixtures. The main warehouse lighting integrates with backup generator systems if the facility has them.

Does Title 24 apply to industrial lighting retrofits?

Yes for retrofits exceeding the threshold scope (typically 10% of the space's lighting power), and for any new construction. Compliance includes LPD (lighting power density) limits, mandatory controls, daylight harvesting where qualifying, and acceptance testing. Like-for-like lamp replacement (LED tubes in existing fluorescent fixtures) may be exempt; full fixture replacement triggers compliance. We design for compliance from project start; the design is part of the project.

Can you do a sample install before the full project?

Yes — for larger retrofits ($75K+), we typically install a small sample area (5-10 fixtures in a representative location) for the customer to evaluate light quality, controls behavior, and operational fit before committing to the full project. Sample install runs $4,800-$8,500 typically; cost is credited against the full project if the customer proceeds. Worth doing for any large retrofit where light-quality verification matters.

How We Reviewed This Page

Reviewed against current California Electrical Code (Title 24, Part 3) and 2023 NFPA 70 (NEC) provisions applicable to the topic.
Pricing ranges reflect actual 2026 Towery Electric quote data from Marin County jobs — not third-party industry averages.
Permit and inspection timing reflects current AHJ practice in Novato, San Rafael, Mill Valley, and unincorporated Marin County as of mid-2026.
Technical review by Alex Towery, founder and C-10 #989290 holder, with 11+ years of California electrical work.
All factual claims about code requirements were verified against primary sources (CSLB, CARB, PG&E, AHJ) at time of publication.

References

This guide reflects Towery Electric's professional standards as a California-licensed C-10 electrical contractor and is for general information. Site conditions, panel configurations, code amendments, and permit-authority requirements vary; final scoping, sizing, and code compliance for your specific address are determined on a paid site assessment. We follow California Electrical Code (Title 24, Part 3) and applicable NFPA 70 (NEC) editions adopted by your AHJ.