Warehouse Lighting Design with Skylights
Warehouse lighting design with skylights refers to integrating electric lighting systems with natural daylight from skylights to maintain consistent visibility, reduce energy use, and avoid glare or contrast issues in large industrial spaces.
Skylights can significantly reduce daytime lighting energy use in warehouses, but only when paired with lighting systems designed to manage changing daylight conditions. Poorly integrated skylights can create glare, uneven light levels, and visual discomfort. This guide explains how to design effective warehouse lighting with skylights, supporting safe operations, energy efficiency, and long-term performance. It complements the broader framework in Warehouse & Distribution Center Lighting: A Comprehensive Guide for New Construction, Renovations, and Retrofits.
Why Skylights Change Warehouse Lighting Design
Skylights introduce variable natural light that changes throughout the day and across seasons.
Key impacts include:
- Large differences between sunlit and shaded zones
- High contrast near racking and aisles
- Potential glare on floors, pallets, and screens
- Reduced need for electric lighting during peak daylight hours
Without proper design, these effects can reduce visibility rather than improve it.
Benefits of Skylights in Warehouses
When properly integrated, skylights provide several advantages.
Common benefits include:
- Reduced daytime lighting energy consumption
- Improved visual comfort from balanced light sources
- Lower heat gain compared to older lighting technologies
- Support for sustainability and energy code goals
The greatest benefits occur in large, open warehouses with long daytime operating hours.
Challenges of Poorly Integrated Skylights
Skylights alone do not guarantee good lighting performance.
Common issues include:
- Bright hot spots under skylights
- Dark zones between skylight rows
- Glare in forklift aisles and at dock approaches
- Inconsistent light levels that affect picking accuracy
These problems often result from relying on daylight without coordinating electric lighting.
Designing Electric Lighting Around Skylights
Electric lighting in warehouses with skylights should be designed to complement daylight, not compete with it. Daylight can significantly reduce energy use, but it is variable and unpredictable, making electric lighting essential for maintaining safe and consistent visibility.
Best Practices for Integrating Electric Lighting and Daylight
Effective designs begin by establishing uniform electric lighting coverage that does not rely on skylights for baseline illumination.
Key best practices include:
- Using consistent fixture spacing that is independent of skylight placement, ensuring even light levels across the floor and aisles
- Designing electric lighting to meet minimum required light levels without daylight, so visibility is maintained during overcast conditions, nighttime operation, or snow-covered skylights
- Allowing daylight to offset electric lighting output, rather than replace it entirely, by reducing artificial light when sufficient natural light is available
This strategy avoids bright “hot spots” beneath skylights and dim areas elsewhere in the facility.
Why Electric Lighting Should Not Be Designed Around Skylights Alone
Skylight output varies throughout the day and year due to:
- Weather conditions
- Seasonal sun angle changes
- Dirt accumulation and aging
Designs that rely too heavily on daylight often experience inconsistent light levels, glare near skylights, and insufficient illumination during low-light conditions.
In warehouses with skylights, electric lighting should be designed to meet required light levels independently, allowing daylight to supplement and reduce artificial lighting rather than replace it.
Fixture Types Commonly Used in Skylit Warehouses
Linear LED High Bays
Linear high bays are frequently used in skylit warehouses due to their even light distribution and strong vertical illumination, which help balance natural daylight variability.
Advantages include:
- Improved uniformity between skylight and non-skylight zones
- Better vertical illumination on racking and shelving
- Reduced contrast compared to point-source fixtures
For these applications, linear high bay lighting for warehouse aisles is commonly selected to maintain consistent visibility across large floor plates.
UFO (Round) LED High Bays
UFO high bays are often used in open areas with high ceilings in skylit warehouses, where broad coverage is required.
Key considerations include:
- Careful beam angle selection to avoid bright pools of light beneath skylights
- Best suited for open floor areas rather than narrow aisles
- Fixture placement should be coordinated with skylight spacing
In these spaces, round LED high bay lights for open warehouse areas can perform well when optics are selected to complement daylight patterns rather than compete with them
Optical Control and Glare Reduction
Optical control is essential in skylit warehouses.
Effective strategies include:
- Medium or controlled-wide optics to blend light evenly
- Avoiding very narrow beams under skylights
- Using diffused lenses to reduce harsh contrast
The goal is to smooth transitions between daylight and electric light.
Daylight Harvesting and Lighting Controls
Controls are often used to capture energy savings from skylights.
Common approaches:
- Daylight sensors that dim fixtures near skylights
- Zoning electric lighting by skylight rows
- Maintaining minimum light levels for safety
Controls must be carefully commissioned to prevent frequent light level fluctuations that distract workers.
Light Levels in Skylit Warehouses
Recommended light levels remain task-based, even with skylights.
Typical guidance:
- Bulk storage: 10–20 foot-candles
- Active aisles: 20–30 foot-candles
- Picking and inspection areas: 30–50 foot-candles
Skylights supplement these levels but should not be relied upon exclusively.
Common Mistakes in Skylight Warehouse Lighting
- Designing electric lighting only for nighttime conditions
- Allowing skylight placement to dictate fixture spacing
- Over-dimming fixtures near skylights
- Ignoring glare at floor level
Avoiding these mistakes improves both safety and comfort.
Summary: Effective Warehouse Lighting with Skylights
Successful warehouse lighting design with skylights balances consistent electric lighting, controlled daylight integration, glare management, and carefully applied controls. When properly designed, skylights can reduce energy use without compromising visibility or safety.
Next Steps
- Get a free professional lighting layout for your facility
- Request a quote for high bay lights for your skylit facility: Call or text 858.650.9400, email lights@eledlights.com, or use our handy quote request form.
Frequently Asked Questions About Warehouse Lighting with Skylights
Do skylights reduce the need for warehouse lighting?
Skylights can reduce daytime energy use, but electric lighting is still required to maintain consistent light levels during cloudy conditions, early mornings, and evenings.
Are daylight harvesting controls required in skylit warehouses?
Some energy codes require daylight-responsive controls when skylights are present. Even when not required, properly commissioned controls can improve energy performance.
What type of fixtures work best in warehouses with skylights?
Linear LED high bays are often preferred because they provide even distribution and help reduce contrast between skylit and non-skylit areas.
Can skylights cause glare in warehouses?
Yes. Without proper design, skylights can create glare and bright hot spots. Optical control and fixture placement help mitigate these effects.
Should lighting be designed differently for skylit retrofits?
Yes. Retrofit projects should focus on improving uniformity and glare control rather than relying heavily on daylight contribution.
This guide is intended for educational and planning purposes. Final lighting performance depends on skylight design, facility layout, and lighting system integration.