Selectable Wattage LED High Bay Lights: Lumens, Settings & Specifications

Why Selectable-Wattage High Bays Need More Than a Model Number

Imagine a warehouse retrofit using identical selectable-wattage LED high bays across three operating zones. The design calls for different output settings by zone, but the installation team leaves every fixture at its factory default. The model numbers match the purchase order; the installed lighting no longer matches the approved design. That mismatch can change connected load, light levels and the validity of the photometric review.

Field-selectable high bays give contractors and facility teams flexibility, but that flexibility creates a specification responsibility: the chosen wattage, correlated color temperature (CCT), optical configuration and operating settings must be recorded for each area. A product family or SKU alone does not describe the installed system.

This guide explains how to compare documented lumen packages, build a fixture schedule and verify field settings for selectable-wattage UFO high bays and selectable-wattage linear high bays. The goal is to keep the specified output, installation settings and final project records consistent—not to prescribe one wattage for every facility.

Compare Actual Input Watts and Lumens at Each Setting

Separate three quantities: the switch’s nominal power label, the manufacturer’s reported input watts, and the reported lumens for the selected combination. Do not calculate lumens from the switch label and an efficacy taken from a different row.

For example, the published RAB H17 family sheet lists the H17S 120–277 V configuration at its nominal 80 W setting and 4000 K as 74.2 input watts and 12,343 lumens. The same table’s nominal 100 W, 4000 K configuration lists 91.9 input watts and 14,959 lumens. These manufacturer-reported values apply to the configurations identified in that specification sheet. They are not field measurements or maintained-light calculations and should not be applied to another model revision without verification.

The distinction matters when preparing a connected-load comparison. It also matters when the supplier’s summary quotes the highest output in a family while the designer plans a lower operating setting. Retain the selected row with the exact model, voltage and document revision.

Do not silently reconcile conflicting information by choosing the number that best suits the estimate. The RBAY17 family sheet illustrates why: page 1’s feature summary identifies the small model’s top setting as 130 W, while its performance-table label reads 135 W. Because the two wattage labels conflict, confirm the correct specification for the exact orderable model with the manufacturer or supplier before finalizing the fixture schedule.

A controlled discrepancy log is better than an apparently complete schedule built on an unverified assumption. Distinguish “not documented,” “conflicting documents” and “confirmed for the selected configuration.” They call for different follow-up actions.

When Manufacturer Specifications Conflict, Verify Before Ordering

The schedule should remain understandable without access to the original estimator’s memory. Give fixtures a zone and type identifier, then connect the following fields.

If two areas use different settings of the same fixture, give them separate schedule rows. Mark the corresponding locations on the plan. “Set as required” transfers an unresolved design decision to the field and makes later verification difficult.

Document reflectors, lenses and other optical accessories alongside the selected output. Do not assume an accessory changes appearance only; verify whether it affects the applicable photometric data. Carry the complete configuration into the project’s lighting calculation inputs.

Build a High Bay Fixture Schedule by Zone and Configuration

Consider an illustrative 60-fixture zone using the two H17S table entries above. Assume the approved calculation uses the nominal 80 W setting at 4000 K, but the installed fixtures remain at nominal 100 W and 4000 K. Using the manufacturer’s reported input values, the difference is 91.9 − 74.2 = 17.7 W per fixture. For 60 fixtures, that is 1,062 W, or 1.062 kW.

If all operate at those fixed states for an assumed 4,000 hours per year, the annual difference is 1.062 × 4,000 = 4,248 kWh. This is an arithmetic illustration using published values and an assumed operating schedule. It is not measured energy consumption, a control-savings prediction or a utility incentive calculation.

The reported lumen difference is 14,959 − 12,343 = 2,616 lumens per fixture. That does not tell you how much the minimum rack-face illuminance changes. Geometry, distribution, obstructions and the calculation method still matter. Do not use the energy arithmetic as permission to reduce the setting without design review.

Evaluate operating cost only after confirming that the proposed setting meets the project’s lighting requirements. The lowest input wattage is not automatically the right setting if the resulting installation fails the intended task criteria.

Calculate the Energy Impact of an Incorrect Wattage Setting

Assign who confirms selections, when confirmation occurs, and how exceptions are recorded. The exact product instructions govern safe access and adjustment. RAB’s H17 installation instructions, H17-IN-0226, identify model-specific factory settings and contain electrical safety instructions. This is not an invitation for unqualified occupants to open or adjust installed equipment.

A practical record can combine a marked plan with permitted photographs of the selected settings, product labels and zone identifiers. Agree on the verification method before installation. If access after hanging is difficult, an undocumented assumption may persist until the first complaint or energy review.

Verify control operation separately from the physical wattage selection. A correctly positioned output switch does not prove occupancy sensing, standby behavior, daylight calibration or recovery after a power interruption. Record those observations through a documented commissioning process.

Verify Field Settings Before Installation Is Complete

When racks move, tasks change or a fixture is replaced, compare the replacement configuration with the approved schedule. Do not assume that a maintenance spare with the same family name has the same default or supported combinations.

Retain the former setting, reason for change, authorizing design decision, revised calculation if needed, and verification result. If a mismatch appears during acceptance, correct the installed state or formally revise the design basis; do not simply edit the schedule to match whatever was installed.

The most useful high bay schedule is one that can be checked against the actual installation. It connects the orderable fixture, selected output, supporting photometric evidence and verified field settings to each project zone. When that record survives installation, substitutions and maintenance, selectable equipment remains a controlled design choice rather than an undocumented switch position above the work area.