A warehouse lighting RFQ should describe the building and visual tasks before it names a luminaire. A clear layout, rack geometry and acceptance method allow suppliers to compare like with like. A wattage-and-quantity request does not.
Separate open floor, high-bay storage, narrow aisles, picking faces, packing stations, loading areas, cold rooms and external approaches. Each zone can require different optics, controls, mounting and environmental protection.
The Illuminating Engineering Society publication ANSI/IES RP-7-21 addresses industrial lighting criteria, controls, maintenance, electrical considerations and warehouse or storage applications. The IES Industrial Lighting Committee covers warehouse and storage areas. The project designer must still select the applicable maintained criteria and calculation assumptions for the actual building and work.
Provide the geometry suppliers need
- Scaled floor plan with room dimensions and column positions.
- Mounting height and available fixing points.
- Rack height, aisle width, shelf depth and top-of-rack clearance.
- Working planes for floors, labels, vertical picking faces and packing benches.
- Obstructions such as ducts, cranes, conveyors and sprinkler systems.
- Surface reflectances or photographs showing dark racks and finishes.
For existing buildings, include current fixture positions, circuit zoning and representative photographs. If racks may move, state the likely alternative arrangement so the design is not optimised for a temporary layout.
Define performance by zone
| Zone | Visual priority | RFQ evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Open storage | Floor visibility and general movement | Horizontal calculation grid and uniformity |
| Rack aisle | Vertical labels and shelf faces | Vertical calculations at defined heights and both aisle sides |
| Picking/packing | Reading, identification and handling | Task-plane values, glare review and sample observation |
| Loading area | Transition, vehicle and pedestrian visibility | Indoor/outdoor interface, controls and emergency coverage |
| Cold, dusty or damp area | Reliable operation in the environment | Temperature, ingress, materials and installation details |
Name the standard, maintained criteria and calculation assumptions selected by the project designer. Ask for photometric files and calculation output, not only a rendered image. Review minimum values and uniformity as well as averages.
Coordinate optics, glare and spacing
Narrow aisles often need a distribution that places useful light on vertical rack faces. Open areas may need a wider pattern. Mounting height, spacing and luminaire orientation affect uniformity and glare. A high lumen package with unsuitable optics can create bright patches while leaving labels dark.
Write controls as an operating sequence
Define occupied hours, intermittent zones, daylight openings, cleaning shifts and security operation. State which sensors or schedules control each zone, target delays or dim levels, manual override needs and what happens after a power interruption. Controls should reduce unnecessary operation without leaving workers in dark transitions.
Emergency lighting, fire-safety interfaces and egress requirements need their own design and verification. Do not assume the general lighting control sequence will satisfy them.
Include environmental and maintenance conditions
Record minimum and maximum temperatures, dust, moisture, washdown, oils, chemicals, vibration and impact risks. Define access equipment and acceptable maintenance disruption. Ask how drivers, sensors and luminaires can be identified and replaced after the original order.
Require a comparable submission
- Zone schedule listing exact model, power, optics, CCT, controls and quantity.
- Photometric files and calculation report with shared assumptions.
- Mounting, wiring and control drawings.
- Environmental ratings and supporting model-level documents.
- Sample or pilot area for glare, visibility, sensor coverage and installation review.
- Commissioning checklist, as-built records and spare-parts plan.
The industrial and warehouse lighting solution provides product directions for these zones. Procurement teams can pair this RFQ with the LED lighting sample evaluation checklist.
Editorial Sources
- Illuminating Engineering Society, ANSI/IES RP-7-21 Recommended Practice: Lighting Industrial Facilities — https://store.ies.org/product/rp-7-21-recommended-practice-lighting-industrial-facilities/
- Illuminating Engineering Society, Industrial Lighting Committee — https://ies.org/committee/industrial-lighting/
