The Ultimate Guide to LED Batten Lights
LED Battens or LED Batten Lights are very popular at domestic and commercial applications. They are great for illuminating public areas or spaces such as car parks, schools, hospitals, factories, workshops, warehouses, train stations, toilets as well as domestic areas such as garages, utility rooms, offices and kitchens, etc. With the energy saving LED technology, they are perfect replacement for their fluorescent counterparts. This guide is to allow you to have a deep understanding of this kind of luminaire.
What is an LED Batten Light?
A batten light is a linear luminaire or fitting or fixture that is normally mounted on installation surfaces. An LED batten light typically means a batten fitting or fixture integrated with LED’s (Light emitting diodes) as light source.
Traditional batten lights usually consist of two main parts – batten fitting or fixture and fluorescent tube. However, LED batten lights are integrated LED fittings without replaceable tubes.
T5 Fluorescent Batten Light
T8 Fluorescent Batten Light
Traditional T8/T8 Anti Corrosive Batten Light
Where are LED batten lights used?
Battens are often used to illuminate public areas or spaces. With the advanced LED technology, LED batten lights are perfect replacement for their fluorescent counterparts at the following applications.
- car parks
- garages
- utility rooms
- schools
- hospitals
- factories, offices, workshops, warehouses
- train stations
- toilets
- kitchens
Why LED batten lights?
LED Batten lights are energy efficient, environment friendly, produce less heat, maintenance-free and durable as compared to fluorescent batten lights. Also, LED battens provide uniform light and offer significant savings on power consumption. You may have known the general benefits of LED technology. Let’s have a look at the comparison table below which can help you understand better about the advantages of LED battens.
LED Battens VS Fluorescent Battens
| Product | LED Batten Lights | Fluorescent Batten Lights |
| Life expectancy | 50,000 hours | 20,000 hours |
| Power consumption | Low (Min 50% saving) | High |
| Luminous efficacy | High(up to 100+ lm/w | Low |
| Light color | Various | Limited |
| Light degradation | Low | High |
| Instant start | Yes | No, start with delay |
| Flickering | Flicker free | Flicker |
| Dimmable option | Available | Not available |
| Heat | Low | High |
| Toxic chemicals contained | No | Yes (Mercury and phosphor) |
| UV radiation emitted | No | Yes |
| Maintenance | Maintenance free | Required on regular basis |
Ok let’s summarize the main advantages of LED batten lights as follows.
- Long life expectancy
- Switch on instantly (without delay)
- Do not flicker at start and in operation
- Energy efficient – consuming less power while producing same light output
- Various light colour options typically warm white, neutral/natural white and cool white, even 3-in-1
- Low light degradation
- Dimmable option available
- Microwave sensor control available
- Maintenance free
- Cool to touch, product much less heat
- Contain/emit no hazardous materials/substances
LED Batten Light Types/Sizes
There are various types of LED batten lights on the market but we would like to classify them as follows.
Slimline LED batten lights – This type of LED battens have slimline profile, they are often used in the kitchens or cove lighting.
Standard LED batten lights – This type of LED battens are more popular at commercial applications such as car parks, garages, workshops, schools and hospitals, etc.
Wide LED batten lights – This type of LED battens are more popular in offices.
IP65 Tri-proof LED batten lights – This type of LED battens are also knows as weatherproof or anti-corrosive battens. Since they are moisture proof, waterproof (IP65) and dustproof, they are widely used in garages, car parks, warehouses, outdoors and other commercial applications.
LED battens are available in different sizes. But the main sizes are 2ft(600mm), 3ft(900mm), 4ft(1200mm), 5ft(1500mm) and 6ft(1800mm). 4ft and 5ft LED batten lights are more popular than other sizes.
KSR Lighting offer a complete range of all the above types of LED battens so you have many choices. For more information, welcome to visit the LED battens page.
How to Choose LED Batten Lights for your installation?
- Decide the size and type of LED batten in accordance with the applications.
- Confirm if the batten lights are installed at dry or wet/damp spaces to decide whether IP65 waterproof rating is required.
- Decide the light colour of the LED batten, 3000K, 4000K, 6000K or others. 4000K neutral white is more popular as it is between 3000K and 6000K, not so warm and cool.
- Decide the CRI(color rending index) required. General speaking, LED batten lights can meet minimum 80+ Ra CRI which is enough for commercial use. If lower than Ra80, it is not recommended.
- Decide the power of the luminaire. Refer to the manufacturer’s claimed wattage, luminous flux and lumen efficiency. Get the photometric test reports to compare against claimed data.
- Decide the quantity of luminaires required. If you use a lighting designer, he/she can import the photometric test reports(ies or ldt files) into lighting design system and tell you how many battens are required to illuminate the spaces at desired level of light.
- Source the supply of fittings meeting our demand.
- It would be better to use the LED battens that have over 0.9 power factor.
- Choose those LED battens that are easy to install as this will save much installation time.
In conclusion, you need to consider the following factors when you choose an LED batten light.
- Size
- IP rating
- Power/Wattage
- Power factor (Minimum 0.9 prefered)
- Light colour
- Light output (luminous flux, lux and lumen efficacy)
- CRI (colour rendering index)
- Easy to install
How to install and wire LED Batten Lights?
It is easy to install LED batten lights depending on different manufacturers design. LED battens are often supplied with installation guide or user manual and fixing accessories (brackets and screws) for ease of installation.
LED batten lights are often surface mounted on the ceiling or wall. If suspension accessories are also available, they can also be suspended.
Let’s take one of our Navara IP20 LED battens as an example to show you how to install.
Installation procedures:
1. Always switch off power supply before installation.
2. Read carefully the supplied installation sheet and familiarise yourself with the luminaire and installation procedure.
3. Remove the upper part by pulling apart from one end. (The cable between the upper part and base part can be plug off if plugged for ease of installation.)
4. Offer the main body up to the ceiling and mark the fixing points. If using surface conduit box, please ensure the besa boxes are at 600mm centers.
5. Drill and secure the main body/base in place, dressing the supply cable though either of the three rear entry points or end caps.
6. Connect the mains wiring as per the guide below, Brown (L) Live, Blue (N) Neutral and Green/Yellow (G/Y) Earth.
7. Offer up the LED tray and connect the two support straps to the tabs on the main body.
8. Connect the LED supply wire and earth connections, then snap the LED plate onto the main body, ensuring it is properly located along the whole length without trapping any cables.
9. Turn on the power and test the luminaire.
