This question was asked a long time ago and several times since .I kept one
response as I found it to be one of the most usefull, I was not the
originator ,i am just passing on the info ,it is as follows....

"Don't know who has asked the question or exactly what the requirements are,
but let me offer the following based on having designed a few million sq ft
of industrial lighting and having sold a few hundred thousand dollars of
lighting equipment in my time.

Assume a ceiling height of 10-12 ft max.

You have automatically eliminated all HID sources and are looking at a 2
lamp, HO, fixture for the application.

By definition, 1 lumen /sq ft = 1 foot candle.

Typical lumen efficiency over life of lamp = 90%
Typical lumen depreciation from dirt = 20%-30%
Typical lumen/watt output of a flourscent tube = 60-80 lumens/watt.

A great lighting level for a wood working shop would be 100 foot candles,
maintained.

Calculate the required number of fixtures as follows:

100 FC/0.9 Lumen efficiency/0.75 Dirt depreciation = 148 FC.

148 FC/70 Lumens/watt = Approximately 2 Watts/square ft of floor space.

If you have a 40 x 40 shop, that's 3200 watts of lighting required which
would mean 80, 40 watt tubes or 40, 2 lamp fixtures which would translate
into 4 rows of 10 fixtures each, 10 ft apart.

It's not rocket science.

It's the LGB theory of lighting design.

"Put one here, here, and here, and let's get a beer".


HTH


Lew "



Hope this helps....mjh
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http://members.tripod.com/mikehide2
"Charles Jackson" wrote in message
news:ITaUc.136275$8_6.133890@attbi_s04...
I'm having a house built and am planning to use the garage as my workshop
until we can build a detached workshop down the road. I'm thinking of
using
recessed can lights to illuminate the space. My garage will be 26-1/2' x
23'. I would prefer not to have a lot of hanging fixtures or tube lights
mounted on the ceiling but don't know whether recessed lights would be a
good choice. Has anyone here used recessed (can) lights in a workshop? How
did they perform? Any other suggestions are appreciated!

Charles J.
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