What Is Troffer Lighting?

Due to its efficiency and versatility, troffer lighting is a popular choice for both commercial and office spaces. If you're investing in troffer lighting for the first time or you want to replace outdated troffer fixtures, this is an excellent place to begin. Consider this your high-level guide to troffer lighting. We'll answer the question, "What is troffer lighting?," discuss its benefits and drawbacks and illustrate its applications. Finally, we'll demonstrate how Warehouse-Lighting.com can help with reliable LED troffer light fixtures for your building.

By Warehouse Lighting

Troffer Lighting Defined

Types of LED Troffer Lights

Benefits of Troffer Lighting

LED Troffer Lighting Applications

Troffer Lighting Defined

So, what is a troffer light? Also known as recessed lighting, troffer light fixtures are rectangular-shaped and designed to fit into a ceiling panel or drop ceiling. Troffer lighting illuminates large indoor commercial and industrial spaces. Unlike old-style shop lights that hung from the ceiling by chains and wires, troffer lighting fixtures are concealed, creating a clean, sleek aesthetic. That's why troffer light fixtures are so prevalent in settings where lighting is critical but the source of that lighting is best kept out of sight.

Troffer light fixtures are installed in T-bar or suspended ceilings. They can also be laid into a ceiling grid or surface mounted. And if you want to go old school, you can also hang LED troffer light fixtures from the ceiling.

Types of LED Troffer Lights

If you're installing LED troffer lights in new construction, you have more flexibility – you can create a plan for where/how many troffer lights you want. However, if you're merely replacing existing lamps, you'll need to choose LED troffer lighting to fit the size of your current ceiling grid:

Other choices you'll need to consider include:

Lens Type: Parabolic, opaque, transparent or specular lens.
Reflector: A mirrored or white internal reflector helps manage glare or brightness and evenly distribute the light.
Dimmable Drivers: Give you more control over your lighting.
Adjustable Color: Simply by pressing a button, you can change from one white light temperature to another. One fixture can have multiple white tones that vary from cool to daylight to warm.

Benefits of Troffer Lighting

In the days when fluorescent fixtures dominated commercial and industrial lighting, troffer fixtures were the go-to lighting solution. These days, LED troffer lights have become more common, and with good reason. LED troffer lighting offers many advantages over its outdated fluorescent cousin. Following are some of the many benefits of troffer lighting powered by LED lamps.

Energy Efficiency: LED troffer lights are much more energy-efficient than fluorescent lights. They use up to 60% less energy producing the equivalent amount of fluorescent lights, resulting in significant energy cost savings over time.
Improved Lighting Quality: LED troffer lights provide a higher quality of light than fluorescent lights. They have a higher color rendering index (CRI), which means they produce more accurate and vibrant colors, making them ideal for spaces where color accuracy is essential. Unlike fluorescent troffer lights, LEDs aren't prone to flickering or buzzing, which can be distracting or uncomfortable for workers and other building occupants.
Environmental Friendliness: Unlike fluorescents, LED troffer lights don't contain mercury, which is a toxic substance. This means that LED lights are kinder to the environment, easier to dispose of and safer for human health.
Reduced Maintenance Costs: As mentioned earlier, an LED troffer light has a longer lifespan than a fluorescent light. This means you won't have to replace it as frequently, thereby reducing maintenance costs. Additionally, LED lights don't require ballasts, which are standard components in fluorescent lighting systems that tend to malfunction or fail over time, leading to costly repairs.
Customization Options: There are more customization options with LED troffers than fluorescent lights. LEDs come in a range of color temperatures and beam angles, so you can choose the right light output for your specific needs. LED lights can also be dimmed, allowing you to adjust the lighting level and create a more comfortable environment. Furthermore, select troffer lights are wattage selectable, so a fixture can provide multiple wattage/lumen output options. Another optional feature for troffer lighting is emergency backup – a must-have in healthcare facilities, schools and other public buildings.

LED Troffer Lighting Applications

LED troffer lighting is a versatile lighting solution that can be used in various commercial, industrial and even residential locations. Its energy efficiency, improved lighting quality and reduced maintenance costs make it an attractive option for many different types of spaces. Following are 8 examples of troffer lighting applications:

Office Buildings: Commonly used in office buildings, LED troffer lights provide bright, even lighting that improves productivity and reduces eye strain.
Educational Institutions: LED troffer lighting is popular in schools, colleges and universities where it improves the learning environment by providing clear and consistent illumination.
Retail Spaces: Troffers are often used in retail spaces to highlight merchandise and create an inviting shopping experience.
Healthcare Facilities: Hospitals, nursing homes and other healthcare facilities use troffer light fixtures to provide clear, consistent lighting and improve patient comfort and safety.
Hospitality: LED troffer lighting is commonly used in hotels and restaurants to create an inviting atmosphere and highlight key features of the space.
Manufacturing Facilities & Warehouses: Improving safety and productivity in factories is the goal of LED troffer lights, which supply bright and even lighting.
Residential Spaces: LED troffer light fixtures are becoming increasingly popular in homes, apartments and other residential spaces, producing energy-efficient lighting that improves comfort and reduces energy costs.