A couple of thoughts;
In general, T-8, or electronic ballast lights aren't worth the added cost unless the lights are on at least 15-20 hours per week. They cost about twice what T-12 lights do, and yes, they do save energy, and in an office environment where the lights burn 8+ hours per day they are well worth the extra cost, but it is hard to justify the extra money unless they are used a lot.
Buzzing ballasts is caused by bad or failing ballasts. Replace them with new ballasts, and the noise will go away. There are literally billions of these in offices worldwide, and they wouldn't be used if they were always that noisy.
Use a few incandescent lights for instant lighting for when you just need to run in and out to get something like a tool, etc. All other lights have a shorter lifespan when cycled frequently.
Electronic ballasts light instantly when cold, but magnetic will work once they're warmed up which can take a few minutes if it is say below about 20. Depends on how important this is to you.
Don't use HPS lights indoors, as the color rendering is pretty bad. They make great outdoor lights for general lighting, and they are the most efficient lights available (lumens/watt), but everything has a yellow cast.
I dislike halogen lights, and would never install them again. They cost a fortune to run, generate an extreme amount of heat and the bulbs burn out very frequently and are rather expensive to replace. They do make a lot of bright, white light, but are only good for areas where they are used infrequently due to the relatively short life. For 100 watts or so on a more efficient light, like metal halide or even flourescent you will get a similar light level, at a much lower level of energy usage and heat output.
Remember, watts is strictly a heat output number, and has very little to do with the actual amount of light generated. The more lumens you can get for the watts consumed the more efficient the light is.
I just finished the electrical on my new 40x60 shop last spring. I installed the following lights;
9 -175 watt metal halide, low bay fixtures, on three separate switches wired for 240 volt. I bought these used for $35 each
1 - 400 watt metal halide flood light for lighting the parking/drive way area. I bought it off eBay for around $50 including shipping, and it was brand new.
13 - 2'x4' four 40 watt bulb flourescent lights (used drop ceiling lights with diffuser lens) that I bought used with bulbs for about $4 each. (I still have about 15 more of these as I got a bunch from a building that was being torn down).
4 - 8' two bulb flourescent shop style lights hung lower over the work bench, and above my 20x20 storage area in the one corner of the shop. I got these free when an old warehouse was being remodeled close to where I worked about 16 years ago. Been in my house attic since then.
The above lights are mostly hung on 3/16" steel cable so that they hang level instead of following the slope of the purlins. I used cable because it is easier to work with, and much cheaper then chain. After I priced chain at about $0.35 - $0.45 foot I started researching other options as I needed about 300' total. I bought a 500' roll of cable, 200 crimp connectors and the crimping tool for under $80, and the cable allowed me to hang the lights at the exact height I wanted. And it has about 10 times the load capacity of a light duty chain that would normally be used for hanging lights.
I also have two 60 watt incandescent bulbs installed for quick light. They don't make a great deal of light, but it is plenty to run in and grab a socket wrench or something without turning on another light.
I have LOTS of light if I turn everthing on, which I rarely do. I use the florescents for most things, and turn on the metal halides when I will be working in the shop for a while and need more light for fine detail.
I have about $1,300-$1,500 in everything, including conduit, about a mile of wire, lights and about 50 receps, including 2 welder receps and 2 - 240 volt air compressor receps. I put in a 100 amp service, which I had to run 125 feet from my house. I put the wire in 2" condiut, and I also installed an almost new submeter on the shop since I bought one at an auction for $1 a few years ago. This way I can write off the electricity I use in the shop as business expense (my business leases the shop from me also), which is one way I could justify spending the money putting up a new shop in the first place.
Obviously this means I didn't pay anything for labor for getting everything installed, but during the winter I have time for things like that anyway, and it saved me thousands over paying an electrician to do it. And since I've had an Electrical Contractors license for about 14 years, I knew how to do the work. I am thinking about dropping my license as I haven't used it to pull any permits in over 8 years, and the annual cost of the bond and license seems to go up every few years. I have held on to it for all this time because you never know when you might need it, and I didn't want to take the day long test again, but I probably won't ever use it again so why keep it.....
In general, T-8, or electronic ballast lights aren't worth the added cost unless the lights are on at least 15-20 hours per week. They cost about twice what T-12 lights do, and yes, they do save energy, and in an office environment where the lights burn 8+ hours per day they are well worth the extra cost, but it is hard to justify the extra money unless they are used a lot.
Buzzing ballasts is caused by bad or failing ballasts. Replace them with new ballasts, and the noise will go away. There are literally billions of these in offices worldwide, and they wouldn't be used if they were always that noisy.
Use a few incandescent lights for instant lighting for when you just need to run in and out to get something like a tool, etc. All other lights have a shorter lifespan when cycled frequently.
Electronic ballasts light instantly when cold, but magnetic will work once they're warmed up which can take a few minutes if it is say below about 20. Depends on how important this is to you.
Don't use HPS lights indoors, as the color rendering is pretty bad. They make great outdoor lights for general lighting, and they are the most efficient lights available (lumens/watt), but everything has a yellow cast.
I dislike halogen lights, and would never install them again. They cost a fortune to run, generate an extreme amount of heat and the bulbs burn out very frequently and are rather expensive to replace. They do make a lot of bright, white light, but are only good for areas where they are used infrequently due to the relatively short life. For 100 watts or so on a more efficient light, like metal halide or even flourescent you will get a similar light level, at a much lower level of energy usage and heat output.
Remember, watts is strictly a heat output number, and has very little to do with the actual amount of light generated. The more lumens you can get for the watts consumed the more efficient the light is.
I just finished the electrical on my new 40x60 shop last spring. I installed the following lights;
9 -175 watt metal halide, low bay fixtures, on three separate switches wired for 240 volt. I bought these used for $35 each
1 - 400 watt metal halide flood light for lighting the parking/drive way area. I bought it off eBay for around $50 including shipping, and it was brand new.
13 - 2'x4' four 40 watt bulb flourescent lights (used drop ceiling lights with diffuser lens) that I bought used with bulbs for about $4 each. (I still have about 15 more of these as I got a bunch from a building that was being torn down).
4 - 8' two bulb flourescent shop style lights hung lower over the work bench, and above my 20x20 storage area in the one corner of the shop. I got these free when an old warehouse was being remodeled close to where I worked about 16 years ago. Been in my house attic since then.
The above lights are mostly hung on 3/16" steel cable so that they hang level instead of following the slope of the purlins. I used cable because it is easier to work with, and much cheaper then chain. After I priced chain at about $0.35 - $0.45 foot I started researching other options as I needed about 300' total. I bought a 500' roll of cable, 200 crimp connectors and the crimping tool for under $80, and the cable allowed me to hang the lights at the exact height I wanted. And it has about 10 times the load capacity of a light duty chain that would normally be used for hanging lights.
I also have two 60 watt incandescent bulbs installed for quick light. They don't make a great deal of light, but it is plenty to run in and grab a socket wrench or something without turning on another light.
I have LOTS of light if I turn everthing on, which I rarely do. I use the florescents for most things, and turn on the metal halides when I will be working in the shop for a while and need more light for fine detail.
I have about $1,300-$1,500 in everything, including conduit, about a mile of wire, lights and about 50 receps, including 2 welder receps and 2 - 240 volt air compressor receps. I put in a 100 amp service, which I had to run 125 feet from my house. I put the wire in 2" condiut, and I also installed an almost new submeter on the shop since I bought one at an auction for $1 a few years ago. This way I can write off the electricity I use in the shop as business expense (my business leases the shop from me also), which is one way I could justify spending the money putting up a new shop in the first place.
Obviously this means I didn't pay anything for labor for getting everything installed, but during the winter I have time for things like that anyway, and it saved me thousands over paying an electrician to do it. And since I've had an Electrical Contractors license for about 14 years, I knew how to do the work. I am thinking about dropping my license as I haven't used it to pull any permits in over 8 years, and the annual cost of the bond and license seems to go up every few years. I have held on to it for all this time because you never know when you might need it, and I didn't want to take the day long test again, but I probably won't ever use it again so why keep it.....
