Blog · Warehouse & Industrial Electrical Installations
Warehouse Electrical Installation: The Complete Planning Guide for Glasgow Businesses
Key Takeaways
- High-bay lighting design needs to account for ceiling height and rack layout, not just overall floor coverage
- Power distribution should be planned around where machinery and charging points will actually sit, not retrofitted around them later
- Warehouses often need three-phase power for machinery even when the office areas run on single-phase
- Planning cable routes around racking layout early avoids expensive rework once shelving is installed
A warehouse electrical installation involves a different order of decisions than a shop or office fit-out - the scale, the ceiling height, and the mix of lighting, power, and machinery needs mean planning has to happen properly before racking and equipment go in, not around them afterwards.
Lighting design for warehouse ceiling heights
High-bay lighting - fittings designed for ceilings typically above 6 metres - needs to be planned around actual rack layout and aisle width, not just calculated as a blanket lux level across the floor area. Lighting that looks adequate on a simple floor-coverage calculation can still leave aisles between tall racking genuinely under-lit if the fitting positions don't account for where the racks will actually stand.
Power distribution planning
Where machinery, packing stations, and charging points will actually sit needs to be decided before power distribution is designed, not worked around afterwards. Retrofitting power runs around already-installed racking and equipment is significantly more disruptive and costly than planning distribution points into the original design.
Three-phase power for machinery
It's common for a warehouse to need three-phase power for machinery - conveyors, larger material handling equipment, certain packing machinery - even when office or welfare areas within the same building run perfectly well on single-phase. Planning this split properly at the distribution board stage avoids under-specifying capacity where it's actually needed.
Planning cable routes around racking
Cable containment routes need to be planned with the final racking layout in mind, since running cable after shelving is installed is far more restrictive and often means compromises on the ideal route. Getting racking layout finalised, or at least genuinely settled, before first fix begins saves real rework later.
Working around an operational business
For a warehouse already in operation, installation work usually needs to be phased around what's currently in use, rather than requiring the whole space to be cleared. Planning this properly at the start - which areas can be worked on first, what needs to stay accessible - keeps the business running through the installation.
Warehouse & Industrial Electrical Installations
Electrical installations for warehouses, factories, and industrial units across Glasgow.
Warehouse & Industrial Electrical Installations in Newton Mearns →Frequently Asked Questions
Do all warehouses need three-phase power?
Can electrical work be done around an operational warehouse?
Should lighting design happen before or after racking is finalised?
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