Why Most Factory Lighting Dies at 85°C — And How to Fix It Forever

In steel mills, pulp & paper dryers, glass plants, and power-station boiler rooms, ambient temperatures regularly climb to 80–120°C (176–248°F). Standard LED high bays use drivers limited to 85°C. The combination of hot air + heat from the LEDs themselves kills the driver in 12–24 months, triggering endless crane calls and production shutdowns.

The proven solution in 2025: completely driverless architecture + UL-certified 100°C performance.


Official UL 100°C / 720-Hour Test Results (30 straight days at 212°F)

Wattage Light Engine Initial Lumens Lumens after 720 hrs @ 100°C Lumen Maintenance
65 W SMD 7,821.9 6,724.0 85.96%
65 W SMD 7,730.5 6,583.9 85.17%
60 W SMD 5,919.8 4,432.2 74.87%
120 W SMD 11,075.0 9,956.8 89.90%
120 W SMD 11,349.0 10,205.2 89.92%
40 W SMD 4,631.8 4,426.6 95.57% ← Highest recorded
60 W COB 6,570.8 6,121.3 93.16%
80 W DOB 8,380.4 6,401.3 76.38%

All fixtures remained fully operational with zero driver failures (because there is no driver). Independent UL laboratory report available in PDF on request.


10-Year Cost Comparison (100-fixture plant)

Item Standard Driver-Based LEDs Pookoo Driverless 100°C LEDs Documented 10-Year Savings
Fixture replacements 5–7 cycles 0–1 cycle $90k–$126k
Crane / manlift labor $3,500 × 500–700 calls $3,500 × 0–100 calls $1.75M–$3.5M
Production line downtime 8–24 hrs per change Near zero $300k–$1M+
Energy waste from lumen drop +25–40% after year 3 <5% $40k–$80k
Total cost $2.2M – $4.8M $340k – $460k $1.8M – $4.3M

Sources: 2024–2025 global industrial contractor rates + IESNA lumen depreciation data.


Real 80–120°C Operating Environments Today

  • Pulp & paper cooking and drying zones
  • Glass factory processing lines
  • Metal forging and recycling furnaces
  • Coal / gas turbine power plants (boiler & turbine areas)
  • Garbage incineration burning zones
  • Food baking ovens and textile dyeing/finishing areas

Your 2025 100°C High Bay Checklist

  • Driverless architecture (eliminates the #1 failure point)
  • UL or third-party report proving 720 hrs @ 100°C operation
  • ≥90% lumen maintenance after test (95.57% is current benchmark)
  • Die-cast aluminum heat sink + industrial-grade thermal design
  • IP65+ with high-temperature silicone seals

End Crane Calls and Midnight Shutdowns

The most expensive high bay is the one that forces you to stop production at 3 a.m. because a driver cooked itself again.

Plant Engineers & Maintenance Managers → Request the complete UL 100°C 720-hour test report + lumen data Electrical Contractors & Wholesalers → Ask about our highest-margin 100°C driverless program with zero heat-related returns

Full documentation and evaluation units ship within 48 hours.



Pookoo Industrial Co., Ltd (PKLED) specializes in durable, high-performance heavy-duty LED industrial lighting engineered for harsh environments such as factories, warehouses, ports, and offshore facilities. Our fixtures are built to deliver stable illumination, long lifespan, and reliable operation under demanding conditions.


Share your project requirements or operating environment with us — we’ll recommend the most suitable heavy-duty lighting solution tailored to your application.



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