LED Retrofit Kits for Metal Halide Fixtures

What is a Metal Halide to LED Retrofit Kit?

A metal halide LED retrofit kit converts an existing HID fixture to LED by replacing the internal lamp and ballast with an integrated LED system, delivering modern efficiency, instant-on performance, and long service life without replacing the fixture housing.

Transform Your Metal Halide Fixtures Without Replacement Costs

A metal halide LED retrofit kit contains an LED head, driver, and mounting hardware designed to replace a metal-halide bulb and ballast inside existing HID fixtures. Beyond metal halide replacement, these kits work with high-pressure sodium (HPS) bulbs and other HID systems without requiring new fixture housings.

Compatible with shoebox lights, wall packs, flood lights, uplight fixtures, and indoor canned lighting, these retrofit solutions maintain your current fixture aesthetics while delivering modern LED performance. Drivers automatically adjust to 100-277V input, making installation straightforward across different electrical systems.

Unlike metal halide technology that requires a warm-up time, LED retrofit kits deliver instant full brightness with significantly improved energy efficiency and extended operational life.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy's comprehensive guidance on LED lighting, LED technology can reduce energy consumption by 75% compared to traditional metal halide systems while providing superior light quality and longer operational life. Additionally, the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) has established recommended practices for retrofit installations to ensure optimal performance and safety compliance.

How LED Retrofit Kits Solve Common Metal Halide Problems

• Preserve Your Investment While Upgrading Technology: Keep your existing fixture housing and simply replace the internal components. Retrofit kits modernize metal halide systems into high-performance LED lighting without altering appearance or triggering permit requirements.
• Achieve Immediate Energy Savings: Customers commonly experience 50-70% energy reduction immediately after installation. This dramatic drop in electrical usage lowers monthly utility costs while improving overall light quality.
• Eliminate Poor Color Rendering Issues: High CRI 80+ illumination delivers crisp, natural visibility. Retrofits remove the yellow-green tint typical of aging metal halide lamps, improving safety, visibility, and overall aesthetics.
• End the Constant Maintenance Cycle: Say goodbye to bulb burnouts and ballast failures. Retrofit kits typically operate for 50,000+ hours with minimal degradation, drastically reducing maintenance costs over the system's lifetime.
• Stop Waiting for Light: LEDs deliver full brightness in under one second. This eliminates metal halide warm-up delays and restrike issues after outages, critical for security, safety, and emergency operations.
• Plan for Long-Term Reliability: Premium LED retrofit kits typically last 10-15 years under normal operating conditions. Facilities benefit from consistent, dependable illumination backed by 15+ years of LED performance data.

Optimal Applications for LED Lighting Supply Metal Halide Retrofit Kits

• Architectural Preservation Projects: Well-suited for outdoor fixtures where keeping the existing housing preserves the original architectural aesthetic while still upgrading to efficient LED technology, depending on application requirements.
• Sports and Recreation Facilities: Excellent for indoor uplighting applications, such as natatoriums and sports courts-where reflected ceiling illumination provides smooth, uniform light distribution when properly specified.
• Commercial Interior Spaces: Commonly used to replace metal halide lamps inside recessed can lighting systems, improving efficiency and light quality in retail, commercial, and industrial environments.
• Weather-Exposed Applications: Suitable for water-tight outdoor fixtures with the proper IP rating, allowing an LED upgrade without compromising weather or moisture protection.
• 24/7 Operations: Well-suited for gas station canopies and similar continuous-operation environments where consistent illumination and reduced maintenance are critical.
• Budget-Conscious Upgrades: Retrofit kits allow facilities to upgrade to LED without modifying the fixture housing, avoiding permit requirements, reducing installation costs, and keeping projects within budget.

Recommended LED Lighting Supply Retrofit Solutions by Wattage

175-250 Watt Metal Halide Replacement:

• 45-watt LED Retrofit Kit delivering 7,425 lumens for cost-effective area lighting

400 Watt Metal Halide Replacement:

• 150 Watt Parking Lot 16" Shoebox Fixture Retrofit Kit with 24,750 lumens
• 100 Watt Generic Metal Halide Fixture Retrofit producing 15,500 lumens
• 120 Watt Generic Metal Halide Fixture Retrofit producing 18,600 lumens

1000 Watt Metal Halide Replacement:

• 240 Watt Parking Lot 23" Shoebox Fixture Retrofit Kit generating 39,600 lumens for high-output applications

Specialized Shoebox and Parking Lot Light Solutions

We manufacture four specialized retrofit kits engineered specifically for shoebox applications, addressing the unique challenges of parking lot and area lighting. Our 16" fixture kits replace 400-watt metal halide or HPS systems, while 23" fixture kits handle 1000-watt HID replacements. These purpose-built solutions ensure proper fit and optimal light distribution patterns that maintain IESNA standards for parking lot illumination.

Most installations achieve equal or superior light output compared to the original metal halide system while delivering substantial energy savings. We typically recommend our higher-lumen options for applications requiring maximum brightness and security lighting, while standard models work well for general parking lot and area lighting where energy savings take priority over peak output.

The Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) has established recommended practices for outdoor area lighting that specify proper illumination levels and uniformity ratios for parking facilities. These standards ensure optimal visibility and safety while maximizing energy efficiency in LED retrofit applications.

Industry-Standard Safety and Performance Certifications

All our retrofit kits carry essential certifications, including DLC Premium, UL Listed, and ETL Listed approvals. These industry-standard certifications ensure safety, performance, and energy efficiency while qualifying your project for utility rebates and tax incentives. DLC Premium certification guarantees the highest efficiency standards and maximum rebate eligibility, often covering 30-50% of retrofit costs.

The Design Lights Consortium (DLC) sets rigorous energy efficiency standards for LED lighting products to ensure maximum utility rebate eligibility, while Underwriters Laboratories (UL) provides comprehensive safety testing and certification for electrical products used in commercial and industrial applications.

Comprehensive USA-Based Warranty and Support

All our retrofit kits come with at least a 5-year warranty, model dependent, and all warranty support is based in the USA. We take customer support seriously, and helping you with a warranty claim is important to us. Our experienced support team understands the importance of keeping your lighting operational and will work quickly to resolve any warranty issues, minimizing downtime and maintaining your facility's safety and security.

Start Your Metal Halide Retrofit Project Today

Transform your outdated metal halide lighting into efficient, reliable LED performance while preserving your existing fixtures and staying within budget. Our retrofit solutions typically deliver immediate energy savings of 50-70%, eliminate maintenance headaches, and provide superior light quality for 15+ years of reliable operation.

Request a free lighting plan from our Product Specialists to identify the optimal retrofit solution for your specific application, or speak with a lighting specialist to discuss your project requirements and available utility rebates.

LED Retrofit Kits for Metal Halide Fixtures Frequently Asked Questions

What Is a Metal Halide LED Retrofit Kit and How Does It Work?

A metal halide LED retrofit kit contains an LED head, driver, and mounting hardware designed to replace the metal halide bulb and ballast inside existing HID fixtures. The kit transforms your current fixture housing into modern LED performance by swapping only the internal components while maintaining the original appearance. Compatible with 100-277V input, these retrofit solutions deliver instant full brightness without warm-up periods and work with shoebox lights, wall packs, flood lights, and indoor canned lighting systems.

How Much Energy Can I Save by Retrofitting Metal Halide Fixtures to LED ?

LED retrofit kits typically deliver 50-70% energy reduction compared to metal halide systems while maintaining or exceeding previous light output levels. For example, a 400-watt metal halide system can be replaced with a 100-150 watt LED retrofit kit producing equal or superior illumination. This dramatic decrease in electrical consumption translates directly to lower monthly utility bills and qualifies for utility rebates through DLC Premium certification.

What Wattage LED Retrofit Kit Do I Need to Replace My Metal Halide Fixture?

For 175-250 watt metal halide systems, use a 45-watt LED retrofit kit producing 7,425 lumens. 400-watt metal halide fixtures require 100-150 watt LED kits delivering 15,500-24,750 lumens depending on application requirements. 1000-watt metal halide systems need 240-watt LED retrofit kits generating 39,600 lumens for high-output applications like large parking lots and industrial facilities.

Can LED Retrofit Kits Work in Any Type of Metal Halide Fixture?

LED retrofit kits are compatible with most enclosed metal halide fixtures including shoebox lights, wall packs, flood lights, uplight fixtures, and indoor recessed canned lighting. The existing fixture must have adequate space for the LED head and driver assembly, and proper ventilation for heat dissipation. We manufacture specialized 16-inch and 23-inch shoebox retrofit kits engineered specifically for parking lot applications to ensure proper fit and optimal light distribution patterns.

How Long Do Metal Halide LED Retrofit Kits Last Compared to Traditional Bulbs?

Quality LED retrofit kits operate reliably for 50,000+ hours with minimal performance degradation, compared to 15,000-20,000 hours for metal halide bulbs. Under normal operating conditions, facilities can expect 10-15 years of reliable operation with consistent light output maintained throughout the operational lifespan. This eliminates the constant maintenance cycle of bulb burnouts and ballast failures that plague HID systems.

What Certifications Should I Look for in LED Retrofit Kits?

Essential certifications include DLC Premium, UL Listed, and ETL Listed approvals for safety, performance, and energy efficiency. DLC Premium certification guarantees the highest efficiency standards and qualifies your project for utility rebates that often cover 30-50% of retrofit costs. These industry-standard certifications ensure compliance with electrical codes and maximize rebate eligibility while guaranteeing long-term reliability.

Do LED Retrofit Kits Provide Better Light Quality Than Metal Halide?

LED retrofit kits deliver superior light quality with CRI ratings above 70+, producing crisp, natural illumination that makes colors appear more vibrant and true-to-life. This eliminates the yellow-green tint common with aging metal halide lamps that can compromise safety and aesthetics. LEDs also reach full brightness in under one second, eliminating warm-up periods and restrike delays that occur after power outages.

What Applications Are Best Suited for Metal Halide LED Retrofit Kits?

Optimal applications include architectural preservation projects where maintaining existing fixture aesthetics is important, sports facilities with indoor uplighting systems, commercial interior spaces with recessed canned lighting, and weather-exposed outdoor installations. 24/7 operations like gas station canopy lighting benefit significantly from reduced maintenance requirements, while budget-conscious upgrades avoid permit complications since the original fixture housing remains unchanged.

Why Choose LED Lighting Supply for Metal Halide Retrofit Projects?

We bring over 15 years of commercial and industrial lighting expertise and 25,000+ completed projects to ensure proper application matching for maximum performance and longevity. Our Product Specialists provide consultative guidance beyond just selling products, helping identify optimal retrofit solutions for specific applications and available utility rebates. All retrofit kits include comprehensive 5-year USA-based warranty support with experienced technicians who understand the importance of keeping your lighting operational.

How Complex Is the Installation Process for LED Retrofit Kits?

Installation involves removing the existing metal halide bulb and ballast, then installing the LED head and driver assembly using the included mounting hardware. The process typically requires basic electrical knowledge and standard tools, with most installations completed in 15-30 minutes per fixture. Drivers automatically adjust to 100-277V input systems, making the upgrade straightforward across different electrical configurations without requiring fixture housing modifications or permit complications.