LED Tubes vs New Panels: What's the Right Choice for Your Office Retrofit?

It’s one of the most common questions I get for office LED retrofits: “Can we just put LED tubes in the existing fittings?”

The answer is yes, you can. But should you? Let me walk through the options.

The Three Approaches

Option 1: LED Tubes in Existing Fittings (Retrofit)

You keep the existing troffer or batten fittings but replace the fluorescent tubes with LED tubes.

Two sub-options here:

Type A (Ballast Compatible): LED tubes that work with the existing fluorescent ballast. Just swap the tubes.

Type B (Bypass Ballast): LED tubes with internal drivers. The ballast is bypassed or removed, and tubes connect directly to mains power.

Option 2: LED Panel Replacement

Remove the existing fluorescent fittings entirely. Install new LED panel or troffer fittings in their place.

Option 3: LED Battens (Industrial/Utility Areas)

For non-office spaces with surface-mounted fluorescent battens, replace with LED battens.

The Real Comparison

Let’s compare Options 1 and 2 for a typical office scenario—this is where the decision matters most.

Existing situation: 600x600 or 600x1200 recessed troffers with T8 fluorescent tubes.

Cost Comparison

LED Tube Retrofit (Type B):

  • LED tubes: $15-25 each (need 2-4 per fitting)
  • Labour to bypass ballast and install: $30-50 per fitting
  • Total per fitting: approximately $80-150

LED Panel Replacement:

  • LED panel: $60-120 (varies widely by quality)
  • Labour to remove old and install new: $40-60 per fitting
  • Total per fitting: approximately $100-180

The gap is narrower than many people expect. Panels aren’t necessarily much more expensive when you factor in total project cost.

Light Quality

This is where panels win convincingly.

LED tubes:

  • Light comes from linear sources (the tubes)
  • In troffers designed for fluorescents, light distribution can be uneven
  • Glare potential if tubes are visible through the diffuser
  • UGR (glare rating) often higher than ideal for offices

LED panels:

  • Designed from the ground up for LED technology
  • Even light distribution across the entire panel face
  • Lower glare (better UGR ratings typically)
  • Modern panels often achieve UGR<19, important for computer-heavy offices

For any office where people work on screens, the visual comfort difference matters.

Energy Efficiency

Both options are more efficient than fluorescents, but there’s a difference:

LED tubes typically achieve 100-130 lumens per watt at the tube level. But the fitting’s optics (designed for fluorescents) may reduce system efficiency.

LED panels typically achieve 100-120 lumens per watt as a complete system, including the optical design optimized for LED.

In practice, you might see panels use slightly less power for the same light output because the optics are matched.

Maintenance and Lifecycle

LED tubes:

  • If a tube fails, just replace that tube
  • But: tubes from different batches might not colour-match perfectly
  • The existing fitting body ages too—will it look tired before the tubes fail?

LED panels:

  • Sealed unit—if something fails, replace the panel
  • But: modern panels have excellent longevity (50,000+ hours to L70)
  • Consistent appearance across installations

Rebate Implications

For ESC and VEEC calculations, both options can qualify. The certificate quantity depends on the energy savings, not specifically on whether you retrofitted or replaced.

However:

  • Complete fitting replacement makes documentation cleaner
  • Some activity definitions are specific about fitting types
  • Your ACP can advise on your specific situation

Practical Considerations

When LED tubes make sense:

  • Budget is extremely tight
  • Existing fittings are modern and in good condition
  • You’re doing a quick upgrade with minimal disruption
  • The space is utility-focused (not premium office)

When panels make sense:

  • You want the best light quality outcome
  • Existing fittings are aging anyway
  • You’re planning the space for longer-term use
  • UGR requirements for computer work environments matter
  • You want the cleanest aesthetic result

My Honest Opinion

For most commercial office retrofits, I recommend panel replacement over tube retrofits.

The cost difference is small enough that the quality improvement justifies it. Panels look better, perform better, and don’t have the compromised optics issue.

The exception: truly budget-constrained projects where the client understands the trade-offs and accepts them. Or utility spaces where maximum light quality isn’t the priority.

The Type A Tube Trap

I’d actively discourage Type A (ballast-compatible) LED tubes for commercial projects.

Why?

  • The fluorescent ballast stays in place, consuming power
  • Ballast compatibility issues cause flickering and failures
  • When the old ballast eventually fails, you’re back for another service call
  • It feels like a half-measure

If you’re going to retrofit tubes, do it properly with Type B (bypass). Get rid of the ballast, wire direct, and have a clean installation.

A Word on Emergency Lighting

If your existing troffers include emergency battery packs, the retrofit gets more complex.

Options:

  1. Retrofit tubes and keep existing emergency pack (may need modification)
  2. Replace with LED panels that include emergency function
  3. Separate the emergency function to dedicated emergency fittings

Don’t overlook this. Emergency lighting compliance matters (see AS/NZS 2293), and a hasty tube retrofit can create problems.

Ceiling Tile Considerations

If you’re replacing fittings in a suspended ceiling, check:

  • Is the ceiling grid standard 600x600 or 600x1200?
  • Are the tiles in good condition?
  • Will removing old fittings disturb the ceiling?

Panel sizes are typically 600x600 or 1200x300 (for batten-style appearances). Some fittings require tile removal; others are designed for direct replacement.

Making the Decision

Run the numbers for your specific project:

  1. Get quotes for both approaches
  2. Consider the light quality requirements
  3. Factor in the age and condition of existing fittings
  4. Think about how long you’ll occupy the space
  5. Decide

For most projects, when you see the real cost difference is only 20-30%, the panel option becomes an easy choice.

But I’ve seen successful tube retrofits too. It’s not wrong—it’s just usually not the best answer.