Lighting

 

 

How can electrical engineers and lighting designers better meet efficiency and smart building requirements? Through the use of lighting controls.

Codes and standards require lighting engineers to include power allowances, daylighting controls, functional testing and commissioning in lighting designs to verify lighting controls. Requirements for lighting controls become more complex with each edition of the energy-conservation codes. Codes and standards include ASHRAE Standard 90.1: Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings, the International Energy Conservation Code and California Title 24.

This course will summarize the codes and standards that apply to lighting systems, controls and commissioning. It also will review the different approaches to the controls that meet energy-efficiency requirements.

With each level of increased complexity, the benefits of formally commissioning, programming or calibrating lighting control systems increase. Those benefits include:

  • Superior energy performance, generally obtained from operation of lighting controls in accordance with their design.
  • Improved indoor environmental quality, with maintenance of appropriate lighting levels through changing conditions.
  • Smoother transition of personnel and operations into new facilities. There are many steps to examine when commissioning lighting controls, following energy code requirements. ASHRAE 90.1, the International Energy Conservation Code and California Title 24 all require some form of commissioning activity, in varying levels of detail. Title 24 provides a lot of detail in its commissioning and testing requirements.

Learning objectives:

  • Summarize the codes and standards that apply to lighting systems, controls and commissioning.
  • Illustrate the steps for commissioning a lighting system.
  • Make use of lighting controls to improve energy efficiency/reduce energy consumption in buildings. (Learn about the pros and cons of different controls approaches.)
  • Highlight other building systems (HVAC, receptacles, etc.) that interact with the lighting and lighting controls system.