This chapter applies to all nonresidential outdoor lighting, whether attached to buildings, poles, structures or self-supporting, including, but not limited to, lighting for hardscape areas such as parking lots, lighting for building entrances, lighting for all outdoor sales areas, and lighting for building façades.
The nonresidential outdoor lighting part of the Energy Code includes minimum control requirements, maximum allowable lighting power, and shielding (uplight and glare) zonal lumen limits for outdoor luminaires.
All section (§) and table references in this chapter refer to sections and tables contained in the Energy Code.
Refer to Residential Compliance Manual Chapter 6 for information on lighting requirements for single-family residential buildings.
Refer to Nonresidential Compliance Manual Chapter 14 for information on lighting requirements for multifamily buildings.
Outdoor lighting power densities are structured using a layered lighting approach. With the layered approach, the first layer of allowed lighting power is general hardscape for the entire site. After the allowed lighting power has been determined for this first layer, additional layers of lighting power are allowed for specific applications when they occur on the site. For example, the total allowed power for a sales lot with frontage is determined by layering the general hardscape, outdoor sales lot, and outdoor sales lot frontage allowances, with specific restrictions associated with the location of the power used for frontage and sales lot lighting.
Figure 6-1: Concept of a Layered Lighting Approach for Outdoor Lighting — Lighting Power Allowance (LPA)
Additional Lighting Power allowance for specific applications |
General Hardscape Perimeter allowance |
General Hardscape Area allowance |
General Hardscape Initial allowance |
Image Source: California Energy Commission
The outdoor lighting applications that are addressed by the Energy Code are shown in the first two columns of Table 6-1. The first column is general site illumination applications, which allow trade-offs within the outdoor portion only. The second column is specific outdoor lighting applications, which do not allow trade-offs and are considered “use it or lose it.” The lighting applications in the third column are exempt from lighting power requirements. However, these lighting applications must meet applicable lighting control requirements.
The Energy Code does not allow trade-offs between outdoor lighting power allowances and indoor lighting, sign lighting, heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system, building envelope, or water heating (§140.7(a)).
There is only one type of trade-off permitted for outdoor lighting power. Allowed lighting power determined according to §140.7(d)1 for general hardscape lighting may be traded to specific applications in §140.7(d)2, provided the luminaires used to determine the illuminated area are installed as designed. This means that if luminaires used to determine the total illuminated area are removed from the design, resulting in a smaller illuminated area, then the general hardscape lighting power allowance must also be reduced accordingly.
Allowed lighting power for specific applications may not be traded between specific applications or to hardscape lighting in §140.7(d)1. This means that for each specific application, the allowed lighting power is the smaller of the allowed power determined for that specific application according to §140.7(d)2, or the actual installed lighting power that is used in that specific application. These additional power allowances are “use it or lose it” allowances.
Lighting Applications Covered General Hardscape (trade-offs permitted) | Lighting Applications Covered Specific Applications (trade-offs not permitted) | |
The general hardscape area of a site shall include parking lot(s), roadway(s), driveway(s), sidewalk(s), walkway(s), bikeway(s), plaza(s), bridge(s), tunnel(s), and other improved area(s) that are illuminated. | Canopies: Sales and Non-sales Tunnels Drive-Up Windows Emergency Vehicle Facilities Building Entrances or Exits Building Façades Guard Stations Hardscape Ornamental Lighting Outdoor Dining Primary Entrances for Senior Care Facilities, Police Stations, Healthcare Facilities, Fire Stations, and Emergency Vehicle Facilities Outdoor Sales Frontage and Lots Special Security Lighting for Retail Parking and Pedestrian Hardscape Student Pick-up/Drop-off zone Vehicle Service Station: Canopies, Hardscape, and Uncovered Fuel Dispenser ATM Lighting Security Cameras | Temporary outdoor lighting Required and regulated by FAA Required and regulated by the Coast Guard. For public streets, roadways, highways, and traffic signage lighting, and occurring in the public right-of-way For sports and athletic fields, and children’s playground For industrial sites For public monuments Signs regulated by §130.3 and § 140.8 For stairs and wheelchair elevator lifts For ramps that are not parking garage ramps Landscape lighting For themes and special effects in theme parks For outdoor theatrical and other outdoor live performances For qualified historic buildings |
Source: California Energy Commission
Other outdoor lighting applications that are not included in Energy Code Tables 140.7-A or 140.7-B are assumed to be not regulated by the Energy Code. This includes decorative gas lighting and emergency lighting powered by an emergency source as defined by the California Electrical Code. The text in the above list of lighting applications that are not regulated has been shortened for brevity. Please see Section 6.2.3 for details about unregulated lighting applications.
When a luminaire is installed only to illuminate one or more of the following applications, the lighting power for that luminaire shall be exempt from the lighting power requirements in §140.7(a). Refer to the right column of Table 6-1 for a quick reference to the lighting applications that are exempted. Also, the Energy Code clarifies that at least 50 percent of the light from the luminaire must fall within an application to qualify as being installed for that application.