New Lighting Requirements Coming

Revisions to ILHR Chapters 63-64 of the Wisconsin Administrative Code which were to take effect in April include new lighting requirements for both new construction and building renovations. It's unlikely, however, that major changes will be made to the lighting sections of the proposed code which will become official April 1, 1997. Some of the key changes are outlined below.

Exterior Lighting
Exterior lighting must be controlled by a photocell or astronomical time clock that turns off the lights automatically when daylight is available. The control system must also provide 10 hours of battery backup. This mandate will result in lower operating costs, especially where automatic controls have not been used.

High-pressure sodium and metal halide lights are exempted from the code's proposed exterior lighting power requirements due to their energy efficiency. Thus, for any new installations, it will be best to avoid the increased power requirements of incandescent exterior lighting.

Interior Lighting
All interior spaces with ceiling-height partitions must have an independent switch or a manual or automatic control device.

Areas greater than 100 square feet require controls that can reduce the space's energy load by at least 50%, but areas with occupancy sensors need no additional controls. Daylit areas in enclosed spaces greater than 250 square feet,including areas with skylights, require lighting controls that will reduce lighting energy by at least 50%.

Automatic shutoff controls are required for every floor or metered space of more than 5,000 square feet. The controls must have a manual override with a maximum "on" time of two hours.

To deter the use of single-lamp ballasts, the code requires tandem wiring of ballasts when multilevel switching or single-lamp fixtures are used.

Changes Not Restricted to Lighting
The new code will impact a variety of systems beyond lighting, including HVAC systems and the amount of glass, insulation and type of roofing materials specified in building envelope designs. The code will also establish new R-values and building envelope "U" factors, as well as the methods used to calculate such values.

The new lighting requirements discussed here should help reduce the operating costs for many buildings. Getting an early start on the coming mandates rather than waiting until 1997 can add several months of savings, enhancing the return on investment in lighting system upgrades.

For a copy of ILHR 63-64 Commercial Energy and HVAC Code, call 1-800-362-7253 and request Document ILHR 50-64. Training in the new code is available through the Energy Center of Wisconsin. For dates and locations, call 1-608-238-8276, ext. 32.