The Energy Commission has approved the California Advanced Lighting Controls Training Program (CALCTP) and the National Lighting Contractors Association of America (NLCAA) as Lighting Acceptance Test Technician Certification Providers. This action gives CALCTP and NLCAA authorization to train and certify qualified individuals and employers beyond the interim period established by the 2013 Energy Standards. Individuals […]


Decoding IECC 2015
In 2014, the International Code Council published the 2015 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), a model residential and commercial building energy code. ICC states: “This code shall regulate the design and construction of buildings for the use and conservation of energy over the life of each building.” The IECC is not a code in itself […]

DOE Updates National Reference Standard for Commercial Buildings to 90.1-2013
Following preliminary analysis that ASHRAE/IES’s 2013 energy efficiency standard contains energy savings over the 2010 standard – 8.5% source energy savings and 7.6% site energy savings – the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has issued a ruling that establishes the 2013 standard as the commercial building reference standard for state building energy codes. In an […]

What’s New in ASHRAE/IES 90.1-2013
Update: On September 26, 2014, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) named the ASHRAE/IES 90.1-2013 energy standard as the new national energy reference standard, superseding the 2010 version in effect until then. Within two years, all states in the United States must put into effect a commercial building energy code at least as stringent as […]

Outdoor Lighting Controls: The State of the Art
Outdoor lighting controls is undergoing a mini-revolution that offers new design and selling opportunities while challenging electrical professionals to stay on top of technological change. Traditionally, outdoor lighting control was relatively simple. A typical scheme featured a controller providing automatic ON/OFF based on time of day (using an astronomical time switch) or daylight (photosensor). The […]

ASHRAE/IES 90.1-2010 or Equivalent Adopted in 11 States
ASHRAE/IES 90.1-2010, IECC 2012 or an equivalent commercial building energy code has been adopted in 11 states, according to EnergyCodes.gov, the energy codes website produced by the Department of Energy. A DOE ruling required all states to certify they had an energy code in place at least as stringent as ASHRAE/IES 90.1-2010 by October of […]

Illuminating Engineering Society Publishes LEM-7 Guide to Energy-Saving Lighting Controls
The Illuminating Engineering Society, in partnership with the Lighting Controls Association, has published LEM-7, Lighting Controls for Energy Management, a detailed guide to energy-saving lighting controls. The publication was written by Craig DiLouie, LC in support of the IES Energy Management Committee. The 48-page 8.5×11 guide, which is available for $35 (IES members) and $50 […]

Lighting Controls Association Offers Updated Energy Codes Course
The Lighting Controls Association has updated EE203: Lighting & Commercial Energy Codes, a course in its popular Education Express program. Education Express provides in-depth education about lighting controls and controllable ballast technology, application, system design and commissioning. Commercial building energy codes regulate the designed energy efficiency of nonresidential buildings. Current codes and standards require a […]

What’s New for Lighting Control in the New California Title 24
Guest post by Charles Knuffke, WattStopper Lighting professionals in California are watching the approaching New Year with some apprehension, for 2014 brings with it a completely revamped and far more aggressive energy code. While California’s Title 24 Energy Code has had a reputation for being a leadership code in the past, the 2013 revision more […]

Exterior Lighting Control Strategies
The latest generation of energy codes and standards require that building exterior lighting be turned OFF and/or reduced when not in use, producing significant energy cost savings. This includes outdoor area/parking lot, bollard, entrance/exit canopy and wallpack lighting. The following decisions will ensure that energy consumption is minimized by turning lighting OFF or turning it […]