Earlier this year, the U.S. General Service Administration (GSA) published LED Lighting and Controls Guidance for Federal Buildings. The guide was authored by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

The document provides guidance for Federal agencies to select the most cost-effective and energy-efficient lighting systems available. It is intended as a roadmap and reference to select the best lighting system for a federal facility.

The guide includes flowcharts that illustrate LED and control options with the best return on investment (see example images below). It provides deployment guidance and implementation considerations and offers best practices and lessons learned from past

GPG evaluations. The guide recommends 8 steps for designing a lighting control system:

1. Review Energy Code Requirements
2. Assess Need for Enhanced Capabilities
3. Design Lighting Zones
4. Select a System Architecture
5. Determine Sensor and Controller Location
6. Configure Control Wiring
7. Identify Communication Protocols
8. Plan for Retro- and Re-Commissioning

The full 60-page guide can be downloaded here.

All images: gsa.gov

David Shiller

David Shiller is the Publisher of LightNOW, and President of Lighting Solution Development, a North American consulting firm providing business development services to advanced lighting manufacturers. The ALA awarded David the Pillar of the Industry Award. David has co-chaired ALA’s Engineering Committee since 2010. David established MaxLite’s OEM component sales into a multi-million dollar division. He invented GU24 lamps while leading ENERGY STAR lighting programs for the US EPA. David has been published in leading lighting publications, including LD+A, enLIGHTenment Magazine, LEDs Magazine, and more.

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