Evolving Updates to DLC SSL Technical Requirements

The DLC is planning updates to the SSL Technical Requirements. Originally planned for two-phased updates, feedback received has convinced DLC that a single update as V6.0 would be less disruptive and provide greater value. SSL V6.0 represents a major update with an efficacy increase and associated product delistings. It also includes proposed updates that support better controls information, outdoor lighting that mitigates light pollution, non-white light products, solar powered products, sustainability, and more.

The update is currently in the research and development phase, and does not have release dates set yet. The DLC will release the update as a draft, and will use their standard stakeholder input process, giving stakeholders opportunity to provide comments.

Items being considered for inclusion in the Technical Requirements are described below.  DLC is looking for input on these topics, and other topic areas.  All proposed updates are subject to change based on DLC research and stakeholder feedback.

Changes under consideration:

• Clarifications and improvements to the color tuning policy, including new required information for color tunable products.
• Allow submitters to report form factor and mounting data for their products.
• Convert many specialty primary use designations (PUDs) into regular PUDs.
• Accept 1800K and 2000K outdoor lighting products that comply with the forthcoming ANSI/NEMA C78.377 standard.
• Streamline the outdoor lighting/LUNA application process to ease testing burden for product families.
• Introduce support for solar products by including optional reported fields for solar panel and battery component information.
• Introduce the topic of lifecycle sustainability by allowing submitters to optionally report their product life cycle analyses (LCAs), environmental product declarations (EPDs), materials lists, and/or other sustainability information along with the standards or certification bodies these reports comply with.
• Efficacy allowances as tradeoffs for products that meet certain thresholds for reduction in embodied carbon or toxicity, better materials, recyclability, and more.
• Restructure of controls information on the SSL QPL to more clearly communicate the controls options that are available on a given product and help clarify discussions around lighting control communication protocols, interoperability, and capabilities. This new framework will also allow the DLC to articulate data connections between the SSL and NLC QPLs.
• Reorganize and display field-adjustable product features and information in a clearer format.
• Required reporting of certain quality of light features such as standardized flicker and color maintenance metrics.
• Increased efficacy thresholds determined from current QPL and market statistics.
• New primary use designations based on Member demand and requests from manufacturers.
• Criteria for listing non-white light outdoor products (e.g. pc-amber, de-amber, and red spectra).
• Lower maximum CCT threshold to align outdoor fixture requirements with the DLC’s mission to reduce light pollution (this comes with some potential exceptions, including sports lighting).
• In-luminaire battery performance reporting to support load shifting with outdoor lighting fixtures.
• Improvements to product lifetime reporting requirements to help lighting decision makers understand the useful lifetime of lighting products being installed.
• New dual sourcing requirement pathways for manufacturers to more easily communicate where dual sourcing is occurring for their products and to show performance equivalence at the luminaire level.
• Collection and display of detailed information on product availability/compatibility with NLC listed systems to eliminate controls-focused wildcards in model numbers and enable correlation between SSL and NLC QPL records.
• Additional reporting on the QPL for existing metrics (e.g., the QPL could display UGR values, TM-30 Color Vector Graphics, or other standardized metrics or performance information).

The latest information on the development of DLC’s SSL Technical Requirements V6.0 can be found here.

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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