Codes + Standards

ENERGY STAR is a voluntary testing and labeling program that verifies that energy-efficient lighting products provide comparable performance as incumbent-technology products while saving energy. ENERGY STAR is used as a qualification for product rebates by a number of utilities. On June 1, the EPA released the new (final) Luminaires v2.0 spec, which will replace v1.2 [...]

Last November, ASHRAE published an updated version of its green building standard, ANSI/ASHRAE/USGBC/IES Standard 189.1, Standard for the Design of High-Performance Green Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings. My lighting column in the June issue of ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR covers the lighting requirements of the standard. Check it out here.

If you live in Canada, Happy Canada Day! From my lighting column for the May issue of ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR, on the topic of 2015 IECC: Last year, the International Code Council published the 2015 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), a model energy code that states and other jurisdictions can use in whole or part as [...]

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced the release of the final ENERGY STAR Luminaires V2.0 specification, which will replace V1.2 on June 1, 2016. Click here to learn more and download the specification.

A newly revised standard from ASHRAE and IES seeks to provide greater guidance and a more comprehensive approach to retrofit of existing buildings for increased energy efficiency. ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 100-2015, Energy Efficiency in Existing Buildings, provides comprehensive and detailed descriptions of the processes and procedures for the retrofit of existing residential and commercial buildings in [...]

The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) has published ANSI C82.77-10-2014 American National Standard for Lighting Equipment—Harmonic Emission Limits—Related Power Quality Requirements. This standard specifies harmonic limits, their methods of measurement, and power factor for lighting equipment. With the increased use of sensitive electronic equipment, harmonic distortion on power lines is an ever-increasing issue for residential, [...]

In November 2014, ASHRAE published ANSI/ASHRAE/USGBC/IES Standard 189.1, Standard for the Design of High-Performance, Green Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings. The standard, which updates the previous 2011 version, covers site sustainability, water use, energy, indoor environmental quality, and the building’s impact on the atmosphere, materials and resources. The standard provides states and other jurisdictions a [...]

New requirements to further reduce energy and environmental impacts of buildings are contained in the 2014 version of the green building standard from ASHRAE, the U.S. Green Building Council and the Illuminating Engineering Society. ANSI/ASHRAE/USGBC/IES Standard 189.1-2014, Standard for the Design of High-Performance, Green Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings, addresses the areas of site sustainability; [...]

The Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) recently announced the publication of Recommended Practice for Roadway Lighting, RP-8-14, an American National Standards Institute (ANSI) approved standard. The IES, as an accredited ANSI standards developer, revised RP-8-14 in accordance with ANSI consensus-based procedures. The primary purpose of this Recommended Practice is to serve as the basis for design [...]