The Standards define a residential kitchen as a room or area used for food storage and preparation and washing dishes including associated counter tops and cabinets, refrigerator, stove, oven, and floor areas.
Kitchen lighting includes all permanently installed lighting in the kitchen, except for lighting that is internal to cabinets for the purpose of illuminating only the inside of the cabinets. Lighting in areas adjacent to the kitchen, including but not limited to dining and nook areas, are considered kitchen lighting if they are not separately switched from kitchen lighting.
See section 6.3.1 of this chapter for a discussion of permanent versus portable lighting.
A. Determine High Efficacy and Low Efficacy Installed Wattage
The residential lighting Standards require that at least half of the rated lighting wattage installed in a kitchen shall be high efficacy luminaires.
For example, if 150W of high efficacy lighting is installed, no more than 150W of low efficacy lighting can be installed.
See sections 6.3.2 and 6.3.3 of this chapter for descriptions of high and low efficacy luminaires.
Because high efficacy luminaires typically consume less power than other luminaires, about three-fourths of the luminaires in the kitchen are likely to be high efficacy.
The Residential Lighting Certificate of Installation is required to be completed to determine if kitchen lighting complies with the Standards.
There are no limits to the total number of watts that can be installed in a residential kitchen. Therefore, there are no limits to illumination levels. If higher illumination levels are needed, simply install additional wattage from high efficacy luminaires until needed illumination levels are reached.
See section 6.4 of this chapter for information on determining the input power (wattage) of each installed luminaire.
Example 6-6: Kitchens: Wattage calculation
Question
I am designing a residential kitchen lighting system where I plan to install six 26W compact fluorescent recessed downlights, and four 24W linear fluorescent under cabinet luminaires. Therefore, how many watts of incandescent lighting can I install?
Answer
First, determine the rated input watts of the fluorescent lighting system, including any additional wattage used by the ballasts. For this example, let’s assume that the downlights with electronic ballasts are rated by the ballast manufacturer as consuming only 26W, and the under cabinet luminaires with electronic ballasts are rated by the ballast manufacturer as consuming 25W.
26 x 6 = 156W
25 x 4 = 100W
Total = 256W
Therefore, the maximum watts of incandescent lighting that can be installed is 256W.
Example 6-7: Kitchens: Rated “relamping” wattage of luminaires
Question
In the above example, if I plan to use 40W incandescent lamps (bulbs) in luminaires that have a relamping rated wattage of 90W, how many incandescent luminaires can I install?
Answer
The installed incandescent wattage is based upon the relamping rated wattage of the luminaire, and not by the wattage of the lamp. Two 90W incandescent luminaires = 180W, and three-90W incandescent luminaires = 270W. Because no more than 256W of low efficacy lighting can be installed in the above kitchen, only two-90W incandescent luminaires may be installed.
An additional 76W of low efficacy lighting may be installed somewhere else in the kitchen, provided that the total installed relamping rated wattage does not exceed the 76W still available.
Alternatively, four incandescent luminaires with a manufacturers labeled maximum relamping rated wattage of 60 watts (240W total) can be installed in the kitchen.
Example 6-8: Kitchens: Rated wattage of transformers
Question
In the above example, if I plan to use low-voltage incandescent halogen lamps with individual transformers rated at 40W each (in this example, let’s assume that 40W includes the input wattage of the transformer + the lamp), how many of these low-voltage incandescent luminaires can I install?
Answer
The installed of low-voltage lighting is based upon the rating of the transformer. You are allowed up to 256W of low efficacy lighting
256 divided by 40 = 6.4 luminaires
You are allowed to install 6 low-voltage incandescent halogen luminaires with transformers rated at 40W each.
Example 6-9: Kitchens: Use of luminaires that are not certified to the Commission
Question
In the previous example, if I plan to use 15W LED luminaires which has not been certified to the Energy Commission as high efficacy, how many of these LED luminaires can I install?
Answer
LED lighting, which has not been certified by the Energy Commission as high efficacy, shall be classified as low efficacy lighting. The installed LED system wattage must include transformers, power supplies, and any other power consuming components. You are allowed up to 256W of low efficacy lighting.
In this example, let’s assume a system input wattage of 15W per LED luminaire:
256 divided by 15 = 17 luminaires
You are allowed to install 17 low efficacy LED luminaires with system input wattage of 15W each.
NOTE: There would be no limit on the number of LED luminaires that could be installed, if they had been certified to the Energy Commission as high efficacy.
Example 6-10: Definition of high efficacy lighting
Question
I am using an incandescent luminaire over a sink that is rated to take a 60W lamp. The luminaire has a screw-base socket and I plan to install a 26W compact fluorescent lamp. Does this qualify as a high efficacy luminaire and what wattage should I use in determining if half the lighting power in the kitchen is high efficacy?
Answer
No, the luminaire does not count as high efficacy because it is capable of being lamped with an incandescent lamp. Use the maximum rated power (60W) for determining the percent of high efficacy lighting. If the maximum rating of the luminaire is less than 50W, it counts as a 50W luminaire for the purpose of lighting wattage calculations.
If this luminaire were manufactured with only a GU-24 twist-lock socket, and no screw-base sockets, it would be classified as a high-efficacy luminaire. Note that adaptors that convert screw-base sockets to GU-24 sockets are not recognized for compliance with the lighting Standards.
Example 6-11: Kitchens: Track lighting power calculation
Question
If I use track lighting in a kitchen, how do I calculate the power?
Answer
See §130(d) of the Standards, or section 6.4.4 of this chapter. For line voltage track, use the maximum relamping wattage of all of the installed luminaires as listed on permanent factory-installed labels, or 45W/linear feet of track, whichever is larger. If a line-voltage integral current limiter is used, use 12.5W/linear feet of track, or the volt-ampere rating of the current limiter (if the current limiter is certified to the Commission), whichever is lower.
For low-voltage tracks, use the maximum rated input wattage of the transformer as listed on a permanent factory-installed label.
Example 6-12: Kitchens: Boundary between kitchen and other rooms
Question
Where does the kitchen lighting stop and the other lighting begin in the case of a large family room with the kitchen on just one side of an approximately 24-ft by 24-ft room. Is the kitchen nook part of the kitchen? Lighting over the eating counter? Lighting in an adjacent pantry?
Answer
Lighting over food preparation areas is kitchen lighting, including areas used for cooking, food storage and preparation and washing dishes, including associated countertops and cabinets, refrigerator, stove, oven, and floor areas. Any other lighting on the same switch is also kitchen lighting, whether or not the luminaires are in the kitchen area. Lighting for areas not specifically included in the definition of a kitchen, like the nook or the family room, is not kitchen lighting, as long as it is switched separately.
Example 6-13: Kitchens: Extraction hood lighting
Question
I am installing an extraction hood over my stove, it has lamps within it. Do these lamps have to be high efficacy?
Answer
This lighting is part of an appliance, and therefore does not have to meet the residential lighting Standards for permanently installed lighting. This lighting is ignored in determining if half the kitchen lighting is high efficacy.
B. Kitchen Low Efficacy Tradeoff Option
Exception to §150.0(k)3
There is a residential kitchen lighting “tradeoff” option available when additional low efficacy lighting is needed, provided that other conditions are met.
Once it has been determined that the installed low efficacy lighting wattage is no greater than the installed high efficacy wattage, a limited number of additional low efficacy lighting wattage may be installed. The additional low efficacy wattage shown below in Table 6-5 – Additional Low Efficacy Wattage Tradeoff may be installed provided that all lighting in the kitchen (including the high efficacy lighting) is controlled by vacancy sensors, dimmers, or by a lighting control system that provides one or both of those functions.
See section 6.2 of this chapter for requirements to certify lighting controls.
|
Size of Individual Dwelling Unit |
Additional low efficacy lighting allowed in a residential kitchen |
|
Less than or equal to 2,500 ft² |
Up to an additional 50 W |
|
Larger than 2,500 ft² |
Up to an additional 100 W |
Example 6-14: Kitchens: Additional low-wattage allowances
Question
I am designing kitchen lighting for a 2,400 ft² house. My design exceeds the 50% low efficacy lighting ratio in my kitchen. This design includes 208W of high efficacy lighting. I plan to control the high efficacy lighting in the kitchen with a vacancy sensor, and the low efficacy lighting in the kitchen with a dimmer. How many watts of low efficacy lighting can I install in my kitchen?
Answer
You are allowed an additional 50W of low efficacy lighting in the kitchen because the house is less than 2,500 ft². You are also allowed 208W of low efficacy lighting based upon the wattage of high efficacy lighting you are installing.
50W + 208W = 258W.
You are allowed to install up to 258W of low efficacy lighting in the kitchen.
C. Lighting Internal to Cabinets
Lighting mounted to a cabinet for the purpose of projecting light somewhere other than the inside of the cabinet shall be considered as kitchen lighting when determining that at least 50% of the permanently installed lighting is high efficacy. For examples, indirect lighting mounted to the top of a cabinet for illuminating the ceiling, light projected from within a cabinet onto a surface outside of a cabinet, and under cabinet lighting, are all types of lighting that are required to be counted toward the 50% residential kitchen lighting high efficacy versus low efficacy lighting.
However, lighting internal to cabinets, installed only for the purpose of illuminating the inside of the cabinets, is not considered kitchen lighting when determining that at least 50% of the permanently installed lighting in a residential kitchen is high efficacy.
Permanently installed lighting that is internal to cabinets shall use no more than 20 W of power per linear foot of illuminated cabinet.
See section 6.3.1 of this chapter for more information about permanently installed lighting.
This linear footage can be determined using any one of the following methods, regardless of the number of shelves or cabinet doors:
1. The total horizontal length of illuminated cabinets
2. The sum of the heights of each separate illuminated cabinet section
3. The sum of several height measurements, taken no closer than 40” from each other.
The third method is recommended when illuminating several cabinets that are of different heights. Figure 6-7 shows that one vertical measurement can be taken per 40” length of illuminated cabinet. If any of the cabinets are not illuminated, they do not count toward the 40” length and should be skipped.
Lighting that is internal to cabinets is defined as lighting installed inside of a cabinet only for the purpose of the illuminating the inside of the cabinet. Lighting installed for the purpose of illuminating surfaces outside of kitchen cabinet is not considered lighting internal to cabinets. The following lighting systems are not considered lighting internal to cabinets:
1. Lighting recessed into a cabinet for the purpose of illuminating surfaces outside of the cabinet.
2. Lighting attached to any surface on the outside of a cabinet, including the top, bottom, or sides.
3. Lighting attached to the inside of a cabinet, such as reflector lamps, for the purpose of projecting light out of the cabinet.
Example 6-15: Kitchens: Cabinet lighting, number of shelves
Question
I have 23 linear feet of upper kitchen cabinets, and 32 linear feet of lower kitchen cabinets. I want to install lighting on the inside of three 6 foot sections of upper cabinet that are 30” tall, and which have glass doors. The upper cabinets have three shelves. I want to install lights under all three shelves. How many watts of lighting may I install in the cabinets?
Answer
The cabinet lighting allowance is based upon the linear footage of illuminated cabinet only, regardless of the number of shelves in each cabinet. There are three ways to calculate the allowance.
i. Horizontal length, Multiply 18 ft times 20W per foot = 360W.
ii. Number of illuminated sections. There are three separate sections of cabinet, each 30” tall. 3 times 30” = 90”, times 20W per foot = 150W.
iii. Height. Height can be measured once per 40” of horizontal length. The total 18’ length, divided into 40” sections, gives 5.4 sections. Assuming that the height is uniformly 30”, the total height is 5.4 times 30” = 162”, times 20W per foot = 270W
Using the largest of the three answers, up to 360W of internal cabinet lighting could be installed.
Example 6-16: Kitchens: Cabinet lighting, non-illuminated cabinets
Question
In the above example, if I have 18 linear feet of upper cabinets with glass doors, but I only want to install lighting in 10 linear feet of the cabinets, how many watts of lighting may I install in the cabinets?
Answer
The allowance is based upon the linear feet of cabinet that is illuminated. In this case, multiply 10 ft time 20W/ft = 200W. You are allowed to install up to 200W of internal cabinet lighting.
Example 6-17: Kitchens: Definition of cabinet lighting
Question
In the above example, I am installing puck lights under the shelves of the cabinets with glass doors. Some of the lighting will inadvertently spill through the glass. Is this still considered lighting only for the purpose of illuminating the inside of the cabinets?
Answer
Yes, this is still considered lighting for the purpose of illuminating the inside of the cabinets because the lighting system is specifically designed for illuminating the inside of the cabinets. However, if a different lighting system, such as adjustable flood lights, is designed to project lighting on to surfaces external to the cabinets, that lighting will be considered permanently installed kitchen lighting, and not internal cabinet lighting.
D. Required Kitchen Lighting Controls
High-efficacy luminaires and low efficacy luminaires are required to be controlled separately. See section 6.5 of this chapter for additional information on residential lighting controls.
All high efficacy luminaires may be controlled together, and all low efficacy luminaires may be controlled together, but to give occupants more energy-saving options, each lighting layer that serves a unique function should have the ability to operate independently. The following are some recommendations for kitchen lighting controls:
1. Recessed downlights should be controlled separately from other lighting.
2. Linear fluorescent luminaires mounted on the ceiling should be controlled separately from other lighting.
3. Under-cabinet lighting should be controlled separately from other lighting.
Under-cabinet lighting using 14W and 28W T5 linear fluorescent lamps
Source: www.gelighting.com
4. Uplights (mounted on walls or on top of cabinets) should be controlled separately from other lighting. Uplights are effective at making rooms less gloomy, so if an uplight is provided people may choose not to switch on the other lights in the room.
5. Task lighting for specific areas such as sinks or bars should be controlled separately.
6. Lighting in areas adjacent to the kitchen, such as dining and nook areas and even family rooms, is considered to be kitchen lighting if it is not separately switched from the kitchen lighting.
It is important that lighting in other rooms is separately switched from the kitchen lighting, or the lighting in the other room will need to be considered when determining if the kitchen complies with the 50% high efficacy lighting requirements.
The switches may be mounted on the same faceplate, but as long as the lights can be switched independently, these areas do not count as being in the kitchen.
Figure 6-9 – General Kitchen Lighting
Recessed cans with 18W CFLs light specific task areas
Wall-mounted uplights using 32W CFLs increase the sense of space
E. Kitchen Lighting Alterations
The same lighting requirements apply to any kitchen lighting alterations, additions or renovations, as to newly constructed buildings.
The Standards do not recognize the conversion of incandescent luminaires to LED luminaires for any newly constructed buildings or additions. However, for specific residential lighting alterations, Light Emitting Diode (LED) modules may be hardwired into luminaire housings manufactured for use with incandescent lamps, and qualify as high efficacy luminaires provided ALL of the following conditions are met:
1. The luminaire has been previously used and is in its existing installation, and
2. The LED modules are not LED lamps, integrated or non-integrated type, as defined by ANSI/IES RP-16-2010 (this includes that they shall not have any type of screw base), and
3. The LED modules comply with all other requirements in §130.0(c)¸and
4. The LED modules are certified as high efficacy to the Energy Commission by the manufacturer in accordance with §110.9
5. The LED modules are not connected using screw-based sockets or screw-base adaptors.
Note that GU-24 sockets are not covered by an ANSI standard, and therefore are not classified as either “integrated” or “non-integrated” LED lamps under ANSI/IES RP-16-2010. Therefore LED retrofit modules with GU-24 bases qualify as high efficacy luminaires in retrofits.
Example 6-18: Kitchens: Calculating allowed wattage based on existing luminaires
Question
I am doing minor renovations to my kitchen that has six recessed incandescent cans and I am adding a new luminaire over the sink. Does this luminaire have to be a high efficacy luminaire?
Answer
Yes, all new luminaires must be high efficacy until at least 50% of the total lighting wattage comes from high efficacy luminaires (§150.2(b)1 and §150.2(b)2).
Example 6-19: Kitchens: Wattage calculation for a total remodel
Question
I am completely remodeling my kitchen and putting in an entirely new lighting system. How do the residential lighting Standards apply to this case?
Answer
All the same lighting Standards apply. This remodel is treated like newly constructed buildings.
A. A bathroom is a room or area containing a sink used for personal hygiene, toilet, shower, or a tub.
B. If a sink used for personal hygiene is in a room other than a bathroom, such as bedroom, where no doors, walls, or other partitions separate the sink area from the rest of the room, and the lighting for the sink area is switched separately from room area lighting, only the luminaire(s) that are lighting the sink area must meet the bathroom lighting requirements; in this case, lighting of the sink area includes lighting of associated counters, cabinets, and mirrors.
C. Each bathroom shall have a minimum of one high efficacy luminaire. All other lighting in bathrooms shall be high efficacy or controlled by vacancy sensors.
D. More than one circuit of luminaires may be attached to the same vacancy sensor.
Example 6-20: What types of vacancy sensors are eligible?
Question
What types of vacancy sensors qualify for controlling low efficacy lights in bathrooms?
Answer
Eligible vacancy sensors are those which have been certified by the manufacturer to the Energy Commission according to the Title 20 Appliance Efficiency Regulations. These vacancy sensors (manual-on / automatic-off occupancy sensors) do not allow the luminaire to be turned on automatically and do not have an override that allows it to remain on.
See section 6.5.4 of this chapter for more information about vacancy sensors.
Example 6-21: Vacancy sensor safety considerations
Question
Is it good lighting practice to have all the lighting in a room controlled by a single vacancy sensor?
Answer
Vacancy sensors may fail to detect people who aren’t making large movements, and their sensitivity is reduced in hot environments. Vacancy sensors may cause the lights to switch off while someone is using a hazardous device. The required high efficacy luminaire in each bathroom, and any additional high efficacy luminaires in a bathroom are not required to be controlled by a vacancy sensor.
Example 6-22: Bathrooms: Medicine cabinet lighting
Question
Is the factory installed lighting system in a bathroom mounted medicine cabinet required to be either high-efficacy or controlled by a vacancy sensor?
Answer
If the factory installed lighting in a medicine cabinet is designed to only illuminate the inside of the medicine cabinet, and the lighting is controlled only by a door activated switch where the lights turn off automatically when the cabinet door is closed, then the factory installed lighting is not regulated by the residential lighting Standards. However, if the factory installed lighting is connected to a manually operated switch that can be turned on regardless of the position of the cabinet door, or the lighting is designed to illuminate or display the contents of the cabinet when the door is closed, then it is considered permanently installed lighting that must comply with the residential lighting Standards. Also, any factory installed “bath bar” or other general lighting system integrated into the medicine cabinet is considered permanently installed lighting that must comply with the residential lighting Standards.
A. Lighting in garages (attached and detached), laundry rooms, and utility rooms shall be high efficacy, and shall be controlled by vacancy sensors. See Section 1.3 for information on residential lighting controls.
B. A garage, for compliance with the residential lighting Standards, is a non-habitable building or portion of building, attached to or detached from a residential dwelling unit, in which motor vehicles are parked.
Garages present an opportunity to reduce energy use by providing task lighting. The end of the garage furthest from the door to the house is often used as a work area, and can be provided with high efficacy luminaires switched separately from the rest of the space.
Because people may be working in garages for long periods, and may be obscured by cars or other large objects, ultrasonic or dual-technology vacancy sensors may be preferred to standard passive infra-red vacancy sensors. Ultrasonic sensors can “see around corners” unlike infra-red sensors which are line-of-sight.
See section 6.3.1 of this chapter for information about when lighting integral to garage door openers does and does not have to be included as permanently installed lighting in a garage.
C. A laundry room is a non-habitable room or space which contains plumbing and electrical connections for a washing machine or clothes dryer.
D. A utility room is a non-habitable room or building which contains only HVAC, plumbing, or electrical controls or equipment; and which is not a bathroom, closet, garage, or laundry room.
Example 6-23: Vacancy sensor safety considerations
Question
Is it good lighting practice to have all the lighting in a room controlled by a single vacancy sensor?
Answer
Vacancy sensors may fail to detect people who aren’t making large movements, and the sensitivity of passive infra-red vacancy sensors is reduced in hot environments. Also, passive infra-red sensors cannot “see around corners” like ultrasonic or microwave sensors can. In spaces in which someone may be using a hazardous device (such as garages) dual-technology sensors reduce the likelihood that the lights will switch off while the room is occupied. Alternatively, sensors which dim the lights before switching them off provide an additional level of security.
Example 6-22: Laundry rooms: built-in lighting for ironing boards
Question
Is the factory installed lighting in a built-in ironing board device required to be high-efficacy and controlled by a vacancy sensor when it is installed in a laundry room?
Answer
Yes, if the lighting is permanently installed it must be high-efficacy and controlled by a vacancy sensor. See section 6.3.1 for additional information about permanently installed luminaires.
A. “Other rooms” include any room or area that is not a kitchen, bathroom laundry, garage, or utility room.
Rooms which are classified as “other rooms” would include hallways, dining rooms, family rooms, club house, home office, bedrooms, attic spaces, and closets.
These tend to be the rooms in which people are most aware of interior design both in terms of fashion and the usability of their living space.
A closet defined as a non-habitable room used for the storage of linens, household supplies, clothing, non-perishable food, or similar uses, and which is not a hallway or passageway.
A storage building is defined as a non-habitable detached building used for the storage of tools, garden equipment, or miscellaneous items.
B. Permanently installed lighting in any room classified as “other rooms” has three compliance options. The lighting shall be:
1. High efficacy, or
2. Controlled by a vacancy sensor, or
3. Controlled by a dimmer
See section 6.2 for residential lighting control requirements.
C. Note that the dimmer compliance option is available only in rooms that qualify as “other rooms.” The Standards do not disallow or discourage the use of dimmers in any rooms; however dimmers shall not be recognized as a method of compliance with the residential lighting Standards for any kitchen, bathroom laundry, garage, or utility room.
D. There are many rooms in houses for which permanently installed lighting has not been provided. Instead, these rooms are often provided with switched receptacles, sometimes called, “half-hots.” Many people commonly add their own portable lighting. Portable lighting is not regulated by the Title 24 residential lighting Standards. However, portable lighting is regulated by the Title 20 Appliance Efficiency Regulations.
See section 6.3.1 of this chapter for additional information about portable lighting.
Permanently installed can be used to create variations of light throughout the room, and by reducing areas of shadow. To achieve this, use several luminaires rather than a single luminaire; wall-mounted uplights are a good choice because they are design-neutral and can be repainted. For high-end properties, linear fluorescent or LED cove lighting and other forms of concealed lighting may increase marketability.
E. Most people like to control the appearance of their rooms; providing separate switches for each layer of luminaires will make the space more attractive to tenants and will allow them to reduce their energy use.
F. Although vacancy sensors can be used in all living spaces, there are limitations in some living spaces where people are expecting to sit still for long periods of time and not move around enough to keep the sensor activated, resulting in lights going off prematurely.
G. All Other Room Exceptions:
1. Lighting in detached storage buildings that are less than 1000 ft², when those storage buildings are located on a residential site, are not required to comply with §150.0(k)7.
2. Closets less than 70 ft² are also exempt from these requirements.
However, a hallway having storage shelves, such as a butler’s cupboard, shall not be exempt because it is considered a hallway for compliance with the residential lighting Standards. A butler’s cupboard is therefore not considered an exempt closet.
A closet is defined as a non-habitable room used for the storage of linens, household supplies, clothing, non-perishable food, or similar uses, and which is not a hallway or passageway.
Example 6-25: Ceiling fans with integrated lighting
Question
Can a ceiling fan with integrated lighting be a high efficacy luminaire?
Answer
Yes. Ceiling fan light kits with integral CFL ballasts are available. Some LED lighting may qualify as high efficacy. LED lighting must be certified to the Energy Commission before it can be classified as high efficacy. See sections 6.2.3; 6.3.7; 6.4.6; and 6.9 for more information about requirements for residential LED lighting.
Some occupants are likely to prefer obscured lamps to visible lamps. A less efficient alternative, when the ceiling fan is installed in a room other than a kitchen, bathroom, garage, laundry room and/or utility room, is to use incandescent lamps on a dimming circuit separate to the fan circuit.
Example 6-26: Best practice for high efficacy spotlights
Question
Are high-efficacy spotlights available, to replace halogen MR16s?
Answer
Some CFLs resemble spotlights, and manufacturers may describe them as spotlights, but they produce the same diffuse light as regular CFLs.
Metal halide spotlights with 35W T-6 high efficacy lamps are available, and LEDs can be used as spotlights.
LED lighting must be certified to the Energy Commission before it can be classified as high efficacy. See sections 6.2.3; 6.3.7; 6.4.6; and 6.9 for more information about requirements for residential LED lighting.