6.6 Alterations and Additions for Outdoor Lighting

The Energy Standards apply to alterations and additions to outdoor lighting systems, and the application of the Energy Standards to alterations depends on the scope of the proposed improvements.

Example 6-35 Requirements for Replacing Ballasts

Question

I am going to change the ballasts in my façade lighting system. Will I be required to meet the new Outdoor Lighting Standards for façade lighting?

Answer

No, the replacement of only lamps or ballasts in outdoor lighting systems is not considered an alteration and does not trigger compliance with Outdoor Lighting Standards. Replacing entire luminaires will trigger mandatory requirements for the altered (replaced) luminaires only. Replacing more than 5 luminaires or 50 percent of the existing luminaires or adding to the connected lighting load for any outdoor lighting application will trigger the lighting power density requirements of the Energy Standards.

6.6.1 Outdoor Lighting Alterations – With an Increase of Lighting Loads

For alterations that increase the connected lighting load in a lighting application listed in Table 140.7-A or Table 140.7-B, the added or altered luminaires in the application zone must meet all the applicable requirements of §130.2(c) and §140.7.

6.6.2 Outdoor Lighting Alterations – With no Increase of Lighting Loads, and small changes to existing luminaires

For alterations in parking lots or outdoor sales lots that do not increase connected lighting load, but do replace the larger of 5 luminaires or 10 percent of the existing luminaires where the luminaire is mounted less than 24 feet above the ground, the replaced luminaires are required to meet the applicable controls requirements of §130.2(c)1 and §130.2(c)3.

For applications where the luminaire is mounted greater than 24 feet above the ground, the replaced luminaires are required to meet the applicable controls requirements of §130.2(c)1 and either comply with §130.2(c)2 or be controlled by lighting control systems (including motion sensors).

Example 6-37 BUG Requirements for Lighting Alterations

Question

We are replacing 20 percent of the existing HID luminaires in a parking lot. Does the BUG requirement apply to the new and existing luminaires?

Answer

Yes, new luminaires may be required to meet the luminaire cutoff (“BUG”) requirements; however, luminaires that are not being replaced are not required to be upgraded to meet the luminaire BUG requirement. §141.0(b)2L (b)2L specifies that all altered luminaires must meet applicable mandatory requirements, including the BUG requirements for replacements luminaires. Therefore, replacement luminaires that are greater than 6,200 initial luminaire lumens must meet the luminaire BUG requirements, even if less than 5 luminaires or 10 percent of the luminaires on site are replaced.

6.6.3 Outdoor Lighting Alterations – With no Increase of Lighting Loads, and sizable changes to existing luminaires

For alterations that do not increase connected lighting load, but do replace the larger of 5 luminaires or 50 percent of the existing luminaires in a lighting application listed in Table 140.7-A or Table 140.7-B, the replaced luminaires must also meet the requirements of §140.7 in addition to the control requirements mentioned in the previous paragraph.

Example 6-38 Requirements for Replacing more thatn 50 percent of Luminaires

Question

In a service station we are replacing more than 50 percent of under canopy luminaires. Does this trigger the alteration requirements for outdoor lighting? Do we need to bring non-canopy lighting such as hardscape lighting up to code as well?

Answer

Yes, §141.0(b)2Liii specifies that when more than 5 luminaires or 50 percent of luminaires are replaced in a given lighting application included in Energy Standards Tables 140.7-A and Table 140.7-B, the alteration requirements apply. So, in this example, all of the under canopy luminaires must meet the requirements of §140.7 and the applicable control requirements of §130.2. Hardscape and other outdoor Lighting Applications other than the canopy need not meet these requirements even if they are included in the permit along with the canopy lighting.

There is an exception (to Section 141.0(b)2ILiii) for the alteration in which the replacement luminaires are at least 40 percent more efficient in lighting power than the existing luminaires.

Example 6-39 Exemption from lighting power allowance requirements

Question

Fifty HID exterior pole fixtures in a parking lot are being replaced with 50 new LED fixtures. However, to improve poor coverage in one end of the lot an additional 3 pole fixtures are added, bringing the total new fixture count to 53. Despite the addition of 3 fixtures, the total connected load for the 53 fixtures was reduced by 42 percent compared to the original 50. Does this project have to meet the Outdoor LPAs in §140.7?

Answer

No, the project does not have to meet the lighting power allowances in §140.7. Even though the number of fixtures increased, the total wattage of the project is less than before so the connected lighting load has decreased, not increased. Since the overall connected load was reduced by 40 percent or more compared to the original luminaires, Exception to §141.0(b)2Liii applies and the new fixtures are not required to comply with the LPAs in §140.7.

6.6.4 Outdoor Lighting Alterations – With no Increase of Lighting Loads, and other small changes to existing luminaires

For alterations that do not increase connected lighting load and replace less than 5 luminaires or less than 10 percent of the existing luminaires, the requirements to comply are minimal – comply with the luminaire cutoff (“BUG”) requirements of Section 130.2(b) and applicable installation and acceptance requirements of Section 130.4.

Example 6-40 Outdoor Lighting Alteration Triggers

Question

I am going to retrofit all of my HID parking lot lights with an LED retrofit kit. What requirements do I need to follow for the LED retrofits?

Answer

For outdoor lighting alterations that reduce lighting power such as LED retrofits, there are two options for demonstrating compliance with the Energy Standards. You can either calculate the lighting power allowance for the hardscape area, or you can list the quantity and wattage of the existing luminaires in the hardscape area.

In both cases, the requirements are the same: if fewer than 5 luminaires are being retrofitted, or the number of luminaires being retrofitted is less than 10 percent of the total number of luminaires in the hardscape area, then the requirements of the Energy Standards are not triggered and no compliance documentation is required. If more than 10 percent and less than 50 percent of the luminaires in the hardscape area are being retrofitted, then control requirements apply. If 50 percent or more of the luminaires in the hardscape area are being retrofitted, then control requirements apply and the lighting must either meet current lighting power allowances per Section 140.7 or must achieve a 40 percent reduction in lighting power.

6.6.5 Outdoor Lighting Additions– Mandatory and Lighting Power Requirements

Outdoor lighting additions are treated similarly as newly constructed buildings, and must comply with all mandatory lighting control and lighting power requirements.

Additions to existing outdoor lighting must meet all of the mandatory measures for the added luminaires. The mandatory requirements include certification of any new lamps, light sources, ballasts and drivers that are installed if they are the type regulated by the Appliance Efficiency Regulations. Any new lighting controls must meet minimum performance requirements. In addition, outdoor luminaire and control requirements apply as follows:

• Outdoor luminaires that emit 6200 lumens or greater must comply with backlight, uplight and glare (“BUG”) requirement. (Refer to Section 6.3.1 for the outdoor luminaire BUG requirement.)

• Outdoor lighting control requirements including automatically turning off lighting when daylight is available. [§130.2(c)1]

• All outdoor lights shall be automatically controlled by a time-based scheduling controls. [§130.2(c)2]

• Outdoor luminaires greater than 40 watts and mounted less than 24 feet and above the ground shall be motion controlled, so that the lighting power of each luminaire shall be automatically reduced by at least 50 percent. This applies to luminaires providing general hardscape lighting, outdoor sales lot lighting, vehicle service station hardscape lighting, or vehicle service station canopy lighting. [§130.2(c)3].

The outdoor lighting additions must also comply with lighting power allowances of §140.7, Energy Standards Tables 140.7-A and Table 140.7-B.

6.6.6 Outdoor Lighting Additions and Alterations– More Examples

Example 6-41 Power Allowance for Additional Outdoor Dining (Inside Illuminated Area)

Question

A strip mall in Lighting Zone 3 with a common parking lot has its lighting system already designed and installed. A restaurant moves into one of the buildings and designates 400 sq. ft. as outdoor dining. The outdoor dining area is within the illuminated area (5 mounting heights) of the pre-existing lighting. How is the allowable lighting calculated?

Answer

The allowable lighting power can be calculated in two ways:

Method 1

Calculate only the additional allowance layer for the outdoor dining area for specific applications (Outdoor Dining) as contained in Table 140.7-B of the Energy Standards. In this case the allowance is 0.050 W/sq. ft. Multiplying this allowance by 400 sq. ft. yields 20 W.

Method 2

One could have the permit cover all of the site lighting including the outdoor dining area. (This second compliance path would provide a greater power allowance, but would require more work in the application process.) This only yields a higher allowance if the current lighting system serving hardscape areas for the rest of the site has less wattage than the calculated total site hardscape wattage allowance. Additional allowances would be possible if one upgraded to the current hardscape system for other parts of the site and reduced its wattage.

Example 6-42 Power Allowance for Additional Outdoor Dining (Outside Illuminated Area)

Question

A strip mall in Lighting Zone 3 with a common asphalt parking lot has the parking lot lighting system designed and installed. A restaurant moves into one of the buildings and designates 400 ft.² as outdoor dining. The outdoor dining area is outside of the illuminated area of the pre-existing parking lot lighting. How is the allowable lighting calculated?

Answer

In addition to adding outdoor dining area, which is a specific application that is allowed more light, the illuminated general hardscape lighting area is also increasing in size by 400 sq. ft.. Adding illuminated hardscape area results in increased general hardscape area wattage allowances (AWA) and increased linear wattage allowances (LWA) but it does NOT add an additional initial wattage allowance (IWA) because only one initial wattage allowance is allowed per site. The allowable lighting power can be calculated in two ways:

Method 1

Calculate the general hardscape area wattage allowances (AWA) and the increase to the general hardscape linear wattage allowances (LWA) and the additional allowance layer for the outdoor dining area for specific applications (Outdoor Dining) as contained in Table 140.7-B of the Standards. As discussed above, it is not permissible to also claim the general hardscape initial wattage allowance (IWA) as this is calculated only once per site. The linear wattage allowance applies only to the new perimeter length, which is not adjacent to previously illuminated area that is part of the site.

As shown in the figure below, the perimeter length is 41 ft. (25 ft. + 16 ft.). In LZ3 the asphalt AWA is 0.025 W/sq. ft. and the LWA is 0.25 W/ft. The additional allowance for the outdoor dining area for specific applications (Outdoor Dining) as contained in Table 140.7-B is 0.05 W/sq. ft.. Thus for a perimeter length of 41 ft. and an area of 400 sq. ft., the total lighting wattage allowance is:

Hardscape LWA of 0.25 W/ sq. ft. x 41 ft. = 10.3 W

Hardscape AWA of 0.025 W/sq. ft. x 400 sq. ft. = 10 W

Specific Allowance Outdoor Dining 0.05 W/sq. ft.. x 400 sq. ft. = 20 W

Total allowance = 40.3 W

Type of Allowance	Allowance	Area/Perimeter Value	Power Allowance
Outdoor Dining	0.050 W/ sq. ft.	400 sq. ft.	20 W
Area	0.025 W/ sq. ft.	400 sq. ft.	10 W
Perimeter	0.25 W/LF	41 ft.	10.3 W
TOTAL POWER ALLOWANCE			40.3 W