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2019 Title 24 Part 6 Mandatory Lighting Measures: Residential Lighting

Residential Lighting from the 2019 Residential Compliance Manual

6.1 Overview

For residential buildings and spaces, all the lighting requirements are mandatory. The residential lighting requirements are different from the nonresidential ones because there are no maximum lighting power threshold for spaces, no required calculation of lighting power, and no prescriptive method for showing compliance. There are luminaire requirements and lighting control requirements for residential lighting installations.

The residential luminaire requirements apply to permanently installed luminaires, including luminaires with easily interchangeable lamps. They do not apply to portable luminaires such as table lamps or freestanding floor lamps. The lighting control requirements are focused on dimming and occupancy sensing control requirements for applicable spaces and occupancies. All section (§) and table references in this chapter refer to sections and tables contained in Title 24 California Code of Regulations, Part 6, also known as California Energy Code or the Energy Standards.

6.2 Indoor Luminaire Requirements

A luminaire, which is a light fixture, is defined by §100.1 as a complete lighting unit consisting of a light source such as a lamp or lamps and the parts that distribute the light, position and protect the light source and connect it to the power supply.

A lamp is a light bulb or similar separable lighting component. It is defined by §100.1 as an electrical appliance that produces optical radiation for visual illumination with a base to provide an electrical connection between the lamp and a luminaire, and installed into a luminaire. The definition is expanded to clarify that a lamp is not a luminaire and is not an LED retrofit kit designed to replace additional components of a luminaire.

The 2019 Energy Standards for residential lighting require all permanently installed luminaires to be high efficacy, as specified in §150.0(k). Permanently installed lighting is defined in §100.1 and examples of permanently installed lighting include:

• Lighting attached to walls, ceilings, or columns.
• Track and flexible lighting systems.
• Lighting inside permanently installed cabinets.
• Lighting attached to the top or bottom of permanently installed cabinets.
• Lighting attached to ceiling fans.
• Lighting integral to exhaust fans.
• Lighting integral to garage door openers if it is used as general lighting, is switched independently from the garage door opener, and does not automatically turn off after a pre-determined amount of time.

The following are examples of non-permanently installed lighting:

• Portable lighting as defined by §100.1 (including, but not limited to, table and freestanding floor lamps with plug-in connections);
• Lighting installed by the manufacturer in refrigerators, stoves, microwave ovens, exhaust hoods for cooking equipment, refrigerated cases, vending machines, food preparation equipment, and scientific and industrial equipment;
• Lighting in garage door openers which consists of no more than two screw-based sockets integrated into the garage door opener by the manufacturer, where the lights automatically turn on when the garage door is activated, and automatically turn off after a pre-determined amount of time.

6.2.1 Residential Luminaires — High Efficacy by Default

Luminaires in any of the following categories are automatically classified as high efficacy and do not have to comply with the requirements of Reference Joint Appendix JA8 (aka JA8 — refer to next section for details).

1. Pin-based linear fluorescent luminaires using electronic ballasts.
2. Pin-based compact fluorescent luminaires using electronic ballasts
3. Pulse-start metal halide luminaires.
4. High pressure sodium luminaires.
5. Luminaires with induction lamp and hardwired high frequency generator.
6. LED luminaires installed outdoors.
7. Inseparable solid state lighting (SSL) luminaires containing colored lighting sources for decorative lighting purposes.

Recessed downlight luminaires must meet the JA8 requirements.

Screw-based luminaire types must have a JA8-compliant light source or lamp installed in them at the time of inspection.

All other luminaire types must also meet the JA8 requirements.

Table 6-1 summarizes the requirements for residential high-efficacy luminaires. There are luminaires automatically classified as high efficacy, luminaires that must use JA8-certified light sources or lamps, and recessed downlight luminaires in ceilings.

Table 6-1 (A Short Version of Table 150.0-A): Summary of Compliant Luminaire Types

From the 2019 Building Energy Efficiency Standards:

Table 150.0-A Classification of High Efficacy Light Sources

6.3 Indoor Lighting Control Requirements

Using lighting controls is an important part of the Energy Standards because they can produce energy savings for the owners and users of the spaces.

6.3.1 Lighting Control Requirements in Accordance with Room and Luminaire Types

Following are general control requirements that apply for the room type and for the luminaire type:

1. Readily Accessible Manual Controls

   All permanently installed luminaires shall have readily accessible wall-mounted controls that permit the luminaires to be manually turned on and off.

2. Multiple Switches

   This applies to three-way, four-way, and other lighting circuits controlled by more than one switch. A lighting circuit controlled by more than one switch where a dimmer or vacancy sensor has been installed to comply with §150.0(k) shall meet all the following conditions:

   1. No controls shall bypass the dimmer or vacancy sensor function.
   2. The dimmer or vacancy sensor must comply with the applicable requirements of §110.9(b).

3. Energy Management Control Systems (EMCS) and MultiScene Programmable Controllers

   An EMCS system with the appropriate lighting control functionality can be installed for meeting the lighting control requirements of Section 110.9 and 150.0(k)2.

   A multiscene programmable controller with the appropriate dimmer functionality can be installed for meeting the dimmer requirements of Section 110.9 and the applicable requirements of Section 150.0(k)2.

   The EMCS or the multiscene programmable controller do not have to be certified to the Commission. However, the person who is constructing and installing the EMCS system must complete an installation certificate.

4. Exhaust Fans

   There are two options for the lighting associated with the fans:

   1. All lighting shall be controlled separately from exhaust fans.
   2. For an exhaust fan with an integral lighting system, it must be possible for the lighting system to be manually turned on and off while allowing the fan to continue operating for an extended period of time.

5. Ceiling Fans

   Ceiling fans with integrated light sources can be controlled with a remote control.

6. Spaces Required to Have Vacancy Sensors / Occupancy Sensors

   The following residential spaces are required to have at least one luminaire in the space to be controlled by an occupancy or vacancy sensor:
   1. Bathrooms
   2. Garages
   3. Laundry Rooms
   4. Utility Rooms

7. Luminaires Required to Have Dimmers or Vacancy/Occupancy Sensors

   All LED luminaires are required to be controlled by a National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) SSL-7A-compliant dimmer unless they are controlled by a vacancy sensor or an occupancy sensor. The combined use of NEMA SSL-7A-compliant dimmer with LED luminaires can ensure flicker free operation when the luminaire is dimmed. This dimmer/light source compatibility information is on dimmer cut sheets or dimmer product packaging.

   For the 2019 Standards, occupancy sensors can be installed for meeting the vacancy sensor requirement of the residential lighting standard as long as the occupancy sensor operates in the manual-ON and automatic-OFF mode.

   Dimmers and vacancy sensors are not required for any luminaires located in hallways or in closets less than 70 square feet.

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