EE203: Lighting Controls and Commercial Building Energy Codes: 2024 IECC

Commercial building energy codes prescribe the design energy efficiency of new buildings and alterations. For lighting, these codes typically prescribe maximum lighting power allowances by building or space type. They also mandate detailed lighting control strategies that reduce or turn Off lighting when it isn’t needed, while providing manual control to occupants.

The United States does not have a national energy code. States may write their own code or adopt a standard or model such as ANSI/ASHRAE/IES 90.1 or the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), which are periodically updated. Some states do not have a statewide code, though adoption may occur in various jurisdictions within their borders. The result is designers may encounter multiple codes and versions of these codes.

Published by the International Code Council (ICC), the IECC has been adopted by most states as a commercial energy code, residential energy code, or both. Updated every three years since 2000, it applies to various energy-using systems installed in new construction, additions, and alterations, including electric lighting.

This course provides general knowledge about the commercial building lighting control requirements in the 2024 revision of the IECC (as initially published, without addenda). For complete information—such as details and exceptions to various requirements—consult the code. For definitive interpretations, consult the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ).