The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recently launched a new version of its Commercial Lighting Solutions Web tool, expanding energy-saving lighting solutions and approaches to offices and institutional buildings. The Web tool provides detailed instructions to help building owners and operators reduce the energy used by commercial lighting by 30% or more.
DOE, in partnership with top lighting designers, architects, and commercial end-users, developed Commercial Lighting Solutions and its interactive Web tool, which estimates energy savings based on project-specific inputs. Although the first version of the Web tool offered solutions for five types of retail stores, this latest version offers solutions for offices and institutional buildings.
Each solution includes a series of “design vignettes,” complete with lighting layouts and component specifications, as well as daylighting design. The vignettes are accompanied by a recommended control scheme and guidance for commissioning.
Users of the Web tool will have a choice of several design vignettes and lighting control strategies that suit the parameters they input for their project. A solution can be implemented as shown or can be used as a starting point for a design that is refined to serve particular corporate branding, or architectural or business objectives.
All DOE Commercial Lighting Solutions are analyzed against a reference building using the space-by-space method as allowed in ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1-2004. Modeled results for each solution included in the Web tool must show decreased energy consumption of at least 30% below the baseline design. Some of the solutions have achieved modeled savings of 50% or more.
Source: Department of Energy
