The pace of innovation is sometimes so swift that technologies that emerged a decade or so ago are now fixtures of daily life. Take light-emitting diodes (LEDs) for example.
A January 2012 U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) report called LEDs “a new and revolutionary light source.” Then found chiefly in colored light applications, such as traffic signals and exit signs, LEDs were poised for expansion. DOE noted that white-light LEDs “have recently been commercialized” and are projected to comprise 36% of the U.S. lighting market by 2020 and 74% by 2030. However, those optimistic predictions fell short of what occurred. LEDs made up 48% of lighting installations in the United States in 2020 and became the “dominant force in the commercial lighting market,” comprising 73% of the total market share by 2024, according to a new market research report.
The impact of this market transformation has been huge, as DesignLights Consortium (DLC) Executive Director and CEO Tina Halfpenny reported to DLC members and stakeholders last year.
“Based on U.S. Department of Energy data and our team’s analysis, commercial and industrial buildings in the U.S. and Canada saved approximately
1,000 TWh of energy from 2010 to 2022 thanks to the LED revolution and our collective ability to accelerate the transition to LED lighting technology,” she wrote. “The (avoided) CO2 emissions are equivalent to approximately 1,700 gas power plants running for one year.”
These are major accomplishments, but the LED revolution isn’t over yet. With state, municipal, and private decarbonization goals pending — and the evidence of climate chaos arriving with increasing frequency — the DLC this month proposed significant updates to its technical requirements for solid-state lighting (SSL — i.e., LEDs) products as well as changes designed to streamline the pairing of lighting controls with LED luminaires (a proven energy-saving strategy).
For many years, the DLC’s technical requirements and related qualified products lists (QPLs) have formed the basis for commercial lighting rebates and incentive programs offered by three-quarters of North American electric utilities. Lighting manufacturers submit applications to add their products to the DLC’s three QPLs: SSL, networked lighting controls (NLCs), and horticultural lighting. Independent vetting determines which products are listed on the consortium’s searchable, downloadable databases. For project designers, contractors, and other lighting decision-makers, this simplifies finding high-quality, controllable, energy-efficient products eligible for valuable utility incentives.
Since beginning its SSL program, the DLC has updated efficacy requirements several times, resulting in a 70% average efficacy increase for listed products since 2011. Released for stakeholder comment on April 7, its newest policy (SSL version 6.0) continues to transform the market for energy-efficient lighting products. While carefully considering what is appropriate for each product type, SSL v.6.0’s average proposed efficacy increase across all lighting categories is approximately 15% across all lighting categories, with some as high as 30%, depending on product type.
Reflective of the DLC’s mission to improve energy savings potential and the quality of light in the built environment, the new policy also correlates aspects of the SSL and NLC product lists for the first time — a change that will facilitate the selection of interoperable LED and control products. This is a vital step toward pushing the lighting market toward greater utilization of lighting controls that save energy and increase the comfort and functionality of commercial spaces.
Research shows that adding NLCs to commercial lighting upgrades can cut a project’s new lighting load in half. Integrating NLCs with building HVAC systems can yield even more savings (up to 20% of the total energy load in large commercial buildings). As the first generation of LEDs is now ready for replacement, the essential first step in realizing these potential savings is ensuring that new LED projects and upgrades either include lighting controls or are installed as “controls ready.”
While NLC penetration has expanded in the commercial lighting market over the past several years, a 2024 DOE report (based on 2020 data) revealed that about 70% of LED installations still lacked controls.
With abundant potential savings on the table, why haven’t NLCs caught on to a greater degree? From our discussions at the DLC 2024 Controls Summit last October — as well as conversations with stakeholders such as property managers — we know one roadblock to greater NLC adoption is customers’ fear of being locked into single-vendor proprietary systems.
The DLC’s proposed policy change addresses this by modifying the SSL QPL to more clearly show integral control capabilities and technologies of listed luminaires and indicate which variations of a manufacturer’s lighting products work with the control systems they also develop. This will enable contractors to confirm that a specific luminaire model number they plan to order both comes with integral controls and is eligible for NLC incentives available from their local electric utility or energy efficiency program.
In correlating its SSL and NLC-qualified product lists, the DLC plans to organize all listed products into six control categories (see Chart below) based on how the luminaire is sold and shipped from the manufacturer:
- Luminaire Only (i.e., no control capability);
- Luminaire Only/Controls Ready (controls can be installed on site without additional wiring);
- Luminaire With Occupancy Sensors (not networked);
- Luminaire With Occupancy Sensor and Daylight Sensor/Photocell (not networked);
- Luminaire With Networked Controller; and
- Luminaire With Networked Controller and Occupancy and Daylight Sensors (Luminaire Level Lighting Controls — LLLC).
This update will enable users of the DLC’s QPL to enter a complete LED luminaire model number into the search engine and — assuming the luminaire is listed — receive a result that indicates the product is DLC listed and what the control options are for that specific model number. This saves time and eliminates confusion for project designers and contractors while paving the way for quicker, easier integration of LED installations with energy-saving, smart building-enhancing controls.
The first major revision of DLC technical requirements governing commercial LED luminaires since 2020, SSL v6.0 includes several other important updates as well. Among these are changes that strengthen its LUNA program for light pollution-mitigating outdoor lighting, introduce support for solar-powered lighting products, and provide lighting decision-makers with clearer information about the lifetime of lighting products being installed as well as their environmental impact.
Overall, the DLC believes these various policy shifts and updates will facilitate the optimal selection and installation of LED products and thereby continue to improve energy savings and quality of light in the built environment.
We look forward to feedback on SSL v6.0 during a stakeholder comment period that runs through May 19th:.
