in
short supply and electricity rates likely tostay high, it's more
important than ever in California buildings to squeeze all the
lighting energy out of every kilowatt. Today's lamp innovations and
electronic ballasts help achieve this, but lighting specifiers
should ensure that the fixtures these lamps go into also maximize
the building's energy investment in the longrun.
To find an objective comparison of energy miserliness among
fluorescent luminaires , lighting specifiers can refer to the
Luminaire Efficacy Rating (LER) compiled by the National Lighting
Collaborative. LER is part of a voluntary program implemented by
the lighting industry, and specifiers can look for LER information
on product literature. The LER and its "cost of light" calculation
provide guidance on comparative energy efficiency and costs of
fluorescent luminaire options. By adding LER to their
specifications, lighting professionals can ensure energy efficiency
in their designs and educate their clients about lighting project
energy consumption.
LER was a result of the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (EPAct), which
called for a voluntary national testing and information program for
"widely used luminaires with the potential forsignificant energy
savings." The federal government gave the lighting industry
responsibility for cre ation of this program.The resulting stake
holders' working group, the National Lighting Collaborative (NLC)
was established in 1992 and represents a broad spectrum of opinion
on lighting issues drawn from industry, government, designer, and
energy conservation member organizations. These groups included the
National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), American
Lighting Association, and other interested organizations . The
resulting program is based on NEMA Standards Publication No. LE5,
"Procedure for Determining Luminaire Efficacy Ratings for
Fluorescent Luminaires." The program covers ten categories of
fluorescent luminaires used in the commercial and industrial
sectors, and more will be added as NLC develops and reviews more
NEMA standards.
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an online resource center for information on energy efficiency design practices in
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offers design assistance and incentives to design teams and building owners in California
to encourage high-performance nonresidential building design and construction.
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and administered by Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Sacramento Municipal Utility
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