CLTC is excited to share the findings of a new study on Residential Energy & Automation (REA) Systems, showcasing how this innovative technology can help homeowners save energy and cut costs through the use of intelligent energy management. REA systems integrate technologies like solar panels, battery storage, and electric vehicles into smart, automated networks that optimize energy use—helping lower utility bills while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Exterior lighting, predominantly powered by carbon-intensive fossil fuels during high residential usage hours, poses environmental and safety challenges when power outages leave communities in darkness for extended periods. In response, the California Energy Commission funded a sustainable exterior lighting initiative at the California Lighting Technology Center (CLTC) at the University of California, Davis to develop and demonstrate Renewable Energy and Advanced Lighting (REAL) systems.

When it comes to physical training, the environment individuals choose can significantly enhance their performance. A recent study by Professor Dongwoo Jason Yeom and Ph.D. student Seonghyuk Son of Arizona State University and Professor Jae Yong Suk of the California Lighting Technology Center at the University of California, Davis explores indoor lighting and its influence on physiological signals in humans during exercise.

According to a study conducted by the U.S. Department of Energy, lighting accounts for 18% of the energy used by commercial buildings in the U.S., making lighting upgrades with controls a significant opportunity for energy savings. When properly designed, today’s LED technology pairs well with advanced controls. One example of a lighting control strategy typically used in circulation spaces for commercial buildings like offices and schools is occupancy sensing, which automatically turns lights off when spaces are unoccupied and turns lights on when spaces are occupied.

The California Lighting Technology Center’s Residential Lighting Guide assists builders and lighting industry professionals in navigating the residential lighting portion of California’s Building Energy Efficiency Standards (Title 24, Part 6 or Energy Code). The 2022 iteration of the Energy Code took effect on January 1, 2023. 

The California Lighting Technology Center’s Nonresidential Lighting and Electrical Power Distribution Guide assists builders and lighting industry professionals in navigating the nonresidential lighting and electrical power distribution portions of California’s Building Energy Efficiency Standards (Title 24, Part 6 or Energy Code). The 2022 iteration of the Energy Code took effect on January 1, 2023. 

California’s Energy Code, also known as Title 24, is updated every three years to follow the requirements established by the Warren-Alquist State Energy Resources Conservation & Development Act that was signed into law in response to the energy crisis of the early 1970s during Ronald Reagan’s second term as California’s governor.

The California Lighting Technology Center, in collaboration with the California Energy Commission, conducted research to refine and deploy technology strategies that integrate and optimize automated controls for heating, ventilating and air conditioning, electric lighting, and dynamic fenestration (window and door) systems. Project objectives were:

1. Refine and publish an integrated building control system specification for commercial applications including necessary hardware and software components.