The California Lighting Technology Center (CLTC) includes full-scale laboratories for research and development, prototyping, and product testing for lighting, building automation, plug loads, and electric vehicle supply equipment markets. Many of CLTC’s affiliates and partners conduct early testing at CLTC, prior to testing at a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory. This allows them to bring better solutions to the market faster. The patented sensors, controls, algorithms, luminaires, and lighting system technologies that originated in CLTC's labs are now transforming lighting energy use in California, across the U.S., and beyond. CLTC also conducts independent product testing and market research, providing accurate data on the state of the lighting, building automation, plug load, and electric vehicle supply equipment markets to regulators and end-users.

Laboratory Capabilities

General

• Includes full-scale laboratories capable of prototyping development (including machining and circuitry), and product testing.

• Equipped with devices and software capable of monitoring the electrical and atmospheric condition of building or device level loads in local or remote configurations with high accuracy in line with industry standards.

• Ability to measure photometric and electrical performance of luminaires. The facility contains 0.5, 1, and 2 meter integrating spheres capable of accurately measuring typical commercial and residential lighting form factors. In addition, highly customizable options allow for performance assessments of skylights and devices with unique form factors.

• Ability to measure candle-power distribution (CPD) of luminaires utilizing in-house goniophotometers sized for large and small form factors.

• Capable of assessing occupancy sensors and daylight sensors' electrical characteristics, sensitivity, and responses to various encroaching objects and illuminance conditions.

• Full-scale mock-up of medical patient room assessing the feasibility of advanced lighting controls focused on manipulating indirect amber light sources and medical reception mock-up assessing the feasibility of advanced integrated lighting controls.

• Ability to assess electrical and network performance characteristics of Network Lighting Control Systems (NLCS) and Building Automation Systems (BAS).

• Full-scale mock-up of residential living space designed to support the assessment of advanced residential appliances integrated with Home Energy Management Systems (HEMS) for energy efficiency, IOT performance, and non-energy benefits.

• Integrated Controls Environment utilized to test the energy efficiency performance of both commercialized and prototype devices controlling lighting, HVAC, and fenestration.

• Advanced Networking Laboratory capable of evaluating the cyber security and energy efficiency of networking equipment and networked building controls.

• Programmable load capable of simulating any load typically found in residential and commercial buildings. Used to assess load controller capabilities and metering accuracy.

• Ability to assess and test Level 1, Level 2, and DC EV supply equipment (EVSE) in accordance with industry standards including Energy Star.

• Capable of evaluating emerging EVSE that integrate BESS or PV for total system benefits.

• Capable of performing man-in-the-middle testing and analysis on power and data transmission signals between EVSEs and EVs in uni-directional or bi-directional operation.