Each year, California schools spend approximately as much money on energy—$700 million—as they do on books and supplies.1 Education spending is a frequent point of debate among politicians and citizens, and maximizing the implementation of energy efficient technologies in school facilities could act as a way to increase education budgets without allocating additional public funds.
CLTC researchers are developing a standard methodology for conducting field demonstrations to better inform energy codes and standards enhancement.
Light-RITE California—Giving public facility managers the knowledge and tools they need to implement best practices and maximize energy efficiency across the state.
California’s 2013 Title 24 requirements for building energy efficiency call for some high-efficacy lighting in a limited number of residential space types, such as kitchens and bathrooms. A future code requirement that all residential lighting be high efficacy has the potential to yield significant energy savings across the state, but implementation must first be proven practical and cost-effective.
The UC Davis Smart Lighting Initiative was established in 2010 to improve the quality and efficiency of both indoor and outdoor lighting on campus. The initiative's primary goal is to reduce UC Davis's electricity use for lighting by 60 percent, based on 2007 levels of energy use. The effort was inspired by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and its call to reduce statewide electricity consumption for lighting by 60 percent or more by 2020.
CLTC communicates and collaborates with the Energy Division of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to provide objective information and expert analysis that may inform the Commission’s lighting-related energy policies, programs and mandates. CLTC supports the CPUC’s Energy Division in its lighting-related goals, initiatives and activities, including the Lighting Action Plan, a near-term implementation guide for achieving the goals stated in the Lighting Chapter of California’s Long-Term Energy Efficiency Strategic Plan.
The California Energy Commission has adopted a voluntary lighting quality specification for LED replacement lamps. The new standard requires LED lamps to meet certain performance criteria in order to qualify for incentive programs and rebates. These criteria include the color of a lamp’s light, its consistency over time, and its accuracy in rendering colors. The specification for incentivized LED lamps also includes requirements regarding dimming and flickering.
