Policy

Renewable Energy & Advanced Lighting Systems for Grid-Connected Exterior Applications

CLTC Studies Renewable Energy & Advanced Lighting Systems for Exterior Applications

Exterior lighting generally operates from early evening through early morning, a period of little to no renewable energy generation, which means this lighting is primarily powered by carbon-dense fossil fuels. Fossil fuel use is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), poor air quality, water pollution and land degradation. In addition, low-quality exterior lighting characterized by poor color, inappropriate light distribution, and inadequate light levels has also been linked to increased crime rates and reduced physical activity within the surrounding community.

Daylight Harvesting for Commercial Buildings

Daylight Harvesting for Commercial Buildings for 2019 Building Energy Efficiency Standards
04/13/2021

CLTC is excited to announce an update to the Daylight Harvesting for Commercial Buildings publication!  This in-depth tool provides guidance towards meeting and exceeding California's 2019 Energy Code for daylight harvesting.

Daylight design guidance and associated Energy Code are provided in an easy to read, side-by-side layout, organized into sections for each building-related discipline that impacts daylight performance from building siting, through architectural and interior design, to construction, commissioning and operation. 

Adaptive Lighting for Mexico's Urban Buildings

The Consortium for Energy Efficiency in Non-Residential Buildings (The Consortium), supported by the National Council for Science and Technology and Secretary of Energy in Mexico, is focused on reducing electricity demand in Mexico’s non-residential buildings through collaborative efforts with industry, government and universities.  Specifically, the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education, with assistance from UC Davis, is funded to implement an energy efficiency laboratory featuring lighting and air conditioning technologies for non-residential buildings.

Educational Video Series: 2016 Lighting Controls Technologies & Requirements

Lighting Controls
08/10/2017

The California Lighting Technology Center (CLTC) at the University of California Davis collaborated with the California Energy Commission to provide this educational video series in support of the 2016 Building Energy Efficiency Standards (Title 24).  Sensors and controls can achieve significant energy savings by automatically adjusting lighting based on time of day, available task needs, daylight, occupancy, and electricity supply or cost.

Title 24: Office Lighting

Title 24: Office Lighting

This Office Lighting course is designed for those who design, specify, or inspect lighting installations in new and remodeled commercial office spaces. The curriculum includes an overview of current lighting technologies, including LED luminaires, and updates on new lighting requirements and sections in the 2019 standards.

Learning outcomes for course participants include the ability to:

Proposition 39

Proposition 39

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.

High Color Rendering Can Enable Better Vision without Requiring More Power

Published: Mon, 03/02/2015
High Color Rendering Can Enable Better Vision without Requiring More Power

A new article advocating for high color rendering in consumer lighting products and the policies that support their adoption is now available.  The paper is a collaboration between CLTC, the University of British Columbia and the National Research Council of Canada.

The article focuses on the tradeoff between color rendering accuracy and lamp efficiency to show that high color rendering accuracy is appropriate and, contrary to a common misconception, does not intrinsically require greater electrical energy consumption.

High Color Rendering Can Enable Better Vision without Requiring More Power

03/02/2015

LEUKOS— A new article advocating for high color rendering in consumer lighting products and the policies that support their adoption is now available.  The paper is a collaboration between CLTC, the University of British Columbia and the National Research Council of Canada.

The article focuses on the tradeoff between color rendering accuracy and lamp efficiency to show that high color rendering accuracy is appropriate and, contrary to a common misconception, does not intrinsically require greater electrical energy consumption.

CLTC Hosted University of California Global Climate Leadership Council Meeting

Published: Fri, 02/20/2015
CLTC Hosted University of California Global Climate Leadership Council Meeting

CLTC hosted the University of California Global Climate Leadership Council meeting on February 25.

UC President Janet Napolitano formed the council to advise UC campuses on achieving the ambitious goal of carbon neutrality by 2025 while providing guidance for furthering other longstanding sustainability goals. The council will offer direction on integrating the carbon neutrality initiative into UC’s teaching, research and public service mission.

CLTC Director Michael Siminovitch and undergraduate student Elaine Swiedler represents UC Davis on the council.

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