High Performance Lighting Options for School Facilities

Brian McCowan, Energy & Resource Solutions, Inc.
Thomas Coughlin, National Grid USA
Peter Bergeron and Gary Epstein, Energy & Resource Solutions, Inc.

Keywords

Abstract

The current drive to design and build new public school facilities—both to replace outdated schools and to address expanding needs—offers significant challenges to design lighting systems that meet new building energy codes, offer premium efficiency, and provide the high quality lighting demanded for modern educational environments. This paper will present a proven approach to lighting design that allows code compliance, high color rendering, low glare, and premium efficiency to work in concert to provide optimal lighting performance.

The paper will first discuss innovative methods for complying with new, aggressive energy codes. Such codes, deployed in a growing number of jurisdictions, specify requirements for maximum connected lighting loads for space types and sizes (lighting power density) and require the application of advanced lighting controls. Code compliance establishes the minimum performance levels to which new schools should be designed.

Using examples from Energy and Resource Solutions efforts with the DesignLights^TM Consortium, we present techniques in detail that ensure optimum levels of lighting performance and energy efficiency. Incorporating premium performance fixtures with new lamp/ballast technologies ensures low-glare, high color rendering, and energy efficient lighting. Automatic occupancy controls, daylight harvesting systems, and DDC lighting control panels complete the systems approach to lighting design.

Approaches and technologies that will be discussed include: daylight enhanced education; color rendering and lighting level interaction; premium T-8 lighting systems; T-5 lighting systems; modern sport-lighting options; task lighting; multi-purpose spaces with multi-level lighting; line and low voltage lighting control systems; integrated occupancy/daylight control systems; and individually addressable ballasts.