Commercial lighting energy standard — feedback invited

Standards New Zealand is inviting feedback on an updated energy standard for lighting in large buildings such as offices and industrial buildings.

Comments on the draft standard can be made through the Standards New Zealand website until 14 February 2018.

The standard aims to balance the energy efficiency opportunities of new lighting technology with lighting performance that is user-focused and fit for purpose, said Bryan King, chair of the Standards New Zealand committee that drafted the changes.

The standard was last updated in 2007. Since then, LED luminaires (light fittings) and electronic control gear, coupled with astute lighting design, have significantly lowered energy use in large buildings. The lighting power density limits in the previous standard no longer reflect current practice.

Updating the standard and its NZ Building Code citation will further encourage energy performance improvements, said King.

“The committee was acutely conscious of the need to balance lowest reasonable energy use with appropriate levels of lighting performance at an affordable cost,” he said.

“The proposed standard is product agnostic and is not prescriptive, so new technology innovations are not precluded and legacy technologies are not banned if their use meets the energy performance limits.”

The update includes changes to accommodate LEDs, tightening of lighting power density limits, simplifying application and defining building spatial functions more precisely.

This means building owners will better futureproof their investment, while building tenants will benefit from lower lighting energy bills.

The draft standard is called NZS 4243.2 Energy Efficiency Large buildings – Lighting. The 2017 amendment will supersede NZS 4243.2:2007. It was commissioned by EECA.