Replacing oil and natural gas lighting, the first practical electric light bulb was invented by Thomas Edison in 1879. Joseph W. Swan filed a similar Electric Lamp Patent in 1880. One of the first large-scale installations of electric lighting was at the Savoy Theatre in London in 1881, which was followed by the installation of electric lights in the Palace of Westminster in 1882. By the 1890s, electric lighting had become more widespread and affordable.
| Opticks: or, A treatise of the reflections, refractions, inflexions and colours of light | Sir Isaac Newton 1704 |
The widespread transition to LED lighting in buildings began in the early 2010s. While LED technology had been available since the 1960s, it wasn’t until the 2000s that the technology improved to the point where LED lighting was cost-effective and efficient enough to replace traditional lighting technologies like incandescent and fluorescent lighting. In addition to their energy efficiency, LED lights also have a longer lifespan than traditional lighting technologies, which makes them more cost-effective over the long term.
Today we refresh our understanding of the moment in illumination technologies. Illumination technology was the original inspiration for the electric utility industry; providing night-time security and transforming every sector of every economy on earth. Lighting load remains the largest component of any building’s electric load — about 35 percent– making it a large target for energy regulations. We are organizing our approach to this topic during 2023:
Illumination 100. Survey of illumination standards catalogs
Illumination 200. Interior illumination including industrial and laboratory occupancies
Illumination 300. Exterior illumination with emphasis on pathways
Illumination 400. Sport lighting, interior and exterior
Illumination 500. Advanced topics including relevant legislation and litigation.
Except jankiness for most of 2023. We have been doing this work since 1993 — starting with the National Electrical Code — and getting the topic organized into manageable segments will be a challenge.
Today our inquiry begins with selections from the following documents:
International Electrotechnical Commission TC 34 Lighting
IEC 60364 Electrical Installations in Buildings
Electrical installations and Protection Against Electric Shock
2023 National Electrical Safety Code
IEEE P3001.9 – Recommended Practice for the Design of Power Systems Supplying Lighting Systems in Commercial and Industrial Facilities (under development)
2023 National Electrical Code: Article 410
2019 ASHRAE 90.1: Chapter 9 Lighting
Illumination Engineering Society: Various titles
…and about 20 other accredited, consortia or ad hoc standards developers and publishers aligned principally with vertical incumbents. Illumination was the original inspiration (i.e. the first “killer app”) for the electrical power industry in every nation. Its best practice literature reflects a fast-moving, shape-changing domain.
Click in today with the login credentials at the upper right of our home page.
Upper Wharfedale Primary Federation School District Yorkshire Dales
With a @UCIrvine @UCIEngineering faculty delegation to the @PacificSymphony to discuss our joint new instrument competition. The details are still being worked out but needless to say, it will be epic! pic.twitter.com/dvT4Mfp9xU
— UCI Engineering Dean (@UCIEngineerDean) September 25, 2023
More
International Commission on Illumination
National Electrical Manufacturers Association
Lighting Systems Division Standards
National Electrical Contractors Association
Standard for Installing Indoor Commercial Lighting Systems (NECA500-06PDF)
Standard for Installing Exterior Lighting Systems (NECA501-06PDF)
Standard for Installing Industrial Lighting Systems (NECA502-06PDF)
Representative Specifications
Sam Houston State University | Division 26500 Interior and Exterior Lighting
University of Delaware | Division 265100 Interior Lighting
Cal Poly University San Luis Obispo | Division 265100 Interior Lighting
