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Building Lighting Controls

1.1    Scope

Building lighting controls manage electric lighting levels within specific areas, as and when required to match changes in daylight or occupancy, or individual activities. Street lighting controls are outside the scope of these criteria. 

The Energy Technology List (ETL) scheme aims to encourage the purchase of building lighting controls that realise energy savings by automatically switching or dimming lighting in these ways. The ETL criteria aligns with the requirements for class A systems of BS EN 52120-1:2022 (the new standard which has replaced BS EN 15232). 

Two different categories of building lighting controls are covered: 

  1. Presence detectors with associated controllers that monitor occupancy or movement of personnel, and automatically switch off lighting, or dim it down, when the area is unoccupied.
  2. Daylight detectors with associated dimming controllers that monitor daylight availability, and automatically dim lighting, by reducing its power consumption, to the level needed to sufficiently illuminate the area.

These building lighting controls may be supported by central area and network control units that provide the facility to manage the overall operation of electric lighting installations that include some or all of the categories of building lighting controls above.

The above categories of presence detector and daylight detector controllers may be listed on the ETL either individually, or in combination, with or without a central area or network control unit. These listing combinations will be presented separately on the ETL Product Search.  

Eligible building lighting controls shall comply with the requirements as set out below. The building lighting control systems need to be listed and registered on the ETL.

1.2    Definitions

Building lighting controls are products that are specifically designed to switch electric lighting on or off, and/or to dim its output. 

1.3    Requirements

1.3.1    Eligibility requirements 

To be eligible, products shall:

  • Comply with the specific eligibility criteria in the relevant table(s) Table 1.1 Table 1.2, Table 1.3.
  • Have an appropriate Conformity Assessment mark.

Products may also incorporate the facility that permits the automatic switching of lights to be temporarily overridden on a central basis for maintenance or security purposes, or to ensure the safety of occupants during particular events or activities.

Table 1.1  Presence detectors with associated controllers

SECTION 1A – ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

To be eligible under this category of Building Lighting Controls:

  • The product shall automatically switch off the lighting, or dim it down, after the area has become unoccupied.

Where automatic dimming controls are used, they shall be capable of reducing the power consumption of the controlled lamps by at least 75 %.

Where fluorescent lighting is being dimmed, it shall incorporate high frequency dimmable ballast and electronic control gear. Other forms of lighting may incorporate either mains frequency or high frequency dimmable ballasts and associated controls.
SECTION 1B – Notes
  1. The product may also automatically switch on the lighting when the space becomes occupied. Alternatively local users may manually switch on the lighting at the start of occupancy.
  2. Products may incorporate the facility for local users to manually override the presence detector/controller and to switch the lighting off at any particular instance. However, products that allow local users to override the ability of the presence detector/controller to automatically switch off, or dim the lighting, are not eligible.
  3. Products i.e. each individual presence detector shall not consume more than 0.5 Watts in parasitic power, when the associated lights are turned off.

Table 1.2    Daylight detectors with associated dimming controllers

SECTION 2A – ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA   

To be eligible under this category of Building Lighting Controls:

  • The product shall monitor the availability of daylight and automatically dim the electric lighting to the level just needed to sufficiently illuminate the area, and switch it off when there is enough daylight.
  • The product shall be able to reduce the power consumption of the lamps being controlled by at least 75% through dimming.

Where fluorescent lighting is being dimmed, it shall incorporate high frequency dimmable ballasts and electronic control gear. Other forms of lighting may incorporate either mains frequency or high frequency dimmable ballasts and associated controls.
SECTION 2B – Notes
  1. The product may also automatically switch on the lighting when daylight has fallen below the required level. Alternatively local users could be required to switch on the lighting manually, as and when needed.
  2. Products may incorporate the facility for local users to manually override the dimming controller at any particular instance and to set the lighting to a lower level than it would be under automatic control, or switch it off. However products that allow local users to override the ability of the daylight detector/controller to automatically dim the lighting are not eligible.
  3. Products i.e. each individual daylight detector shall not consume more than 0.5 Watts in parasitic power, when the associated lights are turned off.

Table 1.3  Central area and network control units (lighting control systems)

SECTION 3A – ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Building lighting controls which include a central area or network control unit shall:

  • be able to manage the overall operation of the electric lighting installation supporting the categories of building lighting controls set out in Table 1.1 and Table 1.2 above.
SECTION 3B – Notes
  1. The central area or network control units may make use of pre-programmed “scenes” that configure the lighting levels in different areas for a particular activity or daylight level or occupancy status in the most energy efficient manner. However, products that are only capable of manual scene setting are not eligible.
  2. Central lighting controller shall be capable of integrating into another building system via a “published protocol”.
  3. If the product is designed to control any form of heating, ventilation or air conditioning (HVAC) equipment then, it shall be listed under the HVAC Building Controls part of the ETL.

1.4    Verification for ETL Listing 

This sub-technology is listed therefore individual products do need to be registered on the Energy Technology List. The applicant shall provide evidence in the form of technical specifications, sales brochures and/or instruction manuals to demonstrate conformity of their systems against the eligibility requirements. There are no product testing requirements for this sub-technology. 

1.5    Conformity testing

Products listed on the ETL may be subject to the scheme’s conformity testing programme in order to ensure listed models continue to meet the ETL requirements.​​​

1.6    Review

1.6.1    Indicative review date  

This specification is scheduled to be reviewed during the 2025/26 review cycle. 

1.6.2    Illustrative future direction of the requirements

The next technical review will consider:

  • How future Building Regulations may include lighting control requirements
  • The adequacy of the cybersecurity criterion for lighting controls
  • How lighting controls are integrated with other building systems
  • How the installation of lighting controls purchased from the ETL affects the control efficiency.