Article #1389 - ASHRAE 90.1-2004 Lighting Requirements Exterior

How does the standard apply to detention facility grounds and other exterior lighting where security is an issue?

This lighting may fall under the exemption for lighting designed to meet health or life safety ordinance or regulation but will depend on what applicable ordinances or regulations exist.

Are the use of cutoff type exterior fixtures and other night sky light pollution issues addressed in the energy standard?

Exterior lighting system (parking lot).

Not specifically, as they relate purely to night sky pollution. The energy standard restricts itself to energy issues that can be mandated in a code or standard. The use of cutoff exterior fixtures can be an aid in meeting some of the exterior lighting requirements but this choice is left to the user. For example, the 90.1-2004 exterior lighting wattage allowances for most grounds and parking areas are based on lighting models that make use of moderate cutoff fixtures as a representation of reasonable efficient fixtures. However, compliance could be achieved using other fixture configurations depending on design and trade-off with other lighted areas.

How does the ATM exterior lighting allowance of 270 watts per location for the first and 90 watts for each additional apply if there are 2 machines on opposite sides of a building? Does the second one get only 90 watts or the primary 270 watts?

The intent of the phrase "per location" is to limit the wattage for additional machines located in the same area since spillover from the primary lighted ATM would help light additional nearby ATMs. In this case there would be no spillover and 270 should be allowed for each ATM on opposite sides of the building.

Is lighting for security cameras exempted from the standard?

Lighting that helps support the use of security cameras may be considered as required by a life safety requirements and therefore could be exempted. This exemption would depend on the nature of the security or life safety requirements and whether the lighting was installed specifically for the security cameras and not for general lighting.

Is the lighting for the vertical surface and interior of a canopy that includes wording for signage be exempted as lighting for signage?

If the lighting is specifically designed and installed to provide illumination for the signage itself then it likely would fall under this exemption. However, the ultimate determination of whether it is specifically for signage or to simply illuminate the canopy would be up to the local building official.

Timeclock used to control the exterior lighting system for the building.

Are timer controls acceptable to comply with the exterior lighting control requirements in place of photocell controls?

Time controls with astronomical capability would allow building owners to program lights to turn off during times when parking lots or grounds are not in use. The standard allows the use of photocell control, astronomical time switch, control or a combination.

Code citations that appear in this article are from: Copyright, 2004, American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers , Atlanta, GA. ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2004 . Reproduced with permission. All rights reserved.