“If you’re not in the room, why are the lights on?” my mom used
to ask. These days, numerous initiatives, regulations and codes
echo her sentiments. Who can argue with Mom? The call is being
made not just to save on the family’s electric bill but also
that of the city, state and nation. “Various green building
initiatives, e.g., LEED, are starting to drive the use of
residential lighting controls in new construction and retrofit.
It’s essentially a way to take power off the electrical grid
where there is too much load. While lighting load is lower than
that of HVAC or pool pumps, the cumulative control of those
loads can ultimately prevent having to build additional power
plants,” said Jennifer Holland, LEED AP, WattStopper product
manager. California often sets standards that other states
follow; for instance, the various iterations of Title 24 have
been adopted nationwide. Title 24 requirements from the 2008
version—and the upcoming acceptance of the language proposed for
the 2013 Title 24 report are prompt