## 6.10 For Building Officials

This section provides guidance for enforcement agency personnel about what to look for on the plans, what compliance documents to expect, and high-priority issues to focus on in inspections.

### 6.10.1 Plans

A. Confirm All Specified Luminaires Are High Efficacy

All permanently installed luminaires shown on the plans and/or specifications must be high efficacy §150.0(k)1A). Luminaires may comply with §150.0(k)1A as follows:

1. Luminaires automatically classified as high efficacy; or

2. Luminaires that must use JA8-certified light sources or lamps; or

3. JA8 -certified luminaires.

LED luminaires installed outdoors and a number of conventional types are automatically classified as high efficacy. Refer to Section 6.2 for details about high-efficacy luminaires and JA8 compliant luminaires. Compliant luminaire types are in Table 6-1.

Plans, lighting specifications, and/or notes should specify how luminaires will comply.

B. Confirm All Required Controls Are Specified

Plans and specifications should indicate vacancy or occupancy sensing controls with at least one luminaire in each of the following spaces:

1. Bathrooms

2. Laundry rooms

3. Garages

4. Utility rooms

Luminaires installed with

lamps (lamps and light sources) with dimming capability are required to be controlled by a NEMA SSL-7A dimmer, vacancy sensor, or occupancy sensor.

More additional information about indoor lighting control requirements is in Section 6.3.

C. Confirm Any Applicable Outdoor and Nonresidential Lighting Standards

Outdoor lighting shall be shown on plans or described in specifications and/or notes to be high efficacy and to meet the control requirements of §150.0(k)3.

Plans, specifications, and notes should also describe any applicable nonresidential common area or outdoor lighting requirements.

### 6.10.2 Compliance Documentation

Confirm that all required compliance documentation is included with the plans.

A. Certificate of Installation

The certificate (CF2R-LTG) is the primary compliance documentation for residential lighting. There will be one or more CF2R-LTG forms submitted for each project. Confirm lighting systems and lighting controls in the project are covered by a CF2R-LTG. Confirm all CF2R-LTG forms are registered.

B. Lighting Schedule

Builders must submit a lighting schedule to homeowners or occupants at the time of occupancy. This schedule should describe all installed interior luminaires and lamps. A draft schedule should be included for the plan check.

C. Documentation for Control Systems

Some lighting control systems will also require specific compliance documentation.

### 6.10.3 Inspections

A. Confirm Luminaires Are Properly Installed

All installed luminaires should be high efficacy or JA8-compliant.

JA8-compliant luminaires, lamps, and light sources should have a factory or manufacturer’s mark with JA8-2019 or JA8-2019-E.

Ceiling recessed downlight luminaires should have a JA8-2019 mark.

Lamps and light sources installed in enclosed luminaires and recessed luminaires should have a JA8-2019-E mark.

B. Confirm Lighting Controls Are Properly Installed

Lighting controls are properly installed per lighting applications for the spaces.

At least one luminaire in bathrooms, laundry rooms, garages, and utility rooms are controlled with a vacancy/occupancy sensing controls.

Dimmers or vacancy/occupancy sensing controls must control JA8 light sources with dimming capability.

C. Confirm Any Applicable Outdoor and Nonresidential Lighting Standards

All lighting attached to a single-family building or other buildings on the same lot must be high efficacy, and must be controlled by a manual ON and OFF switch and one of the following automatic control types:

1. Photocontrol and either a motion sensor or an automatic time-switch control; or

2. Astronomical time-clock control.

Low-rise residential buildings with four or more dwelling units can comply with the residential or nonresidential lighting standards for certain applications such as private patios, entrances, balconies, porches, residential parking lots, and carports with less than eight vehicles per site.

Refer to Section 6.5 for the complete outdoor lighting requirements.

Lighting that is not permanently attached to a building on a single-family site, such as landscape lighting, is not regulated by the Energy Standards.

If there is any nonresidential outdoor lighting, refer to Chapter 6 of the 2019 Nonresidential Compliance Manual Chapter 6 for the outdoor lighting requirements.

D. Inspections for Ceiling Recessed Downlight Luminaires

Recessed downlight luminaires must be insulation contact (IC) rated and have a gasket or caulking between the housing and ceiling to prevent heated or cooled air from flowing between conditioned and unconditioned spaces.

Luminaires must include a label certifying airtight or similar designation to show air leakage less than 2.0 CFM at 75 Pascals when tested in accordance with ASTM E283. The label must be visible for the building inspector. The building official may verify the IC and ASTM E283 labels during rough inspection. If verified at final inspection, the official may remove the trim kit to see the labels.

The ASTM E283 certification is a laboratory procedure that measures the leakage of the luminaire housing or an airtight trim kit, and not the installation. Luminaire housings labeled as airtight, airtight ready, or other airtight designation do not establish that a luminaire has been installed airtight. The luminaire manufacturer shall provide instructions about the assembly required to achieve an airtight installation.

Manufacturers use different methods to meet the airtight standards. These methods include using caulk or gaskets to reduce air leakage at the luminaire housing. The lighting requirements do not favor one airtight method over another.

Because luminaire housing is not always installed perfectly parallel to the ceiling surface, both methods have their benefits as follows:

1. Caulk will fill in and seal wide and uneven gaps. After the caulk dries, it may permanently attach the luminaire housing or trim to the ceiling surface. The caulk may need to be cut away from the ceiling surface in case that a luminaire housing or trim needs to be moved away from the ceiling.

2. Many gaskets allow the luminaire housing or trim to be moved away from the ceiling after installation. If the gasket is too thin or not made out of an air stopping material, it may not sufficiently reduce the air flow between the conditioned and unconditioned spaces. Although the standards do not specify the material needed for a gasket, an open cell type of foam, particularly if the gasket is relatively thin, will not create an airtight barrier.

Install a certified airtight luminaire so that it prevents heated or cooled air from flowing between conditioned and unconditioned spaces. Seal all air leak paths through the luminaire assembly or the ceiling opening. Leak paths in the installation assembly that are not part of the ASTM E283 testing must be sealed with either a gasket or caulk.

Verify an airtight installation by:

1. Manufacturer specifications (a "cut sheet") of the certified airtight luminaire housing(s) and installation instructions are made available with the plans to show all components of the assembly needed to ensure there is an airtight installation consistent with §150.0(k)1C. This allows the building inspector to know what the manufacturer specifies to achieve airtight installation and to determine the construction phase that the luminaire should be inspected for airtight compliance.

2. The luminaire manufacturer will specify one of the methods to ensure an airtight seal of the certified airtight housing to the ceiling:

a. A gasket is attached to the bottom of the certified airtight housing before installing the ceiling (i.e., drywall or other ceiling materials) to create a seal. The gasket may be preinstalled at the factory, or may need to be field installed. For field installed gaskets, instructions on how the gasket is to be attached shall be provided by the manufacturer. The luminaire shall be installed so that the gasket will be sufficiently compressed by the ceiling when the ceiling is installed. A gasket that is too thin will not provide an airtight seal.

b. A gasket is applied between the certified airtight housing and the ceiling opening after the ceiling has been installed. The gasket creates the seal. The cut sheet and installation instructions for the airtight conditions shall detail how to attach the gasket.

c. Caulk is applied between the certified airtight housing and the ceiling after the ceiling has been installed. The caulk creates the airtight seal. The cut sheet or installation instructions shall specify the type of caulk that must be used and how the caulk shall be applied.

d. A certified airtight trim kit is attached to the housing after the ceiling has been installed. The kit in combination with the luminaire housing makes the manufactured luminaire airtight. A decorative luminaire trim that is not ASTM E283-certified does not make the manufactured luminaire airtight. Most decorative luminaire trims are not designed to make a luminaire airtight. These trims are used to provide a finished look between the ceiling and luminaire housing, and may include a reflector, baffle, and/or lens. Some trim kits are designed to make a luminaire installation airtight. These kits shall be certified airtight in accordance with ASTM E283. Certified kits consist of a one-piece lamp-holder, reflector cone, and baffle. The cut sheet and installation instructions for the airtight conditions shall show which kits should be installed with the luminaire housing and how they shall be attached. A gasket shall be installed between the kit and the ceiling.

3. The following methods for ensuring an airtight seal between the certified airtight housing or certified airtight trim and the ceiling shall be field verified at different phases during construction:

a. A gasket attached to the bottom of the certified airtight housing shall be inspected before the ceiling in stalled when the rough-in electrical work is visible. The inspector shall review the cut sheet or installation instructions to ensure the housing and gasket have been correctly installed. All gaskets shall be permanently in place at the time of inspection. Once the ceiling material is installed, the gasket will be in continuous, compressed contact with the back of the ceiling and that the housing is securely attached to avoid vertical movement. The housing shall be installed on a plane parallel to the ceiling to ensure continuous compression of the gasket.

b. A gasket applied between the certified airtight housing and the ceiling after the ceiling has been installed shall be inspected after the ceiling has been installed. The inspector shall review the cut sheet or installation instructions to make sure the housing and gasket have been installed correctly. The gasket shall be permanently in place at the time of inspection. It is important that the gasket is in continuous, compressed contact with the ceiling, and that the housing is attached securely to avoid vertical movement.

c. Caulk applied between the certified airtight housing and the ceiling shall be inspected after the ceiling is installed. The inspector shall review the cut sheet or installation instructions to make sure the housing has been installed correctly and the caulk has been applied correctly. The housing should be attached securely to avoid vertical movement.

A certified airtight trim kit shall be inspected after the ceiling and the trim are installed. The inspector shall review the cut sheet or installation instructions to make sure the luminaire housing and the kit have been installed correctly. Both should be securely attached to avoid vertical movement. The ASTM E283 certification is a laboratory procedure where the trim kit is tested on a smooth mounting surface. It is common for the kits to be installed against a textured ceiling or other irregular ceiling surface. The gasket should be in continuous, compressed contact with the ceiling and the kit. Visually inspect the kit and gasket next to the ceiling to ensure a continuous seal. Kits may be installed on luminaire housings that may or may not be certified airtight. If the kit is certified airtight, it shall also have a sealed gasket between the kit and ceiling.