## 6.5 Residential Outdoor Lighting Requirements

Outdoor residential lighting is sometimes subject to the residential lighting requirements, and sometimes subject to the nonresidential lighting requirements.

### 6.5.1 Outdoor Luminaires

All lighting attached to the residence or to other buildings on the same lot must be high efficacy. Table 150.0-A lists all qualifying high-efficacy light sources. Outdoor LED luminaires and LED light sources installed outdoors are automatically classified as high efficacy and are not required to comply with JA8 .

### 6.5.2 Single-Family Outdoor Lighting

All lighting attached to the residence or to 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.

Any override to the above automatic controls to ON must return to automatic control operations within six hours.

Lighting not permanently attached to a building on a single-family site, such as decorative landscape lighting, is not regulated by the residential lighting requirements. High efficacy lighting and controls such as a time clock or photocontrol will help save energy and ensures that the lighting is not accidentally left on during daylight hours.

#### Table 6-2: Outdoor Lighting Standards for Single Family Buildings

Outdoor Lighting Requirements (Res is short for Residential Standards; Nonres is short for Nonresidential Standards)
Spaces or Areas with Outdoor Lighting | Single Family Buildings
Outdoor lighting mounted to building | Res
Private patios, entrances, balconies, and porches | Res

### 6.5.3 Low-Rise Residential Buildings and Other Applications – Outdoor Lighting

Low-rise residential buildings with four or more dwelling units and the following applications have the option of complying with either the residential or nonresidential lighting standards.

1. Private patios

2. Entrances

3. Balconies

4. Porches

For all other outdoor lighting applications, low-rise buildings with four or more dwelling units must comply with the nonresidential lighting requirements.

#### Table 6-3: Outdoor Lighting Standards for Low-Rise Residential Buildings

Outdoor Lighting Requirements (Res is short for Residential Standards; Nonres is short for Nonresidential Standards)
Spaces or Areas with Outdoor Lighting | Low-Rise Residential Buildings
1-3 Dwelling Units | 4 or more Dwelling Units
Private patios, entrances, balconies, and porches | Res or Nonres (builder’s option) | Res or Nonres (builder’s option)
Outdoor lighting not regulated by Section 3B | Res or Nonres | Nonres

Example 6-15: Outdoor lighting controls for hotel guestrooms:

Question

What are the requirements for exterior lighting of a hotel guestroom, such as balcony light?

Answer

Section 150.0(k)3B applies to “outdoor lighting for private patios, balconies and porches.” Either residential lighting controls or nonresidential lighting controls can be selected for meeting Title 24.

### 6.5.4 High-Rise Residential Buildings – Outdoor Lighting

Any outdoor lighting attached to the building, which is controlled from within the dwelling unit, must comply with the residential requirements.

Outdoor lighting attached to the building that is not controlled from within the dwelling unit must comply with the following nonresidential requirements:

1. §110.9 – Mandatory Requirement for Lighting Controls

2. §130.0 – Lighting Systems and Equipment, and Electrical Power Distribution Systems – General

3. §130.2 –Outdoor Lighting Controls and Equipment

4. §130.4 – Lighting Control Acceptance and Installation Certificate Requirements

5. §140.7 – Requirements for Outdoor Lighting

6. §141.0 – Additions, Alterations, and Repairs to Existing Nonresidential, High-Rise Residential, and Hotel/Motel Buildings, to Existing Outdoor Lighting, and to Internally and Externally Illuminated Signs

More on the nonresidential lighting requirements is Chapter 5 of the Nonresidential Compliance Manual.

### 6.5.5 Internally Illuminated Signs

Internally illuminated signs shall consume no more than 5W of power, or shall comply the with nonresidential sign lighting requirements in §140.8.

Example 6-16: Outdoor lighting: glare control

Question

Are there cutoff requirements for residential outdoor luminaires?

Answer

There are no cutoff requirements for typical residential outdoor lighting. Residential parking lots for eight or more vehicles are required to meet the nonresidential standards, which do include cutoff requirements for luminaires with initial lumens greater than 6,200 lumens. The requirement uses the backlight, uplight and glare (BUG) ratings developed by the IES to define acceptable amounts of uplight and glare (there are no limits on “backlight.”) Even though not required for most residential outdoor lighting, luminaires that limit uplight are usually more efficient at providing light in the required area, so a lower wattage lamp and ballast can be used. The BUG requirements also reduce stray light and glare problems which can cause visual discomfort.

Example 6-17: Outdoor lighting: landscape lighting

Question

I would like to install low-voltage landscape lighting in my yard. Are these required to be on a motion sensor and photocontrol?

Answer

No. Although the lighting requirements only apply to lighting that is attached to the building, it is advisable to use photocontrols or astronomical time clock controls for landscape lighting so that the lighting is not left on during daylight hours.

Example 6-18: Outdoor lighting: patios

Question

Does outdoor lighting on the patio of a high-rise residential building have to comply with the residential or nonresidential lighting standards?

Answer

If the patio outdoor lighting is controlled from inside of the dwelling unit, it must comply with the residential outdoor lighting standards. If the patio outdoor lighting is controlled from outside of the dwelling unit, it must comply with the nonresidential outdoor lighting standards. For example, if the outdoor patio lighting is controlled by a building-wide EMCS outside of the dwelling units, it must comply with the nonresidential outdoor lighting standards.