Introduction

Adding NLCs to LED lighting projects can boost energy savings by nearly 50 percent, yet adoption of the technology remains limited. Barriers such as technology complexity, high cost, and lack of standardization and interoperability have prevented the technology from achieving its full potential. Education, common standards, and system selection guidance, are needed to address these barriers and achieve widespread adoption.

The DLC’s Networked Lighting Controls Technical Requirements and associated Qualified Products List provide an essential resource to efficiency program administrators, designers, specifiers, distributors, contractors, and end users to identify, compare, and select rebate-eligible, high-performing control systems for use on projects.

Schedule of Revisions

System Definitions & Eligibility

These are requirements for interior and exterior networked lighting control (NLC) systems associated with commercial and industrial buildings, roadways, and exterior environments. Note that while the DLC accepts exterior NLC systems, these systems are not addressed comprehensively at present. NLC systems are defined for the purposes of these requirements as the combination of sensors, network interfaces, and controllers that effect lighting changes in luminaires, retrofit kits or lamps. Luminaires, retrofit kits and lamps are qualified separately by the DLC’s Solid-State Lighting Technical Requirements and Qualified Products List.

DC and PoE networked lighting control systems are eligible to be qualified, in conjunction with the SSL Testing and Reporting Requirements for DC and PoE Lamps, Luminaires, and Retrofit Kits.

Building Management Systems that control networked lighting plus other building systems, such as HVAC, are eligible to be qualified as NLC systems and listed on the QPL, provided that they meet all of the DLC’s requirements for NLC. Note that the DLC does not claim to qualify any HVAC-specific capabilities of these systems at this time.

Horticultural control systems are not eligible to be qualified at this time.

Full System Definitions & Eligibility

Technical Requirements

Networked lighting controls systems must comply with the provisions of this document to be eligible for listing on the DLC Networked Lighting Controls Qualified Products List.

Download NLC5.1 Technical Requirements