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Version 5.1Effective July 1, 2020
This page includes all information and policies related to the V5.1 SSL Technical Requirements, effective on July 1, 2020. The timeline below summarizes the implementation schedule for both Technical Requirements V5.0 and Technical Requirements V5.1. For more guidance on how the policies are being implemented, see the V5.0 & V5.1 Manufacturer and Industry Guidance.
Introduction
Solid-State Lighting (SSL) Technical Requirements Version 5.1 is the second of two revisions (V5.0 and V5.1) designed to improve the quality and controllability of high performance, energy efficient commercial lighting products by establishing requirements and reporting standards for DLC listed products. V5.0 of the Solid-State Technical Requirements laid the groundwork around efficacy and controllability, and V5.1 continues to capture advances in lighting quality characteristics such as color performance, discomfort glare, and light distribution; and increases the controls functionality of installed energy efficient technology so that maximum energy savings and user benefits are realized.
Quality of light encompasses the characteristics of lighting that impact productivity, performance, comfort, mood, safety, health, wellbeing, and more. V5.1 includes new requirements for spectral quality and light distribution that will improve the quality of light of DLC listed products. The V5.1 lighting controllability requirements support additional energy savings while promoting better quality of light for people living and working in the built environment. V5’s phased approach to incorporating quality of light metrics on the QPL will ensure that high-quality products are listed, superior performing products can be differentiated, and additional energy savings are realized.
V5.1 applications will be accepted beginning July 1, 2020. More information can be found in the V5.0 & V5.1 Manufacturer and Industry Guidance, published along with the V5.0 and V5.1 Technical Requirements.
The DLC’s LUNA Technical Requirements establish performance criteria for specific categories of outdoor lighting so that lighting decision makers can be confident that their selections save energy AND follow best environmental practices for nighttime lighting. Manufacturer test planning can include tests for both SSL and LUNA qualification. Additional details can be found in the LUNA Technical Requirements.
Goals of Version 5.1
Schedule of Revisions
| Version | Status | Effective Date | Update By | Delist Date | Documentation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACTIVE | July 1, 2020 | Apr 15, 2022 | -- | Download PDF | |
| DELISTED | Feb 18, 2020 | Jan 31, 2021 | Jun 30, 2022 | Download PDF | |
| DELISTED | Oct 18, 2018 | Nov 15, 2020 | Feb 28, 2021 | Download PDF |
Manufacturer and Industry Guidance
The V5.0 & V5.1 Manufacturer and Industry Guidance provides information on how the V5.1 Technical Requirements are being applied to the SSL QPL. Manufacturers who wish to update their product listings or others interested in how V5.1 is being implemented should consult this guidance document for information about:
- Submitting applications to be listed under V5.1
- Required product testing under V5.1
- An example of typical required testing and reporting for a family of products under V5.1
- Transition timelines, grace periods, and updating instructions for products qualified under previous versions of the Technical Requirements
- Application fee changes effective with V5.1 of the Technical Requirements
- Impacts to application processing timeframes
Program guidance and other resource materials have also been made available to energy efficiency programs to provide explanations of new metrics, benefits to customers and trade allies, and timelines for transitioning to the new requirements.
SSL V5.1 Resources
The DLC has a variety of resources to ease the transition to testing products for V5.1, including comparison of requirements, guidance for formatting and submitting IES files and test reports, clarification of definitions, and more.
Product Eligibility & Primary Use Designations
The DLC qualifies commercial LED luminaires, retrofit kits, linear replacement lamps, mogul (E39/E40) screw-base replacements for HID lamps, and four pin-base replacement lamps for CFLs on the DLC QPL. View the list below to see whether the DLC qualifies your specific product type.
V5.1 Technical Requirements & Tables
Technical Requirements V5.1 describes additions to the V5.0 Technical Requirements. Any technical requirements not addressed within this document, including but not limited to warranty, power quality, and safety certification, will not change with V5.1, and existing requirements will apply. All V5.0 requirements can be found in the V5.1 Technical Requirements Tables.
DLC Premium Requirements
DLC Premium is a higher-performance classification for luminaires and retrofit kits. Products submitted to the DLC Premium classification must meet higher efficacy and lumen maintenance requirements and must also provide a driver ISTMT and information about integral controls.
DLC LUNA Requirements
The DLC LUNA Technical Requirements are designed to mitigate negative impacts of outdoor lighting at night. By establishing requirements and reporting standards on light distribution, spectral characteristics, and controllability, LUNA identifies energy efficient luminaires that minimize light pollution, provide appropriate visibility for people, and limit negative impacts to the environment.
To attain DLC LUNA qualification, products must meet the SSL V5.1 Technical Requirements as a baseline, in addition to the LUNA Technical Requirements. Efficacy allowances are provided for cases where efficacy is compromised due to using shielding in a luminaire. In other words, LUNA creates allowances for efficacy where efficacy is compromised due to enhanced dark sky attributes, such as shielding used to minimize light trespass or uplight.
Testing Lab Requirements
DLC applications require that product testing be conducted at an accredited laboratory appropriate for the performance being evaluated. These tests may include in situ measurement tests (ISTMT), LM-79, LM-80, LM-84, or compatibility tests for four pin-base replacement lamps for CFLs.
Retrofit Kits
The DLC requires additional testing and reporting to qualify retrofit kits. There are two options for testing retrofit kits: testing in approved or pre-approved equivalent housings, or testing in a manufacturer-selected housing.
Linear Replacement Lamps
The DLC requires additional testing and reporting to qualify linear replacement lamps. These additional testing and reporting requirements are intended to evaluate the performance of the lamp itself.
Screw-Base Replacements for HID Lamps
The DLC requires additional testing and reporting to qualify screw-base replacements for HID lamps. Screw-base replacements for HID lamps are required to be tested in a reference fixture. Testing must be conducted with the lamp installed in an approved or pre-approved housing.
Four Pin-Base Replacement Lamps for CFLs
The DLC requires additional testing and reporting to qualify four pin-base replacement lamps for CFLs. These additional testing and reporting requirements are intended to subject the lamps to conditions found in typical luminaires to assure confidence in performance.
Color-Tunable Products
The DLC requires additional testing and reporting to qualify color-tunable products. The testing for white-tunable products must be provided to cover all areas of investigation as with non-color tuning family groups, plus additional testing across the color-tunable range for the least efficacious product. Warm-dimming product applications must include a single LM-79 report performed at the maximum setting of the dimming input control.
Dimmable and Field-Adjustable Products
The DLC requires additional testing and reporting to qualify dimmable and field-adjustable products. Dimmable and field-adjustable product applications must include testing to demonstrate the products meet DLC requirements at full output.
Field-Adjustable Light Distribution Products
The DLC requires additional testing and reporting measures to qualify products with field-adjustable light distribution. Field-adjustable light distribution (FALD) products are lamps, luminaires, or retrofit kits whose light distribution can be intentionally adjusted from the default factory “as-shipped” configuration. Light distribution is considered adjusted when the light intensity in one direction changes relative to the intensity in any other direction.
Testing must be conducted in the light distribution settings that result in the worst-case performance for each of efficacy, wattage, lumen output, power quality, and thermal In-Situ Temperature Measurement Testing (ISTMT).
DC & PoE Products
The DLC requires additional testing and reporting to qualify DC and PoE powered products. Testing for DC and PoE products must cover all areas of investigation as is required for AC family groups. All DC and PoE products must be submitted as a Family Group, regardless of the number of products submitted.
Hazardous Location Lighting
The DLC requires specific testing and reporting to qualify hazardous location lighting. For these products, safety testing must be performed by an appropriate safety organization in the US or Canada (i.e. OSHA NRTL or SCC-recognized body).
Modular Products with External Power Supplies
The DLC requires specific testing and reporting to qualify modular products with external power supplies. The DLC lists modular products with external power supplies by unit, with unit-level performance data for light output characteristics.
Safety Certification
The DLC requires specific testing and reporting to ensure that all listed products have an appropriate safety certification. All products must be certified to the applicable safety standard by a safety certification organization relevant in the United States or Canada. (.pdf file format required)
Approved Reference Housings
The DLC maintains lists of approved reference housings for testing products in certain primary use designations. The DLC also maintains a process for approving requests to test products in equivalent housings.
Policy Clarifications and Updates
As the DLC processes applications for V5.1, we have encountered the need for minor corrections, clarifications, and policy changes. In order to be as transparent as possible, changes will be tracked in the relevant documents and in the linked table below, which shows the corrections or clarifications and where they can be found.
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