Participant Recognition

ILC Participant Eligibility

ILC Participants are organizations, including building owners, operators, and managers, that have installed an advanced lighting system (luminaires and controls). ILC Participants are encouraged to submit commercial projects, indoor or outdoor, that they would like to have considered for recognition. Commercial projects can include, but are not limited to:

  • Office spaces
  • Retail
  • Food service and grocery stores
  • Schools (K-12 and higher educational facilities)
  • Hospitality
  • Healthcare facilities
  • Multifamily buildings
  • Federal, state, and local government facilities
  • Warehouses
  • Agricultural spaces
  • Street lighting, parking lots and outdoor hardscapes

If you have a project that you’re not sure is eligible, please Contact Us and we’d be happy to discuss.

Participant Categories

Advanced use of sensors and controls for lighting

This category seeks to recognize installations of lighting sensors and controls used in ways that go beyond the norm of general occupancy, daylighting, dimming, and scheduling approaches. We're particularly interested in applications where sensors and controls are used to achieve greater energy savings, streamline operations, improve occupant comfort and experience, or simplify installation, commissioning, and operation of advanced or integrated lighting systems. Examples include:

  • Exemplary luminaire-level lighting control implementation.
  • Exemplary networked lighting control implementation.
  • Exemplary tunable white lighting implementation.
  • Projects that use remote or bulk commissioning, wireless sensors and controls, power-over-ethernet, and other novel approaches.

ADVANCED LIGHTING SOLUTIONS FOR SMALL PROJECTS OR BUILDINGS

This category seeks to recognize exemplary projects and solutions in installations less than 50,000 square feet in size. Advanced lighting controls and integrated lighting systems are not one-size-fits all; tell us how your small project has incorporated an advanced lighting system that works for the space and occupants. Examples include:

  • Buildings without building automation systems.
  • Projects with a small number of light fixtures to control.
  • No dedicated facility managers.
  • Novel room control applications.

Integrated Controls for Plug Loads and Lighting Systems

This category seeks to recognize projects that integrate lighting controls with automatic receptacle controls or "smart" outlets to automatically power connected devices on or off. Using the lighting systems occupancy sensors and/or scheduling capabilities to turn off appliance loads when the space is vacant adds to the energy savings of lighting controls and can extend equipment life of the appliances. Plug loads ideal for this control scenario may include computer monitors, standing fans, coffee machines, and other loads that may be left on when spaces are empty.

Integrated Controls for HVAC and Lighting Systems

This category seeks to recognize innovative approaches to save energy and improve occupant comfort by managing lighting and HVAC loads together. For example, lighting controls can communicate with HVAC systems to indicate when a space is occupied or vacant in order to modify ventilation or temperature set points.

Other Integrated Systems and Lighting

This category seeks to recognize other ways in which lighting is integrating with building and business systems. Some examples include integrating lighting with:

  • Electric grid, photovoltaics, and/or energy storage batteries (e.g., for the purpose of demand reduction, flexible load management, grid services, resiliency, etc.)
  • Asset management systems (e.g., using real-time location)
  • Space optimization / utilization (e.g., using occupancy sensor data to determine space usage)
  • People (e.g., employees, clients, etc. via indoor positioning/location services, etc.)
  • Enhanced daylight system (e.g., shade control)
  • Security systems (e.g., using occupancy sensor signal or gunshot detection)
  • Automated fault detection and diagnostics (e.g., to monitor component/device/system performance) to improve operation and maintenance in a building or outdoor lighting system
  • Other innovative approaches in lighting that do not fit within the above examples

Integrated Lighting and Horticultural Controls

This category seeks to recognize exemplary projects within horticultural applications that integrate lighting with HVAC, water, and other building systems to save energy, improve crop yield and quality, reduce the use of harmful chemicals or pesticides, and/or other non-energy benefits. Special consideration offered for greenhouses that provide food in areas with limited access to affordable and nutritious food, also known as food deserts.

GERMICIDAL ULTRAVIOLET (GUV) SYSTEMS FOR ENERGY SAVINGS AND IMPROVED INDOOR AIR QUALITY

This category seeks to recognize exemplary projects that have successfully deployed energy efficient germicidal ultraviolet (GUV) systems in buildings to reduce the spread of airborne pathogens (such as SARS-CoV-2) and improve indoor air quality. Examples include:

  • Projects that incorporate innovative GUV products or system designs that more efficiently and/or effectively disinfect air.
  • Projects that successfully install GUV as a more effective and/or energy efficient alternative to increasing building ventilation, such as increasing ventilation outdoor air fraction or air exchange rate, reducing energy use and/or carbon emissions.
  • Projects that integrate GUV systems with other building systems or devices to optimize energy efficiency, improve health or safety, or other non-energy benefits.

Innovative Maintenance, Operation, and Financing Service Models

This category seeks to recognize projects that use novel ways of maintaining, operating, or financing projects that are aligned with ILC technology areas of interest. Examples include:

  • Lighting installations that make use of service models (Lighting as a Service or Energy as a Service) to support ongoing system maintenance, optimization, and upgrades of advanced lighting systems to improve efficiency and extend the usable life of the system.
  • Service and/or financing models that support ongoing system optimization of advanced lighting systems to realize energy savings and improved lighting performance.
  • Alternative financing options that allowed for superior technology to be installed up front.

SUSTAINABILITY IN LIGHTING

This category seeks to recognize projects aligned with ILC technology areas of interest that have successfully minimized their environmental footprint and impacts across the project lifecycle. Examples include:

  • Lighting-as-a-service (LaaS) and other similar approaches that extend product lifetime and support maintenance or improved End-of-Life outcomes (such as reuse, remanufacturing, recycling, and proper disposal of e-waste).
  • Projects or installations that support take-back programs or reuse or remanufacturing of integrated system parts or components.
  • Projects that use luminaires, controls systems, or other integrated lighting components that feature modular or replaceable components, allowing for upgrades and modifications while the integrated lighting systems remain in-place.
  • Projects that use specific sustainability goals or criteria, and transparency documentation or labeling to determine the selection of the specified luminaires, controls systems or other integrated lighting components.

ENERGY JUSTICE, DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION IN ADVANCED LIGHTING

This category seeks to recognize advanced projects1 which successfully incorporate energy justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion (JDEI)2 practices which may include siting, installation, contracting, or procurement. Projects must be aligned with ILC technology areas of interest. Examples include:

  • An installation of an advanced lighting system in a building or site that offers benefits to local disadvantaged communities (e.g., offers education on the energy savings approaches, a plan for donating or sharing cost and energy benefits with local communities, etc.).
  • The project or installation team included a community liaison, an approach to community engagement, and/or an approach to restorative justice in the design plan.
  • The project or installation included technical assistance and support in the commissioning phase for small building owners or managers.
  • The project or installation supports community resiliency (e.g., can be used to offset burdens expressed in community, especially during extreme adverse climate events).

Please contact us with any questions, we are happy to discuss your project’s eligibility.

1ILC Participants who incorporate JDEI in their organizational processes, hiring, or company policies may also be eligible for recognition. Please contact us with any questions, we are happy to discuss your project’s eligibility.

2Such as those supportive of, or aligned with, the definitions from the U.S. DOE Office of Economic Impact and Diversity Equity in Energy initiative.