The Networked Lighting Controls QPL is a list of networked lighting control systems that meet annually updated performance and efficiency specifications. The list is designed to facilitate the widespread adoption of the technology by equipping utilities to optimize energy savings and integrate control systems into their incentive programs. The QPL is also a tool for architects, specifiers, engineers, and contractors to evaluate and compare control systems for their projects and programs.

Networked Lighting Controls Qualified Products List

Networked Lighting Control Systems that have been qualified by the DLC^® to meet the Lighting Control System specifications.  The DLC's Networked Lighting Controls QPL identifies systems that are eligible for utility rebates and incentives by meeting minimum DLC technical requirements. Containing 22 categories of both required and reported system capabilities, the QPL also serves as a product comparison tool for architects, specifiers, engineers, and contractors.

Lighting Control Association's Education Express

ENERGY STAR's Utility Genius Rebate Finder lets you search for rebates on efficient commercial building equipment within product categories where ENERGY STAR certification is not available, including commercial HVAC equipment, lighting, building automation, and electric commercial vehicles.

The project provided a packaged solution for a retrofit of the lighting, including site survey, design, system selection, and financial assistance with materials and labor.

The city of St. Paul upgraded about 13,100 ft2 of its Street Maintenance Division building with a new networked light emitting diode (LED) lighting system integrated with heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC ) and plug load controls. The city installed the lighting and plug load controls and worked with a lighting manufacturer to commission the networked lighting control system. A local HVAC controls contractor was hired to integrate the lighting with the HVAC system.

The county partnered with Slipstream–a non-profit focused on energy efficiency and climate solutions–to integrate lightemitting diode (LED) lighting with luminaire-level lighting controls (LLLCs), automatic receptacle (plug load) controls, and zoned heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) controls in one floor of a multi-story building in downtown Minneapolis. The floor is occupied by an outpatient clinic and a fitness center; both are served by a common variable air volume (VAV) system, covering a total of 7,300 ft2.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) maintains the state roads and highways in the Twin Cities Metro area from the Cedar Truck Station. Before the retrofit project, the building used outdated fluorescent lighting that over lit the building.

The University of Minnesota wanted to reduce energy costs in Jones Hall since the building had fallen behind in some of the University’s aggressive sustainability initiatives and needed new lighting and controls. The mixed-use building, one of many on campus, includes a combination of offices, classrooms, and public spaces, and is currently home to the University’s Admissions, Language Center, and College of Liberal Arts classrooms.

This is a case study for the Tinker Air Force Base. By replacing the existing lighting with LED fixtures, this project saved more than 60% energy compared to the existing technology. This is consistent with savings of converting either fluorescent or high-intensity discharge fixtures with either new LED fixtures or retrofit kits, which typically result in at least 45% savings. The lighting controls saved between 8-23% compared to the LED baseline. Because LEDs are very efficient, the new LED baseline uses less energy. As a result, the 20%+ savings does not result in sufficient savings for a reasonable payback. However, using lighting controls to control other building systems can make the lighting and control system more cost effective.

Parkway South High School is the largest school and most significant energy consumer in Parkway School District. The school became a prime candidate for a long-term, sustainable solution in 2016 after one of two chillers in its aging chiller plant became non-functional. As part of an energy savings performance contract, a central geothermal plant was installed in addition to building envelope sealing and LED lighting. Installation of a 75 kW solar array and retro-commissioning were also recently completed onsite.

East Coast Municipalities Recognized for Advanced Use of Sensors and Controls for Lighting.

With a large portfolio of buildings, college campuses present a unique opportunity to adopt connected lighting systems for the benefit of the students, professors, administrative staff, and the public. And that’s just what both California State University, Dominguez Hills (Cal State Dominguez Hills) and the University of Minnesota did. Cal State Dominguez Hills wanted to decrease energy costs at James L. Welch Hall (Cal State), a four-story building housing multiple functions, including administrative and admission offices, classrooms, tech support, server rooms, and a police station. The University of Minnesota had similar goals for Jones Hall (UMN), one of their mixed-use buildings on campus with a combination of offices, classrooms, and public space.

This presentation from Kenny Seeton, Central Plant Manager at California State University – Dominguez Hills, covers the opportunities and benefits of occupancy-based unified controls using Welch Hall as a case study.  Kenny discusses the basis of controls design process, matching lighting and HVAC zones, and energy savings opportunities of integrating lighting with a building automation system.

COVID-related absenteeism has cost US employers an average of $1 Billion per week since the pandemic began. Concern about the spread of infections in the workplace has driven many building operators to increase outside air ventilation at a significantly increased energy cost. Recent research from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and others finds that well-designed germicidal UV systems can be more effective and far more energy efficient than increasing ventilation to prevent the spread of airborne illness. The Better Buildings Lighting Systems Technology Research Team shared insights on germicidal ultraviolet radiation and its impact on both energy use and airborne pathogens. PNNL’s Lighting Research Engineers Gabe Arnold presented the latest research on GUV technology and how it compares to other methods of indoor air disinfection. Additionally, continuing from the last Lighting Systems Technology Research Team meeting in June, attendees can provided input on how DOE resources can provide the most valuable impact.

UV lighting has become a hot topic with the pandemic as a means to disinfect buildings and surfaces from viruses and bacteria. Mark Lien, Industry Relations Manager of the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES), presents on germicidal ultraviolet (UV) lighting. Mark separates some of the facts from fiction and highlights key safety considerations in applying this beneficial technology. There's also an update on two new DOE lighting initiatives: the Integrated Lighting Campaign, and the IoT-Upgradeable Lighting Challenge.

This fact sheet covers the potential for deeper energy savings and occupant comfort through the integration of lighting controls and automated shading. Research conducted by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory found an annual energy savings up to 30% in controlled zones compared to a baseline lighting system. Furthermore, occupant comfort (i.e., non-energy benefit) potential was identified, as the system maintained an acceptable level of Daylight Glare Probability at almost all times and maintained illuminance at the workplane at all times.

This report collected, aggregated, and analyzed zone- and fixture-level energy monitoring interval data from networked lighting controls (NLC) systems in 114 buildings across a variety of building types in North America, representing over 1,200 zones with an average of 60 days of monitoring data per building.

The Better Buildings Plug and Process Load Technology Research Team hosted two technical presentations from recently published studies that describe novel approaches for better understanding device-level energy consumption in buildings.

The Lighting Controls Association offers free, comprehensive online education about lighting controls technology and application.

This course, available through Lighting Controls Association, an ILC Organizing and Supporting partner, is offered via its Education Express program.  Learn more about the Education Express program by filtering “Webinars | Training” on the right panel.

The Better Buildings Lighting and Electrical Technology Research Team discusses takeaways from 13 advanced lighting system projects recognized in DOE’s Integrated Lighting Campaign and resources needed to support the uptake of connected lighting systems. The team also shared how to get involved with the Lighting Prize (L-Prize).

This class examines examples of integrating lighting controls with other building controls, primarily HVAC. Rather than presenting a set of established best practices, it reviews a few notable case studies of commercial and institutional buildings where integration has been both successful and challenging. Presenters describe the design process, how key decision points were identified, and how issues were resolved. They also cover Owners Project Requirements, Basis of Design, and Sequence of Operations, and report on commissioning and post occupancy evaluations.

There are many ways to finance energy efficiency and renewable energy projects in buildings that you own or occupy. The Navigator helps you cut through this complexity to secure financing that works for you.

Efficiency Member Incentive Program Summaries - Networked Lighting Controls. This table provides an overview of the incentives offered by DLC^® utility members for DLC-qualified networked lighting control systems. The summaries are intended to help program managers compare offerings and to inform manufacturers of incentives across DLC member territories.

Database of State Incentives for Renewable & Efficiency (DSIRE). DSIRE is the most comprehensive source of information on incentives and policies that support renewables and energy efficiency in the United States. Established in 1995, DSIRE is operated by the N.C. Clean Energy Technology Center at NC State University and is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy.

System Program Manuals and Assessment Methods:  LBNL researchers worked with three sets of Utilities to identify and develop validated protocols for specific building systems. The selected systems were: automated shading integrated with lighting and HVAC controls (working with ComEd in Chicago), task/ambient lighting retrofit integrated with plug load occupancy controls (working with California POUs, NCPA and SCPPA), and workstation-specific lighting with daylight dimming systems (working with Xcel Energy in Colorado and Minnesota).

Updated Plug Load Efficiency Utility Incentives List - as of 2/24/2021

In coordination with utility partners Consumers Energy and DTE Energy (DTE), LiITES led an effort to pilot and evaluate current utility incentives and identify opportunities to align incentives with current advanced lighting controls technology. The LiTES Program piloted utility incentives for advanced/networked lighting controls specific to SMCB and sought to identify opportunities for improvement.

This report from the Pacific Northwest National Lab (PNNL) summarizes 5 field evaluations conducted with the DesignLights Consortium demonstrating the potential energy saving capability of a sampling of advanced lighting control systems in real-world environments.

This resource assists decision-makers in understanding how networked lighting control system attributes can satisfy project objectives at an appropriate cost and functionality. It is intended for members of the project team involved in the design and selection of lighting control systems, especially team members with limited-to-moderate controls experience.

Success with lighting controls depends on establishing clearly defined objectives and taking a disciplined approach to design and implementation. This practical guide describes four common use cases for lighting controls and outlines the implementation process, from planning through maintenance. These recommended best practices reflect the experience of practitioners and serve to reduce complexity and the likelihood of problems when installing and using lighting controls.

Connected lighting systems provide a platform where integrated control of lighting and other systems can enhance building performance. With detailed information, coordinated systems can deliver lower operating costs and improved return on capital, as well as enhanced occupant wellbeing and productivity.

GSA's GPG program commissioned LBNL to assess wreless ALC at two federal sites in Northern California.  Results showed 54% normalized energy savings for GSA when fluorescent lamps with dimmable ballasts were retrofitted with wireless ALC, and 78% when the wireless ALC retrofit was coupled with LED fixtures. Wireless ALC integrated with LED fixtures is recommended for new construction and renovations, with simple payback between 3 and 6 years. It should also be considered for retrofits in facilities with minimal existing controls, high lighting energy usage, and high electricity costs.

GSA’s Green Proving Ground program recently assessed the potential of wireless sensor technology to provide a cost-effective and facilities-friendly way of helping data center operators visualize and implement system changes that reduce overall energy consumption. Findings include significant cost savings, as well as a substantial reduction in cooling load and CO2 emissions.  Sensors utilizing a wireless mesh network and data management software to capture and graphically display real time conditions for energy optimization were installed in a demonstration project.

This ZNE Technology Application (TA) Guide provides an overview of luminaire level lighting control (LLLC). The full LLLC approach provides controllability at each fixture with real-time energy tracking and data collection, and it aligns with current trends and interests in space utilization, occupant satisfaction and productivity. This TA guide describes the system, features and benefits, energy performance from both modeled and measured results, application considerations, costs and trends.

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory staff who lead the U.S. DOE’s Better Buildings Lighting Systems Technology Research Team invited viewers to join and hear from Integrated Lighting Campaign Participants who were recognized for their integrated lighting systems. Shanna Olson of IMEG Corp. and Adam Hutchinson of Denver Water will share insights and recommendations related to their installations a year after being Recognized. Attendees experienced an interactive session and provided input on how DOE resources can help more buildings install systems like these and provide the most valuable impact.

Over the past year there has been increased awareness of the critical role that buildings play in our personal health & wellbeing. As we build back many are now rethinking about how to approach health in commercial spaces. Learn from experts at the University of Washington’s Integrated Design Lab and the University of Oregon’s Energy Studies in Buildings Lab as they discuss how Luminaire Level Lighting Controls (LLLC) have the potential to revolutionize how we monitor and respond to environmental factors that impact human health.

Willdan Energy Solutions has a $4M grant program – Bundle-Based Energy Efficiency Technology Solutions for California (BEETS for California).  This project demonstrates three innovative bundles of pre-commercial technologies. The technology bundles for Chilled Water Plants, Office and Exterior Space LED fixtures, and Advanced laboratory ventilation were strategically developed through a systems-level approach to address the most energy-intensive areas in commercial buildings.

NextEnergy's Lighting Technology Energy Solutions (LiTES) Program, a three-year public-private partnership with the DOE, DTE, Consumers Energy, and IBEW.
The LiTES Program sought to reduce energy use in small and medium commercial buildings by accelerating the adoption of advanced/networked lighting controls (ALC/NLC) through contractor training and technology deployment. Leveraging recommendations already outlined by the Design Lights Consortium Commercial Advanced Lighting Controls (DLC CALC) project, NextEnergy led an effort to train contractors, evaluate the experience of ALC/NLC demonstration projects, identify opportunities to reduce market barriers, and accelerate the increased adoption of ALC/NLC technologies within SMCB, which represent 90% of the U.S. commercial building stock.

In May 2024, GSA updated its P100 FACILITIES STANDARDS FOR THE PUBLIC BUILDINGS SERVICE to no longer allow Type B TLEDs, which have internal LED drivers and are wired directly to line voltage. The update is due to safety and incompatibility concerns. Green Proving Ground has updated and published a new version of the “LED Lighting and Controls Guidance for Federal Buildings” document to reflect this recent P100 guidance.

In 2022, the City of Chicago finalized one of the largest, most ambitious, street lighting modernization project in the country. In the span of four years, the city replaced more than 280,000 outdated high-pressure sodium (HPS) light fixtures with energy-efficient LED lights, which use less than half the energy of HPS lights and last twice as long. The city also implemented a smart lighting management system powered by a wireless network of nodes attached to each fixture. The nodes send instant outage notifications, automatically creates a repair ticket, and assigns a repair crew to respond to the location of the faulty light. This allows for quicker maintenance and repair.

This case study follows the process and outcome of designing and implementing a new LED lighting system for a leading multi-brand auto dealership in Des Moines, Iowa. This project shows the many capabilities and benefits of an LED lighting and control system when guided by careful lighting design, control system configuration, and utility rebate knowledge.

Healthcare Campus Recognized for Innovative Use of Lighting Sensors and Controls

This primer serves as an introduction to critical issues in energy finance for healthcare facilities. It provides case studies, market data, and other resources to help leaders in the sector take advantage of innovative financing strategies. The primer is part of the Better Buildings Financing Navigator, an online tool that helps public and private sector organizations find financing solutions for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects.

This document is a guide to help office building owners and energy managers reduce plug and process load (PPL) energy use. It includes a process for developing a PPL control strategy for office buildings, and discusses how the use of integrated controls, including those from lighting, can help connect multiple building systems, save energy in PPLs, and better understand building operations.

This document is a guide that describes the process needed to cost-effectively reduce PPL energy impact in retail buildings. It includes general and appliance-specific PPL control strategies, and discusses how the use of integrated controls, including those from lighting, can help connect multiple building systems, save energy in PPLs, and better understand building operations.

Potential non-lighting energy and operational benefits associated with advanced lighting controls (ALCs) and provides decision makers with a justification to specify integrated building systems.

Interoperability and system integration: System performance is a function of how well devices work together, and common platforms and protocols are needed to enable the exchange of usable data between lighting systems, other systems, the internet, and cloud services.  Study results and webinar on connected lighting system interoperability.

"The decision guides found in this resource were created to help building owners find the right control strategy for PPLs in their buildings. The guides are developed for different building types and outline the costs, potential savings, complexities, and user friendliness of various control strategies and their applications to each building type. The guides also aim to help building owners determine whether a control is appropriate for particular project applications such as staged retrofit projects, whole-building retrofits, new construction projects, and projects that involve tenants and landlords. Lastly, the guides provide links to additional resources that can further help building owners assess and reduce the energy use that is associated with PPLs, find rebates for PPL control measures, and procure the right control types for their building equipment."

The California Lighting Technology Center, in collaboration with the California Energy Commission, is conducting research to develop and evaluate technology that integrates automated controls for HVAC, electric lighting and dynamic fenestration systems.

This paper describes emerging plug and process load technologies, the characteristics necessary for successful integration into EMIS platforms, and research questions the U.S. Department of Energy and the national laboratories can pursue to rapidly advance the state of the art.

Fact sheet of three-month study of NREL's Research Support Facility (RSF) that demonstrated that a device inventory and a limited device-level metering effort can produce a disaggregated plug load breakdown, uncovering energy savings opportunities. This study is limited to the RSF, however, and should be validated in other buildings to see if the method is generally effective.

The Lighting Research Center investigated potential opportunities for using lighting controls to reduce HVAC energy using lighting sensors in commercial buildings. Research report conducted for the Lighting Energy Alliance. 

If you are considering smart outlets for your lighting integration project, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory has published a resource that answers common questions and explains the benefits. Smart outlets control the flow of power to devices plugged into them and measure their energy use. These outlets collect control and energy data, which are then sent wirelessly, often via an intermediate gateway, to a cloud database or the building’s energy management system (EMS). With the help of machine learning algorithms, the collected data could be used to predict schedules and save energy. Plug and process loads (PPLs) consume about 47% of primary energy in U.S. commercial buildings. As buildings become more efficient, PPL efficiency has become pertinent in achieving aggressive energy targets.

This presentation from Michael Myer, Lighting Researcher at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, covers energy savings potential for lighting systems integrated with HVAC and plug loads, reviewing findings from several field project case studies conducted on behalf of the U.S. Department of Energy.

This presentation from Kandice Cohen, Director of Lighting Strategy at Trane Technologies, covers the reasons integrating lighting systems is beneficial, using a “Baker’s Dozen” commercial kitchen as a case study.  Kandice discusses the integration of the connected lighting control system with the building automation system and how it meets the customer’s needs.

This video excerpt, from a 2020 Better Buildings, Better Plants Summit workshop, has Ron Bernstein, Chief Executive Officer of RBCG Consulting, providing a system integrator’s perspectives on the benefits of integrating building systems, including lighting.

This video excerpt, from a 2020 Better Buildings, Better Plants Summit workshop, has Lauren Morlino, Emerging Technologies and Services Manager at Efficiency Vermont, providing utilities’ and energy efficiency organizations’ perspectives on the benefits of integrating building systems, including lighting.

Do you have a lighting project that is worthy of ILC recognition? This webinar is for building or facility owners and managers interested in tapping into the benefits of advanced lighting systems and/or the integration of lighting with other building systems. Learn how to access practical resources, gain access to technical assistance and guidance, and receive recognition for your advanced lighting projects. Speakers introduced new recognition categories and explained how to successfully submit your project for recognition. Join other industry professionals like you who are using advanced lighting to improve energy efficiency, operations, and occupant comfort.

The Integrated Lighting Campaign (ILC) confers recognition each year to organizations that are helping drive the adoption of advanced lighting systems and the integration of lighting with other buildings systems. Supporters (e.g., utilities, designers, ESCOs, energy efficiency organizations, and manufacturers) help the campaign identify and recruit exemplary projects that may be eligible for recognition from DOE. Watch to learn about the new recognition categories for Participants and opportunities available to Supporters, including recognition available as an Exemplary Supporter or Energy Justice, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Champion and how your products and/or services may be featured in a future case study.

Part 1: High-Impact Envelope Strategies –The Building Envelope Campaign covered a metric that can measure your building envelope performance and can aid in design decisions, success stories were also covered. Part 2: Integrated Lighting Strategies – The Integrated Lighting Campaign discusses how integrating your lighting system with other building systems can enable deeper whole-building energy savings and non-energy benefits with significant value-add. A summary of those that submitted for recognition is also included.

This webinar is for building or facility owners and managers interested in tapping into the benefits of advanced lighting systems and/or the integration of lighting with other building systems. Learn how to access practical resources, gain access to technical assistance and guidance, and receive recognition for your advanced lighting projects. Speakers introduced new recognition categories and explained how to successfully submit your project for recognition. Join other industry professionals like you who are using advanced lighting to improve energy efficiency, operations, and occupant comfort.

The Integrated Lighting Campaign (ILC) confers recognition each year to organizations that are helping drive the adoption of advanced lighting systems and the integration of lighting with other buildings and business systems. Supporters (e.g., utilities, designers, ESCOs, energy efficiency organizations, and manufacturers) help the campaign identify and recruit exemplary projects that may be eligible for recognition from DOE. Learn about the new recognition categories for Participants and opportunities available to Supporters, including recognition available as an Exemplary Supporter or DEI Champion and how your products and/or services may be featured in a future case study. For more please visit Better Buildings.

The Integrated Lighting Campaign’s first year is complete, and the projects that have been recognized are nothing short of exemplary! The innovation that our participants demonstrated with the implementation of these projects is a notable reduction in energy use, increased occupant comfort, the collection of useful data to support business decisions, streamlining/reduction of maintenance efforts, among others. Watch to learn more about the great ideas and advanced technologies that these leading organizations have put into practice.

Interested in submitting a lighting project for recognition to the Integrated Lighting Campaign? Learn about the recognition categories, four of which are new in 2023. Participants and Supporters now have more opportunity than ever to get recognized by DOE!

Do you have a lighting project that is a good fit for ILC recognition? Maybe you’re an organization that supports adoption of energy efficient lighting. This webinar is for those interested in tapping into the benefits of advanced lighting systems and/or the integration of lighting with other building systems. Watch this webinar to learn how to access practical resources, gain access to technical assistance and guidance, and receive recognition for your advanced lighting projects. Speakers in the webinar introduce new recognition categories and will explain how to successfully submit your project for recognition. Join other industry professionals like you who are using advanced lighting to improve energy efficiency, operations, and occupant comfort.

Video presents the formal launch of DOE’s Integrated Lighting Campaign and discusses the performance of connected lighting systems, best practices, attractive use cases, and the benefits of joining.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) has more than 1,075 buildings with 137 truck station campuses across the state. MnDOT’s Cedar Avenue truck station, located in Richfield, Minnesota, provides critical roadway snow removal support within the Minneapolis metro area. It includes administrative offices, a training room, and a large breakroom, along with truck maintenance and service facilities.

The focus of this case study is to highlight the strategies used at Cedar Avenue truck station for integrating plug load and lighting systems. An integrated controls pilot project with retrofit installation was conducted from October 2019 to April 2020 and has been recognized by the Integrated Lighting Campaign in the following categories:

• Integrated Controls for Plug Loads & Lighting Systems
• Integrated Controls for HVAC & Lighting Systems

Denver Water is recognized for implementing Integrated Controls for HVAC and Lighting Systems.

IMEG, a national engineering and design consulting firm, put innovation to the test when designing their new Chicago office. In collaboration with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), IMEG implemented several emerging lighting techniques as part of a study to better understand the physiological and psychological impacts on occupant comfort, well-being, and energy savings.

NEEA Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance Infographic for 2022 Recognition.

United States Office of Personnel Management Headquarters-Theodore Roosevelt Federal Building

NextEnergy led an effort to train contractors, evaluate the experience of ALC/NLC demonstration projects, identify opportunities to reduce market barriers, and accelerate the increased adoption of ALC/NLC technologies within small and medium commercial buildings (SMCB). The LiTES Program defined SMCB as commercial buildings under 100,000 square feet. The LiTES Program efforts also included evaluating current ALC/NLC utility incentives, piloting ALC/NLC incentives specific to SMCB, and identifying opportunities to better align utility incentives with current ALC/NLC technology to support accelerating the adoption of ALC/NLC in SMCB.

The LiTES Program  sought to reduce energy use in small and medium commercial buildings (SMCB) by accelerating the adoption of ALC/NLC through contractor training and technology deployment. Leveraging recommendations already outlined by the DesignLights Consortium Commercial Advanced Lighting Controls (DLC CALC) project, NextEnergy, in coordination with partners, led an effort to train contractors and evaluate the experience of ALC/NLC system demonstration projects in small and medium commercial buildings.

Indoor farming, or controlled environment agriculture (CEA), is an energy and resource intensive process but has the potential to produce high value crops at maximum productivity and resource efficiency when ideal growing conditions are met. To meet ideal growing conditions, the facility’s horticultural systems, like lighting, HVAC, and humidity must be finely tuned and controlled. Integrating these systems can yield synergistic energy savings and, just like commercial facilities, the lighting system and controls can serve as a solid foundation for integration through data collection via sensors and providing a network interface. Watch to learn from the Better Buildings Lighting Systems Technology Research Team and two Integrated Lighting Campaign Recognized partners, University of Vermont and Vertical Harvest Farms, as they share their success stories in integrating their lighting with horticultural controls.

Vertical Harvest Farms Infographic for 2022 ILC Recognition