Option 1 - Individual occupant spaces 3 level lighting

Hi Mario,

Based on the credit requirements description the lighting itself needs to be 3 levels (on, off, midlevel). Midlevel is 30% to 70% of the maximum illumination level (not including daylight contributions). This is true for both individual occupant spaces and shared multi-occupant spaces.

So just to clarify, in a dorm room situation with overhead on/off lighting and a task light at the desk (also on/off), would this not comply with the required lighting controls? Are you saying that the overhead light itself would need three levels of lighting (regardless of whether or not there is a task light available at the desk)? Or, does turning on a task light count as a midlevel lighting option for the space?

Hi Norma,

On page 714 of the reference guide, under the first bullet point of Option 1. Lighting Control, it says "Task lighting may be used to meet the credit requireents for individual occupant spaces." This, in combination with the very next line which says "all lighting controls must provide at least three lighting levels" indicates to me that you could use either a task or overhead light, but either must have the three levels of light. 

Also, pg 721 gives an exception for Residential space types. "A task light in the bedroom or an overhead light with manual dimmable control would be acceptable." It doesn't say if this task light needs the 3 lighting level options, but since it goes this far as to list this as a specific example, I don't see why it would not also tell us if the lighting level was an exception. Along that logic path, I think that USGBC would have specified if they could be used in combination. 

Long story short - my interpretation is that the overhead light, or a task light, needs to have 3 levels of lighting in a single occupant residential space for compliance. I hope this was helpful!

We recently had this credit denied on a project where dorm rooms had overhead lights with multiple lighting levels but no task lighting. A task light with simple on/off at each student desk would have complied. The key thing was that each student desk in a 2- or 3- person dorm room was considered an individual workstation rather than the room being assessed as a whole. Hope that helps clear up the requirement here! 

Hello,

We're certifying a school project and the reception desk is an indivual occupant space and is opened to the main atrium (light comes through to the space. The main atrium lighting system is automaticaly controlled by a photocell or may be forced to work at 4 lighting levels (ON, OFF, 50% and 75%) and the controler is located in the reception desk. However, the reception desk has only 1 luminair (ON/OFF, manual control). Does this space complies with this credit's requirements?

Thank you in advance!

Luis, I do not believe that the set up that you describe would comply with the individual workstation aspect of the credit. The intent of the individual workstation aspect of the credit is that individuals at those individual workstations would be able to adjust the lighting at their workstation to meet their needs -  with the added requirement in v4 of that lighting having the three levels. Therefore, since that atrium lighting isn't the lighting being utilized by the receptionist for their task, that doesn't meet the requirement there - the task light would need to have the three lighting levels. HOWEVER, remember that you only have to get to 90% of the individual workstations meeting the requirement, so just having one not meeting it would not prevent you from meeting the credit requirements. That being said, I would just get task lighting with three levels. That's a really cheap way to comply if the one space makes a difference as to whether or not you reach that 90% threshold.