Our project is being constructed for a division of the Department of Homeland Security. It has been requested that a pole be added to display an American flag. The client wishes the flag be flown 24 hours a day, which requires lighting per Federal Flag Code, Sec 2 a. There have been several previous credit interpretations and rulings mentioning uplighting for flags, but not one that directly addresses this issue. Our request is the following: Is it acceptable to utilize uplighting for the purpose of lighting the American flag at night?
Flag lighting has been a controversial topic within LEED and CIRs. Based on a further interpretation of the CIR ruling dated 3/14/2003, lighting the American/National flag has been deemed acceptable under LEED if a maximum of 3 luminaires (utilizing less than 3500 initial lamp lumens each) is used for only one pole location on the property, and only in areas of high ambient brightness. The luminaires must be controlled such that they will be automatically shut off during after-hours and during post curfew periods.Otherwise, in accordance with the CIR ruling dated 2/8/2002, "The first article of the Federal Flag Code suggests that it is the universal custom to display the flag only from sunrise to sunset on buildings and on stationary flagstaffs in the open. As this fundamental flag custom and expression of patriotism works in concert with a sustainable approach to site lighting, no exception will be granted...".