There’s no doubt that lighting controls are game changers for saving energy. Research shows networked lighting controls (NLC) can reduce electricity use an average of 49 percent (up to nearly 70 percent in some building types) versus what’s possible with stand-alone LEDs – and even more when paired with occupancy sensor-enabled HVAC systems. Yet only a tiny percentage of US commercial buildings make use of integral controls technology.

A few years ago, the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) set out to explore why, conducting dozens of interviews with industry players. The resulting 2023 report found “failure to align lighting control system capabilities to project objectives” and “ambiguity in terminology” among the barriers to wider NLC adoption.

Committed to boosting NLC deployment as the cornerstone to more energy savings through lighting, the DesignLights Consortium (DLC) has heard the same from stakeholders over the years and shares PNNL’s observations. We’ve addressed these shortcomings and more in the latest version of our Solid-State Lighting Technical Requirements (SSL V6.0).

Taking effect early this year, the DLC’s policy introduced Controls Categories as a new feature on its SSL Qualified Products List (QPL) – a resource used by about 70 percent of U.S. and Canadian utilities and energy efficiency programs as a basis for commercial lighting rebates and incentives. Controls Categories bridge the gap between those who make lighting and controls products, those who specify and install them, and energy efficiency programs that provide incentives for them. Providing a common language around controls mounted in a light fixture, Controls Categories are meant to demystify lighting manufacturers’ use of various terms to describe the same product functionalities. For example, “motion sensor,” “occupancy sensor,” and “vacancy sensor” are different terms used to describe a control device that detects the presence of people in a space and automatically dims or turns off lighting when no presence is detected.

Here’s how the DLC’s new Controls Categories QPL feature works. When manufacturers submit a product to the DLC for potential QPL listing, they now include a table of all the available integral controls options, such as occupancy and daylight harvesting. This is known as a controls options table, and each available option is now clearly identified on the QPL. Previously, if one variation of a product was available with an integral control, the whole product was marked “yes” on the QPL although some variations might lack that capability. Specifiers and QPL users had to cross-reference and sift through product spec sheets to make sense of the terminology in hopes of finding rebate-eligible lighting and controls products that fit their project needs.

With SSL V6.0, the process is now streamlined. On the QPL, each controls options code is assigned a Controls Category relating to an energy-savings capability, ranging from products with no controls to those with multiple integral controls and networking functionalities (see illustration for all Controls Categories). Rather than needing to check each variation of a product one-by-one to confirm which types of controls are included in a specific model number, a quick search with the new Model Number Search feature now maps each distinct model number variation directly to a standardized Controls Category and includes a percentage match indication of how confident the user can be of the top search results. This enables QPL users to instantly see what a product can or can’t do and be confident they found the right product.

There’s no more guesswork, decoding and cross-referencing to determine which controls variation a product includes. The answer is clearly stated in one place – a logical step designed to ease the project planning and construction process. This tutorial video provides more information. Trying out the new Controls Categories feature is easy. Just set up a free myDLC account and follow the links to log onto the SSL QPL.

In addition to Controls Categories, SSL V6.0 makes several other significant additions and revisions to the DLC’s requirements for listing products on the SSL QPL. Importantly, last month was the deadline for lighting manufacturers to update their listed products to the new specifications and avoid delisting. After December 15, any products whose update applications came in later than October 9 may be delisted pending DLC review. If the DLC’s review subsequently determines that they comply with the new technical requirements, those products will be relisted.

During this transition period, it’s essential to check the DLC QPL for eligible products. While most energy efficiency programs that are DLC members have indicated they plan to provide a grace period, we expect that some programs will not accept delisted products for incentive applications. Now is the time for lighting specifiers, contractors and distributors to make sure the products they have in stock or plan to purchase will remain eligible for rebates and incentives after December 15.