Where may lighting most contribute to a LEED project?

• Minimum Energy Performance - Each version requires some minimum level of energy performance as defined by some third party standard such as ASHRAE 90.1 or the EPA Benchmarking Tool. For this prerequisite, lighting is one of the disciplines involved (usually also involving mechanical, envelope and water service issues). Lighting is an important component of this prerequisite but will not solely provide compliance with it.

• Optimize Energy Performance - Each version also allows for additional credits to be earned by out-performing the standard mentioned above by some specific percentage. The number of possible points and how to achieve them varies greatly version to version. See Specific Info on LEED Credits for details. Lighting is an important component of this prerequisite but will not solely provide compliance with it.

• Light Controllability - All versions of LEED offer credits for providing varying levels of individual control over lighting and for ensuring that common areas also contain separate controls. See Specific Info on LEED Credits for details.

• Light Pollution Reduction - this is 1 of only 2 credits totally dependent on lighting issues. The specific requirements and the number of possible points (0.5 to 1) vary between the various versions of LEED. In general, however, this credit aims to:

  • reduce light trespass onto neighboring properties,

  • improve nighttime visibility through glare reduction, and

  • reduce sky-glow to increase night sky access and to reduce developmental impact on nocturnal environments.

  Most of the versions, for this credit, contain requirements for both the internal and the external lighting.

• Mercury Content in Light Bulbs - LEED-EB has both a prerequisite and a credit (1 point) for maintaining the mercury content of all mercury-containing light bulbs below a specified number of picograms per lumen hour, on weighted average, for all mercury-containing light bulbs acquired for the existing building and associated grounds.

Where does lighting NOT play a role?

• Recycled Content - Lighting is specifically excluded from this credit for LEED-NC, LEED-CI and LEED-CS.

• Regional Materials - Likewise, lighting is specifically excluded from this credit for LEED-NC and LEED-CS.