Do Commercial Lighting and HVAC Changes Need Title 24?
Yes — either one on its own is enough. A lighting-only project and an HVAC-only project both need compliance documentation, covering the discipline being altered.
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Lighting-only projects
Relighting a space is regulated work. Indoor lighting is capped by lighting power density — the installed power allowed per square foot for the type of space being served — so a relight has to demonstrate it sits inside the allowance for each area. Nonresidential indoor lighting also requires automatic shutoff control, so the control arrangement forms part of what is documented rather than being an installation detail.
A straight one-for-one fitting swap with no layout or control change sits in a narrower band and is worth checking specifically. A redesigned layout does not: that is in scope.
HVAC-only projects
Replacing or altering mechanical equipment is regulated whether or not anything else in the building changes. Replacing a packaged rooftop unit, adding a supplementary system for a server room, changing zoning, or reworking ductwork to suit a new layout all bring the mechanical documentation into play.
As with lighting, the documentation covers the altered system rather than the whole building. A single rooftop unit replacement does not oblige an owner to upgrade the rest.
Where the two meet
Most tenant improvements touch both, and they are documented on separate parts of the same Certificate of Compliance. Doing them together is generally more efficient than sequentially, because the space-type areas that drive the lighting allowance are the same areas the mechanical design is zoned around.
The acceptance-testing tail
Certain lighting controls and mechanical systems have to be shown to work after installation, verified by a third party on site. That applies to lighting-only and HVAC-only projects too, so a small project can still carry a site visit. Establishing whether it applies at design stage is what stops it becoming a surprise at sign-off.