Warehouse Lighting Retrofit Title 24 Requirements
A warehouse relight that replaces 10 percent or more of the luminaires serving an enclosed space must follow one of three routes in Section 141.0(b)2I. The shortest is a one-for-one swap in 5,000 square feet or less that cuts wattage by at least 40 percent. Aisle occupant sensing under Section 130.1(c)6 comes with the work on every route.
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A worked case from the Energy Commission manual
A 5,000 square foot warehouse has 100 metal halide luminaires at 250 watts each, all replaced one for one by 150 watt LED luminaires. Existing power is 25,000 watts, the 40 percent ceiling is 15,000, and the new load is 15,000, so the one-for-one route in 141.0(b)2Iiii is met. The manual lists only manual controls and automatic shutoff controls as mandatory for that route.
When the building is larger or the cut is smaller
The other two routes are full compliance with Section 140.6 plus the Table 141.0-F controls, or no more than 80 percent of the Section 140.6 allowance plus the same controls. At the 0.40 watts per square foot warehouse figure in Table 140.6-C, 80 percent is 0.32. Table 141.0-F adds multilevel, daylight responsive and demand responsive controls only to the full-compliance route, so the lower-power routes carry a lighter controls scope. Route logic is on commercial lighting alterations.
What the aisle sensors must do
In aisle ways and open areas, occupant sensing must cut power by at least 50 percent when unoccupied, control each aisle independently, and not reach past its own aisle (130.1(c)6A). Where metal halide or high pressure sodium stays installed the cut is 40 percent, and the acceptance procedure also accepts 40 percent where installed power is 80 percent or less of the Area Category allowance. See warehouse and high-bay lighting.
What a retrofit does not trigger
Replacing general lighting is not installing it for the first time, so the large-space skylight rule in Section 140.3(c) is not triggered. The manual works this through for a 30,000 square foot warehouse with 30 foot ceilings. Replacing only lamps or drivers is outside the rule, as is a one-for-one swap of up to 50 luminaires per floor or tenant space per year.
Acceptance testing on NRCA-LTI-02-A is skipped only where controls are added to 20 or fewer luminaires; see lighting acceptance testing. Lamp-versus-fixture questions are on commercial LED retrofit; quotes start from the commercial page.
Common Title 24 Questions
- When does a commercial project need Title 24?
- Does an office tenant improvement need Title 24?
- Does a restaurant remodel need Title 24?
- Does a retail tenant improvement need Title 24?
- What plans are needed for a commercial Title 24 report?
- What is an NRCC certificate of compliance?
Frequently Asked Questions
If 10 percent or more of the luminaires in an enclosed space are replaced and the exceptions do not apply, yes: the project documents one of the three routes on NRCC-LTI-E, and the controls are tested.
No. The Commission manual notes that replacing general lighting is not first-time installation, so the Section 140.3(c) daylighting rule is not triggered.
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