California Energy Code

California Title 24 — Commercial Lighting

California Title 24 Part 6 is the most stringent commercial lighting energy code in the United States. Every California commercial construction project — new build or major renovation — must comply with Title 24 requirements for lighting power density, controls, and photometrics.

Lighting Power Density (LPD) Limits

Title 24 sets maximum watts per square foot for each space type. ECs must verify that the specified fixture schedule meets the LPD allowance for each room or zone.

Space Type	LPD (W/ft²)	Notes
Office — Open Plan	0.79	Controls required; daylight dimming in perimeter zones
Office — Private	0.74	Occupancy sensor required
Conference Room	1.23	Multi-level switching or dimming required
Retail — General	1.44	Accent lighting allowance available
Warehouse	0.66	Motion sensors required in most warehouse zones
Lobby / Reception	0.90	Decorative allowance may apply
Healthcare — Patient Room	0.68	Night lighting provisions required
Parking Structure	0.21	Motion sensors required in all areas

Mandatory Controls Requirements

▸ Automatic shutoff required in virtually all commercial spaces — occupancy sensor or scheduling

▸ Multi-level lighting control required — dimming or switched steps at 50% and 100%

▸ Daylighting controls required in primary sidelit and toplit daylight zones

▸ Demand responsive lighting control required in buildings over 10,000 sq ft

▸ Outdoor lighting must have automatic shutoff controls and comply with backlight/uplight/glare limits

JA8 Product Certification

California Joint Appendix 8 (JA8) is a product certification program that verifies luminaire performance for Title 24 compliance. JA8 certification is required for most luminaires installed in California commercial projects in climate zones 3-15.

Important for ECs: JA8 Verification

Always verify JA8 certification on the CEC Appliance Database before installing luminaires on Title 24 projects. Non-JA8 fixtures will fail the HERS inspection. Echelon Lighting can confirm JA8 status for any fixture we source.