Codes: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

摘要

Lighting energy codes have been the topic of much discussion lately, In its June 2004 Exchange column (page 56), Architectural Lighting featured comments from the industry on energy codes. It seems many designers view these guidelines as an obstacle to design, since they regulate both the types of sources as well as the wattage, while others see them as a necessary step toward more sustainable design. But what very few people see, is the struggle for balance that modern energy codes try to achieve. The energy crisis of the early 1970s caused massive changes in U.S. energy regulation, with a series of federal laws and executive orders since then requiring the implementation of energy codes. The Federal Energy Policy Act of 1992 made ASHRAE/IESNA 90.1-1989 the national reference standard, requiring states to adopt it or an alternative energy model at least as stringent. Periodically the Department of Energy is required to consider and adopt a more stringent standard, and since 2002, the national reference is ASHRAE/IESNA 90.1-1999.