FREE Commercial Building Lighting Web Tool

The Department of Energy (DOE) has developed an interactive web tool called Commercial Lighting Solutions (CLS) intended to provide “how to” advice about ways to improve interior lighting efficiency and reduce energy consumption for a potential savings of 30% or more in commercial buildings.

The design guidance provided by the web tool will be available free of charge! How cool is that? 8)

The web tool that provides energy savings projections to users based on their choices.

CLS gathers information from users on building type and space description, then allows the user to select their preferred lighting solution, which include performance specifications for lighting equipment and controls, design layouts, and supporting documentation. Also included is detailed technical information aimed at architects and engineers.

CLS will also link users to participating utilities, where applicable, to access rebates and incentives.

A project of the Building Technologies Program at the DOE, the CLS team is currently gathering feedback while the CLS tool is in beta and making changes based on the feedback they are getting from it’s users.

Commercial Lighting Solutions have currently been developed and analyzed for five macro-types of retail stores with more on the way:

• Big box
• Small box
• Grocery
• Specialty market
• Pharmacy

Designed to meet or exceed the savings levels to qualify for Energy Policy Act tax incentives, the solutions are being developed in conjunction with an update to the Advanced Lighting Guidelines.

When it is ready, users of the Commercial Lighting Solutions web site often will have a choice of several design vignettes and lighting control strategies that suit parameters they input for their project.

A solution can be implemented as shown, or it an be used as a starting point for a design that is refined to serve particular corporate branding, architectural or business objectives.

Modeled results for each solution included on the web site must show decreased energy consumption of 30% or greater below a baseline design. Some of the solutions have achieved modeled savings of 50% or more!

Click here to check out the FREE Commercial Lighting Solutions Beta Tool

Originally reported on lighting.com

Technorati Tags: architectural lighting, architectural lighting design, solid-state architectural lighting, led architectural lighting, architectural led lighting, lighting design, solid-state lighting design, lighting designers, lighting artist, artistic lighting, lighting engineering, architectural lighting industry, designing with light, architectural design, office lighting, daylight planning, daylight planner, daylight consultant, daylight consulting, building daylight, natural building light, dialux, lighting software, free software, free lighting software, free lighting design software, lighting plugin, plugins, free web tool, free software, free design software, free, free program, free lighting tools, free lighting utilities, department of energy, doe, doe tools, doe utilities, lighting design software, commercial lighting design, commercial lighting tools, commercial lighting tools, energy utilities, energy savings, energy efficient, energy analysis, energy analysis tools, retial store lighting, retail lighting, retail lighting design, energy policy tax, building technology, building technologies