In an industry thick with regulations do we really need another set of guidelines? Yes says the Society of Light and Lighting, and it may well be right.
Not another set of bloody rules! Another diktat passed down from on high to make life more difficult – sent to try the hard working electrical contractor’s patience and slice another chunk out of the profit margins. Well, you could look at it that way. Or, the new Code for lighting 2002 could be seen as one of the most instructive guides to lighting and the regulations surrounding the topic to date.

Produced by the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers’ (CIBSE) Society of Light and Lighting, this new code comes in cd and paper form. It is aimed at anyone involved in the design, installation, commissioning, operation and maintenance of lighting systems and, as such, includes CIBSE and Lighting Industry Federation (LIF) documentation.

For many a contractor this new code won’t be as big an inconvenience as it first seems. It is actually a new version of the 1994 publication the Code for interior lighting, but it now includes some exterior lighting information, hence the dropping of the word interior.

Produced on cd, it is a godsend. The old version of the code, with all its updates and revisions, is a shelf-breaker of a beast that requires an agile mind and strong arms to fully comprehend. The 2002 edition is an electronic version on which the text is broken down into easily understandable chunks. This is backed up by highlighted links within the text that take the user to other relevant sections at the click of a mouse.

So what does the new code have that the 1994 version doesn’t? As mentioned, it includes an updated version of the Code for interior Lighting. However, the 2002 code takes into account new legislation, including the revision of Part L of the Building Regulations, and new and forthcoming international and European standards on lighting and ergonomics. It also places greater emphasis on energy efficient lighting, something that the Building Regulations and government are encouraging.

Basically the main changes to the code are as follows. First, the energy recommendations have been tightened up; the 1994 code recommended energy consumption levels lower than that incorporated in Part L. These have now been aligned and adjusted to take into account the increased energy efficiency of lamps and luminaires since 1994.

Next, the illuminance recommendations in the general schedule have been brought into line with the draft European standard. Although most of the figures are the same, certain new areas are brought within the code’s scope and a minimum illuminance of 200 lux has been introduced for any continuously occupied space. This is higher than before and indicates that scheme designers will be more inclined to use fluorescent or metal halide lamps to get a satisfactory result.

Uniformity, both the mathematician’s and engineer’s friend, has been banished. The emphasis on a uniformly-lit workspace is now not a requirement of the code. Instead, in deference to what many designers have been saying for a long while, greater emphasis must now be bestowed on consideration of the task to be carried out in the workspace, while also considering surrounding illuminances.

The draft European standard also calls for a higher requirement for colour rendering; the code requires a minimum colour rendering index of 80 for the majority of interiors, including industrial applications. This is achievable with fluorescent and metal halide lamps but it will in most cases rule out the use of high-pressure sodium lamps.

The Lighting Glare Index system has been replaced by the Unified Glare Rating system, devised by the International Commission on Illumination and adopted in European standards – there is definitely no room in the lighting world for the Anglophile.

Finally, the section of the 1994 code on lamp data has been completely replaced by the LIF Lamp guide.

Jonathan David, secretary of the Society of Light and Lighting, believes the 2002 code will not present much of a problem: “For designers there will not be a lot of change. The code will make the value of the installation higher but the one to benefit most will be the end-user.”

For the contractor designing basic lighting solutions, the code can be seen as both good and bad. David explains: “The code will reduce the myriad choices available at the moment, especially on the office side. But when taken in conjunction with revisions to Lighting Guide 3 (LG3), the document setting out guidelines for the visual environment for display screen use, a project will take a little more thinking about. The emphasis on a comfortable environment rather than uniform brightness will warrant more than sticking in a few Category 2 luminaires.” The LG3 may be absorbed into the code at the next update.

This line of thinking can also be seen in the code’s energy efficiency recommendations, which are higher than that stated in the Building Regulations. David explains: “The 1994 code’s recommendations were at the same stage as the Building Regulations are now. The 2002 code’s guidelines are higher than this and so not necessarily achievable without some intelligent thinking. This means that a designer will not be able to just use the cheapest products and that the end-user will get a better, more energy efficient scheme.”

And as if all of the above is not enough to sink your teeth into, the cd-version includes several other guides to make your life as a lighting designer/installer easier. Included are: the Guide to fibre optic and remote source lighting, which was produced jointly with the Institution of Lighting Engineers (ILE); Lighting Guide 1: Industrial lighting; a newly updated LIF Lamp Guide; and a complete set of the LIF Technical Statements.

The Society of Light and Lighting encourages contractors to buy the cd due to the ease with which it can be updated. A paper version is supplied packaged with the cd. However it does not include certain sections, including the appendices and calculation sections of the code.

Copies of the Code for Lighting 2002 can be purchased from the CIBSE publications department, and buyers can sign up for the annual updating service at the same time. The cd version alone costs £125 plus vat; the cd and printed version together will cost an extra £20; and the annual sign-up service costs £48 plus vat per year. Discounts are available to CIBSE and Society of Light and Lighting members. Call 020 8772 3618 or order online at www.cibse.org.

Code changes

  • The energy recommendations have been tightened to take into account the increased energy efficiency of lamps and luminaires since 1994
  • The illuminance recommendations in the general schedule have been brought into line with the draft European standard; a minimum illuminance of 200 lux has been introduced for continuously occupied spaces
  • In work spaces the requirement for uniform light has been removed and greater emphasis must be given to considering the tasks to be carried out, and the surrounding illuminances
  • A minimum colour rendering index of 80 is now required for the majority of interiors, including industrial applications. This is achievable with fluorescent and metal halide lamps, but it will in most cases rule out the use of high-pressure sodium lamps
  • The Lighting Glare Index system has been replaced with the Unified Glare Rating system, devised by the International Commission on Illumination and adopted in European standards
  • The section of the 1994 code on lamp data has been completely replaced by the LIF Lamp guide