Many organizations have established standards that address lighting design, safety, performance, mounting, and testing, as well as illumination levels.
Standards are norms or requirements that establish a basis for the common understanding and judgment of materials, products or processes. Standards are an invaluable tool in industry and business, because they streamline business practices and provide a level playing field for businesses to develop products and services. They are also critical to ensuring that products and services are safe for consumers and the environment.
Lighting was the original purpose of electricity, and numerous standard-making bodies address nearly every aspect of Efficient Lighting and LED safety, performance, testing, and illumination levels. Lighting standards are also frequently revised and amended to take into account the latest technology or the needs of particular industries.
American National Standards Institute (ANSI)
Definitions/Specifications
- ANSI C82.13-2002: Lamp Ballasts—Definitions for Fluorescent Lamps and Ballasts
- ANSI C82.9-2016: Lamp Ballasts—High-Intensity Discharge (HID) and Low-Pressure Sodium (LPS) Lamps—Definitions
Ballasts
- ANSI C82.1-2004 (R2008, R2015): Lamp Ballasts—Line Frequency Fluorescent Lamp Ballasts
- ANSI C82.4-2017: Lamp Ballasts—Ballasts for High-Intensity Discharge and Low-Pressure Sodium (LPS) Lamps (Multiple-Supply Type)
- ANSI C82.11-2017: Lamp Ballasts—High Frequency Fluorescent Lamp Ballasts
Fluorescent Lamps
- ANSI C78.45-2016: Electric Lamps—Self-Ballasted Mercury Lamps
LEDs
- ANSI C78.377-2017: Specifications for the Chromaticity of Solid State Lighting Products
Illuminating Engineering Society (IES)
Definitions/Specifications
- IES RP-16-17: Nomenclature and Definitions for Illuminating Engineering
- IES DG-3-10/R15: Application of Luminaire Symbols on Lighting Design Drawings
- IES LM-72-97/R10: Directional Positioning of Photometric Data
- IES LM-74-05: Standard File Format For the Electronic Transfer of Luminaire Component Data
Design
- IES TM-15-11: Luminaire Classification System for Outdoor Luminaires
- IES RP-29-06: Lighting for Hospitals and Health Care Facilities
- IES RP-1-12: American National Standard Practice for Office Lighting
- IES LM-61-06/R14: Identifying Operating Factors for Installed Outdoor High Intensity Discharge (HID) Luminaires (Reaffirmed 2014)
Illuminance Levels
Installation
- IES LEM-3-13: Upgrading Lighting Systems in Commercial and Institutional Spaces
LEDs
- IES G-2-10: Guideline for the Application of General Illumination (“White”) Light-Emitting Diode (LED) Technologies
- IES TM-16-17: Solid State Lighting Sources and Systems
Measurement / Testing
- IES LM-79-19: Approved Method: Optical and Electrical Measurements of Solid-State Lighting Products
- IES LM-80-15: Measuring Luminous Flux and Color Maintenance of LED Packages, Arrays and Modules
- IES TM-21-19: Technical Memorandum: Projecting Long Term Lumen, Photon, and Radiant Flux Maintenance of LED Light Source
- IES LM-9-09/R17: Electrical and Photometric Measurements of Fluorescent Lamps
- IES LM-46-04/R12: Photometric Testing of Indoor Luminaires Using High Intensity Discharge or Incandescent Filament Lamps
- IES LM-62-06: Laboratory or Field Thermal Measurements of Fluorescent Lamps and Ballasts in Luminaires (Reaffirmed 2015)
- IES LM-78-17: Approved Method for Total Luminous Flux Measurement of Lamps Using an Integrating Sphere Photometer
- IES LM-45-15: The Electrical and Photometric Measurement of General Service Incandescent Filament Lamps
- IES LM-40-10/R17: Life Testing of Fluorescent Lamps
- IES LM-65-14: Life Testing of Single-Based Fluorescent Lamps
- IES LM-66-14: Electrical and Photometric Measurements of Single-Ended Compact Fluorescent Lamps
National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA)
Ballasts
- NEMA BL 3-2013: Dimming Ballast Energy Performance
- NEMA BL 2-2009: Energy Efficiency for Electronic Ballasts for T8 Fluorescent Lamps
Fluorescent Lamps
- NEMA LL 9-2011: Dimming of T8 Fluorescent Lighting Systems
LEDs
- NEMA SSL-1-2016: Electronic Drivers for LED Devices, Arrays, or Systems
Luminaires
- NEMA LE 4-2012 (R2018): Recessed Luminaires—Ceiling Compatibility
- NEMA LE 5-2001: Procedure for Determining Luminaire Efficacy Ratings for Fluorescent Luminaires
Underwriters Laboratories (UL)
Ballasts
- UL 935, 10th Edition: Standard for Fluorescent-Lamp Ballasts
- UL 1029, 5th Edition: Standard for High-Intensity-Discharge Lamp Ballasts
- UL 542, 9th Edition: Standard for Fluorescent Lamp Starters
General Lighting
- UL 2108, 2nd Edition: Standard for Low Voltage Lighting System
Lamps
- UL 1993, 5th Edition: Self-ballasted Lamps and Lamp Adapters
LEDs
- UL 1598C, 1st Edition: Standard for Light-Emitting Diode (LED) Retrofit Luminaire Conversion Kits
- UL 8750, 2nd Edition: Standard for Light Emitting Diode (LED) Equipment for Use in Lighting Products
- UL 8752, 1st Edition: Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) Panels
- UL 8753, 1st Edition: Standard for Field-Replaceable Light Emitting Diode (LED) Light Engines
Luminaires
- UL 1598, 3rd Edition: Luminaires
- UL 153, 13th Edition: Standard for Portable Electric Luminaires
Mounting
- UL 8754, 1st Edition: Holder, Bases, and Connectors for Solid-State (LED) Light Engines and Arrays
- UL 496, 14th Edition: Lampholders
Specialty Lighting
- UL 924, 10th Edition: Standard for Emergency Lighting and Power Equipment
- UL 676, 9th Edition: Standard for Underwater Luminaires and Submersible Junction Boxes
- UL 48, 15th Edition: Standard for Electric Signs
- UL 1574, 3rd Edition: Standard for Track Lighting Systems
International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC)
Definitions/Specifications
- IEC 60050-845 ed1.0 (1987-12): International Electrotechnical Vocabulary - Lighting
- IEC 62504:2014: General Lighting - Light Emitting Diode (LED) Products and Related Equipment - Terms and Definitions
Ballasts
- IEC 61347-1:2015 AMD1:2017: Lamp Controlgear - Part 1: General and Safety Requirements
Fluorescent Lamps
- IEC 60081:1997 AMD1:2000: Double-Capped Fluorescent Lamps - Performance Specifications
- IEC 60901:1996 AMD1:1997 AMD2:2000 : Single-Capped Fluorescent Lamps - Performance Specifications
- IEC 60969:2016: Self-Ballasted Compact Lamps for General Lighting Services - Performance Requirements
- IEC 62639 ed1.0 (2012-02): Fluorescent Induction Lamps - Performance Specifications
HID Lamps
- IEC 60188:2001: High-Pressure Mercury Vapour Lamps - Performance Specifications
- IEC 60662 ed2.0 (2011-02): High-pressure Sodium Vapour Lamps - Performance Specifications
- IEC 61167 ed2.0 (2011-03): Metal Halide Lamps - Performance Specifications
Incandescent Lamps
- IEC 60064:1993 AMD1:2000 AMD2:2002 AMD3:2005: Tungsten Filament Lamps for Domestic and Similar General Lighting Purposes - Performance Requirements
- IEC 60357:2002: Tungsten Halogen Lamps (Non-vehicle) - Performance Specifications
- IEC 60432-1:1999 AMD1:2005 AMD2:2011: Incandescent Lamps - Safety Specifications - Part 1: Tungsten filament lamps for domestic and similar general lighting purposes
Installation
- IEC 60364-1:2005 : Low-Voltage Electrical Installations - Part 1: Fundamental principles, assessment of general characteristics, definitions
LEDs
- IEC 62717:2014 AMD1:2015 AMD2:2019: LED Modules for General Lighting - Performance Requirements
- IEC 62722-2-1:2014: Luminaire Performance - Part 2-1: Particular requirements for LED luminaires
Luminaires
- IEC 60598-2-2 ed3.0 (2011-11): Luminaires - Part 2-2: Particular requirements - Recessed luminaires
- IEC 60598-2-22:2014 AMD1:2017: Luminaires - Part 2-22: Particular requirements - Luminaires for emergency lighting
Mounting
- IEC 60838-1:2016 AMD1:2017 AMD2:2020: Miscellaneous Lampholders - Part 1: General requirements and tests
- IEC 60838-2-2:2006+AMD1:2012: Miscellaneous Lampholders - Part 2-2: Particular requirements - Connectors for LED-modules
- IEC 60838-2-3:2016: Miscellaneous Lampholders - Part 2-3: Particular requirements - Lampholders for double-capped linear LED lamps
Rural Systems
- IEC TS 62257-9-5:2018: Recommendations for Renewable Energy and Hybrid Systems for Rural Electrification - Part 9-5: Integrated systems - Laboratory Evaluation of Stand-Alone Renewable Energy Products for Rural Electrification
- IEC TS 62257-12-1:2020 : Recommendations for Renewable Energy and Hybrid Systems for Rural Electrification - Part 12-1: Laboratory evaluation of lamps and lighting appliances for off-grid electricity systems
Specialty Lighting
- IEC 62034 ed2.0 (2012-02): Automatic Test Systems for Battery Powered Emergency Escape Lighting
International Energy Conservation Code (IECC)
Lighting Power Densities
- IECC 2012: 2012 International Energy Conservation Code