IRC Lighting Upgrades: Efficient Bulbs and Gasketed Fixtures

New provisions in the IRC and IECC are making houses greener

Posted on Jul 30 by Lynn Underwood, GBA Advisor

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Recessed lights can be like heat chimneys in a ceiling The 2009 IRC requires that all recessed lighting meet air tightness standards to prevent leakage.

9 Steps to A Greener Code

New homes built using the 2009 International Residential Code (IRCInternational Residential Code. The one- and two-family dwelling model building code copyrighted by the International Code Council. The IRC is meant to be a stand-alone code compatible with the three national building codes—the Building Officials and Code Administrators (BOCA) National code, the Southern Building Code Congress International (SBCCI) code and the International Conference of Building Officials (ICBO) code.) or International Energy Conservation Code (IECC International Energy Conservation Code.) will be more energy efficient than ever. As a consequence, a builder’s world may become a bit more complex and, in some cases, a bit more expensive. Recent spikes in energy costs have increased the attention on regulatory measures that limit energy waste.

STEP 3: LIGHTING UPGRADES (Section N1104)

The code: Half of all indoor lamps in permanent light fixtures must be high efficacy. Additionally, recessed can lights must meet air leakage standards.

What it means to you:
Lighting represents about 12% of the energy used in a home. This code change will require at least half of all permanently mounted lightbulbs to be high-efficacy compact fluorescents (CFLs), which are roughly 80% more efficient than incandescent bulbs.

The rationale for the 50% standard as opposed to 100% is to allow for circumstances where a high-efficiency bulb would not perform well―when operated by a dimmable switch, for example.

The code also demands that all recessed lights in the building envelopeExterior components of a house that provide protection from colder (and warmer) outdoor temperatures and precipitation; includes the house foundation, framed exterior walls, roof or ceiling, and insulation, and air sealing materials. meet an ASTMAmerican Society for Testing and Materials. Not-for-profit international standards organization that provides a forum for the development and publication of voluntary technical standards for materials, products, systems, and services. Originally the American Society for Testing and Materials. manufacturing tightness standard (ASTM E283) and be sealed with a gasket or caulk between the housing and the interior wall or ceiling covering. Air-leakage testing for these fixtures has been an option for years. Now, the manufacturing community is able to perform uniform standard for air sealing verified through testing.

This provision will decrease air leakage for recessed light connections to walls or ceilings and increase standards for the tightness of the fixtures themselves. Essentially, manufacturers will make better, tighter light fixtures because of this code change. It will be your job to install gasket or caulk as an air-sealing measure.

The 2009 building codes reflect practices that not only increase energy efficiency, like air sealing measures and increased insulation, but also address sustainable building practices, like moisture control.