The Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) provides acquisition guidance for commercial and industrial light emitting diode (LED) luminaires, a product category covered by FEMP efficiency requirements. Federal laws and requirements mandate that agencies purchase ENERGY STAR-qualified products or FEMP-designated products in all product categories covered by these programs and in any acquisition actions that are not specifically exempted by law.
FEMP's acquisition guidance and efficiency requirements apply to LED luminaires used to provide general or ambient lighting in commercial and industrial buildings that meet the product qualification criteria for indoor-troffer (#7), indoor-linear ambient (#8), high-bay (#9), and low-bay (#10) applications in the Design Lights Consortium's (DLC) Technical Requirements Table V5.1.
This acquisition guidance was updated in June 2023.
Find Product Efficiency Requirements
Federal purchases must meet or exceed the minimum efficiency requirements in Table 1. These requirements are given in luminous efficacy (LE), which is measured in lumens per watt (lm/W). A higher number indicates a more efficient product (i.e., more light output per unit of power input).
| Table 1. Efficiency Requirements for Commercial and Industrial LED Luminaires | ||
|---|---|---|
| Luminaire Type | Minimum Light Output | LE |
| Commercial: Linear ambient [a] | ≥ 375 lm/ft. | ≥ 131 lm/W |
| Commercial: 1 ft. x 4 ft. troffers | ≥ 1,500 lm | ≥ 120 lm/W |
| Commercial: 2 ft. x 2 ft. troffers | ≥ 2,000 lm | ≥ 123 lm/W |
| Commercial: 2 ft. x 4 ft. troffers | ≥ 3,000 lm | ≥ 140 lm/W |
| Industrial: Low bay | ≥ 5,000 to < 10,000 lm | ≥ 143 lm/W |
| Industrial: High bay | ≥ 10,000 lm | ≥ 175 lm/W |
[a] Includes luminaires with both direct and indirect lighting components. | ||
Light output values come from DLC's Primary Use Technical Requirements for Light Output and Zonal Lumen Distribution (Table 5). Linear ambient luminaire types include luminaires with both direct and indirect lighting components.
Did You Know?
LED luminaires are compatible with many control strategies and systems including occupancy sensors, task tuning, and dimming. When applicable these technologies would facilitate further energy savings.
Performance Column
LE: Calculated by dividing luminous flux by electrical power input, shown in lm/W.
Input Power: Based on the wattage used by the luminaire with an output of 4,900-5,100 lm, which is typical for this product category, shown in watts.
Annual Energy Use: Based on IES LM-79-08 calculations assuming 3,600 operating hours per year (shown in kWh).
Annual Energy Cost: Calculated based on an assumed electricity price of $0.099/kWh, which is the average electricity price at federal facilities. Learn more about Federal Government Energy/Water Use and Emissions.
Lifetime Energy Cost: Calculated as the sum of the discounted value of the annual energy cost and assumed product life of 15 years. Future electricity price trends and a 3% discount rate are from the Annual Supplement to NIST Handbook 135 and NBS Special Publication 709, Energy Price Indices and Discount Factors for Life Cycle Cost Analysis – 2022 (NISTIR 85-3273-37 update 1).
Lifetime Cost Savings: The difference between the lifetime energy cost of the less efficient model and the lifetime energy cost of the required model or best available model.
Best Available Model Column
Calculated based on the most efficient model in the database collected from manufacturers as of June 2023; values shown are rounded to the nearest dollar.
Required Model Column
Calculated based on new FEMP-designated efficiency requirements as of June 2023; values shown are rounded to the nearest dollar. Federal agencies must purchase products that meet or exceed FEMP-designated efficiency requirements.
Less Efficient Model Column
Calculated based on the previous FEMP requirement for this product type.
Determine When FEMP-Designated Products Are Cost-Effective
An efficient product is cost-effective when the lifetime energy savings (from avoided energy costs over the life of the product, discounted to present value) exceed the additional up-front cost (if any) compared to a less efficient option. FEMP considers up-front costs and lifetime energy savings when setting required efficiency levels. Federal purchasers can assume FEMP-designated products are life cycle cost-effective. In high-use applications or when energy rates are above the federal average, purchasers may save more if they specify products that exceed federal efficiency requirements (e.g., the best available model).
Purchasing Requirements
Federal laws and requirements mandate that agencies purchase ENERGY STAR-qualified products or FEMP-designated products in all product categories covered by these programs and in any acquisition actions that are not specifically exempted by law.
These mandatory requirements apply to all forms of procurement, including construction guide and project specifications; renovation, repair, energy service, and operation and maintenance (O&M) contracts; lease agreements; acquisitions made using purchase cards; and solicitations for offers.
FAR Contract Language
Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 23.206 requires agencies to insert the clause at FAR section 52.223-15 into contracts and solicitations that deliver, acquire, furnish, or specify energy-consuming products for use in federal government facilities.
To comply with FAR requirements, FEMP recommends that agencies incorporate efficiency requirements into technical specifications, the evaluation criteria of solicitations, and the evaluations of solicitation responses.
Products meeting ENERGY STAR or FEMP-designated efficiency requirements may not be life cycle cost-effective in certain low-use applications or in locations with very low rates for electricity or natural gas. However, for most applications, purchasers will find that energy-efficient products have the lowest life cycle cost.
Agencies may claim an exception to federal purchasing requirements through a written finding that no FEMP-designated or ENERGY STAR-qualified product is available to meet functional requirements, or that no such product is life cycle cost-effective for the specific application. Learn more about federal product purchasing requirements.
Federal Supply Sources and Product Codes
The federal supply sources for energy-efficient products are the General Services Administration (GSA) and the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA).
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provide programs that help federal agencies buy products with positive environmental attributes.
Identification codes for product categories covered by sustainable acquisition requirements are provided by DLA and the United Nations Standard Products and Services Code (UNSPSC).
Under the Multiple Award Schedule program, GSA issues long-term governmentwide contracts that provide access to commercial products, services, and solutions at pre-negotiated pricing.
TAKE ACTION
- Review the Multiple Award Schedule program.
- Visit the GSA Advantage! online shopping network.
- Learn about efficient, healthy buildings and environmentally responsible purchasing from the Sustainable Facilities (SF) Tool.
- Review the Multiple Award Schedule program.
DLA offers products through the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia and online through FedMall (formerly DOD EMALL).
TAKE ACTION
- Visit FedMall.
Products sold through DLA are codified with a 13-digit National Stock Number (NSN) and, in some cases, a two-letter Environmental Attribute Code (ENAC). The ENAC identifies items that have positive environmental characteristics and meet standards set by an approved third party, such as FEMP and ENERGY STAR.
USDA's BioPreferred Program was created to increase the purchase and use of biobased products. Federal law, the FAR, and Presidential Executive Orders direct that all federal agencies and their contractors purchase biobased products in categories identified by USDA.
TAKE ACTION
EPA offers several resources for choosing which products to buy. The Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Program helps federal government purchasers utilize private sector standards and ecolabels to identify and procure environmentally preferable products and services.
TAKE ACTION
- Learn more about the Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Program.
- Review federal purchasing specifications, standards, and ecolabels.
- Get an overview of the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) and procuring environmentally preferable electronic products.
- Learn more about the Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Program.
UNSPSC is a worldwide classification system for e-commerce. It contains more than 50,000 commodities, including many used in the federal sector, each with a unique eight-digit, four-level identification code. Manufacturers and vendors are beginning to adopt the UNSPSC classification convention and electronic procurement systems are beginning to include UNSPSC tracking in their software packages. UNSPSCs can help the federal acquisition community identify product categories covered by sustainable acquisition requirements, track purchases of products within those categories, and report on progress toward meeting sustainable acquisition goals.
TAKE ACTION
- Review FEMP's table of product codes for ENERGY STAR and FEMP-designated covered product categories.
Commercial and Industrial LED Luminaire Schedules and Product Codes
Buyer Tips: Make Informed Product Purchases
GSA offers energy-efficient lighting products through the Multiple Award Schedules Industrial Products 33512 and Hardware & Tools 332510C.
DLA offers commercial luminaires with the ENAC "DC", and industrial luminaires (high/low bay) with the ENAC "HJ" at the end of the NSN.
The UNSPSC for light emitting diode fixtures (i.e., LED luminaires) is 39111544.
Buyers can choose among many available resources that provide performance data, test reports, case studies, and product information to make informed purchasing decisions for LEDs. Buyers can consider the following capabilities of LEDs before making a purchase. Since LEDs are easily controllable compared to other lighting types such as fluorescents, they can be used for a variety of applications. They are well suited to lighting strategies that involve dimming, programming, demand response, and occupancy sensing, which can help building owners save energy and costs. LEDs that have tunable color temperature can also improve office workers’ mood and alertness during the day and improve sleep quality.
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Integrated Lighting Campaign shares research and guidance on integrating lighting and advanced lighting controls with other building systems. Two federal projects that were recently recognized by the campaign demonstrate some of the controls options and use cases of LED lighting.
- The Westover Air Reserve Base used occupancy heat mapping with lighting controls to better manage their space, achieving great payback and high energy savings on an annual basis.
- The U.S. Office of Personnel Management combined lighting-based occupancy data with temperature adjustments to save both lighting costs and space heating and cooling system costs.
In addition to these case studies from the Integrated Lighting campaign, federal buyers can also refer to Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s FLEXLAB case study. This study demonstrated how visual and circadian lighting goals can be met in office environments with tunable LEDs.
Another resource is the Design Lights Consortium (DLC), an organization that promotes quality and performance for commercial sector lighting. DLC’s members and other stakeholders have established technical requirements for 36 LED lighting applications, including troffers, linear ambient (suspended), and industrial luminaires.
DLC’s technical requirements address other quality and performance issues associated with luminaires such as correlated color temperature, color rendering index, power factor, total harmonic distortion, and lumen maintenance. All troffers, linear ambient, and industrial luminaires meeting DLC’s standard technical requirements are covered by five-year manufacturers’ warranties. LED luminaires meeting these requirements can be easily found in DLC’s Qualified Products List, a searchable online database with more than 120,000 solid-state lighting products.
In addition, lighting efficiency levels in terms of luminous efficacy (LE) are listed in manufacturers' product catalogs, technical specifications, and photometric reports. If LE is not listed, buyers may calculate it using luminous flux (measured light output) and luminaire watts input (measured power input) using the following equation:
LE = (Luminous Flux) / (Luminaire Watts Input)
Designing and Installation Tips: Special Considerations
Efficient design includes providing adequate lighting for the application and tasks using the lighting levels recommended by the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America. Buyers should follow building code requirements, which may have limits to watts per square foot as well as prescriptive requirements, and take care not to over-light a space, a practice that wastes both energy and money.
Compare efficiencies (LEs) only between like products. Luminaire size and style may be selected for a variety of reasons based on the application, including aesthetics, light output, and light distribution. Comparing the efficiencies of unlike products can lead to selecting the wrong luminaire for the lighting application.
User Tips: Use Products More Efficiently
In addition to selecting the optimal luminaire for the application, building operators should operate lighting only when needed. The use of lighting controls such as occupancy sensors, task tuning, and dimming when daylight is present (where applicable) should be considered to facilitate further energy savings. LED luminaires are compatible with many control strategies and systems.
Unlike fluorescent luminaires that require regular replacement of lamps and ballasts, the components in LED luminaires have very long lives that, in general, do not need replacing. This feature greatly reduces the maintenance requirements and related costs for LED luminaires. These savings should be considered when replacing fluorescent luminaires with LEDs.
Some LED luminaires can last up to 100,000 hours under normal operating conditions—much longer than any other light source. Because of this, facilities engineering and maintenance personnel need to adopt different maintenance approaches. For example, the amount of light emitted by LED luminaires will depreciate over time and eventually reach a point where the spaces in which they are installed become under lit. Typically this occurs when lumen output drops to 70% or less of the original level. It is important to periodically check light levels. When lumen output drops to 25% below initial levels, it is time to start planning to replace LED luminaires.
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory provided supporting analysis for this acquisition guidance.