Newer Lighting Regulations have come to California under Title 20. What is Title 20? Who Created it? Keep reading to find the answer.
What is the CEC? The CEC (California Energy Commission) is the state of California’s primary energy policy and planning agency. It is focused on reducing energy costs and the environmental impacts of energy use—such as greenhouse gas emissions— while ensuring a safe, resilient, and reliable supply of energy. While the CEC has regulatory authority for most products sold or offered for sale in the state of California, its policies impact products produced for other regions as well.
What is Title 20? Title 20 is a part of the CEC’s Appliance Efficiency Regulations, from the California Code of Regulations. The California Energy Commission adopted new standards updating the 2015 Appliance Efficiency Regulations (Title 20) for lighting appliances. The first updates to this set of Regulations was released in January 2018 and Tier 2 will be effective July 1, 2019.
Notably, this update adds standards for small-diameter directional lamps. The updated regulations incorporate elements of lighting product quality for both general service LED lamps and small-diameter directional lamps in addition to the traditional lighting appliance efficiency standards previously included in the regulations.
The addition of these new standards will require revisions to the California Appliance Efficiency Database product certification process, as well as updates to product labeling requirements for lamp marking, marketing material, and product packaging.
The lighting products currently in Title 20 that affect Emergency Light products for sale at www.exitlightco.com include:
Our products will contain a label in the “Features” section specifying if the product is CEC compliant.
Major changes include:
Updates to Lamp Regulations & Categories:
General service LED lamps are now regulated as a separate category from other light sources in the general service lamp category. New requirements include specific performance metrics and corresponding test methods to quantify product performance in an industry-recognized manner. Small diameter directional lamps with a diameter of 2.25 inches or less that are equipped with ANSI compliant base-types or the E26 base type are now regulated. New requirements apply to both low- and line-voltage lamps. Portable luminaires that are equipped with a socket requiring a general service lamp must be packaged with a compact fluorescent lamp or LED lamp that adheres to the updated lamp requirements.
California Appliance Efficiency Database:
The appliance database filing structure that manufacturers use to submit products for listing with the California Energy Commission will include new product categories and performance metrics starting January 1, 2018.
Product Labeling:
Manufacturers must test and certify their products with the updated regulations before including claims of dimmability, incandescent lamp equivalency, wattage equivalence, decorative lamp lumen output, or compliance with the Voluntary California Quality LED Lamp Specification in their lamp marking, marketing material, and package labeling.