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Codes and Standards

What is law, what is voluntary, and what each one actually asks of the lighting.

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Four different things get called "code" on a lighting job, and they are not the same kind of thing at all. Two of them are law and will stop a permit. Two of them are voluntary certifications a client chooses to pursue, and cost money rather than saving it.

Knowing which is which saves a lot of confusion, so this is the map.

Mandatory: this gates the permit

Law in FloridaFlorida Energy CodeThe 8th Edition Energy Conservation volume. Lighting power limits, mandatory controls, functional testing, and the thresholds that decide whether a retrofit triggers all of it.Alternate compliance pathASHRAE 90.1The standard you may comply with instead of Chapter 4. Florida references the 2019 edition and excludes three of its sections, one of them a lighting control.

Voluntary: this is a certification the owner chose

CertificationLEEDWhere lighting actually earns points, which is mostly through the energy model rather than any lighting credit. Plus where LEED is in fact mandatory in South Florida.CertificationWELLOccupant health rather than energy. Circadian light measured at the eye, and why it pulls against the energy code.

Except where it is not voluntary. Miami-Dade County requires LEED Silver for County construction. The City of Miami requires it for larger buildings in several zones. Florida statute requires state and local government buildings to meet a sustainable rating system. On South Florida public work, LEED is frequently a requirement wearing a certificate.

The short version, if you only read one thing

  • The mandatory controls are mandatory on every compliance path. Lighting power is tradable. Controls are not. You cannot model your way out of an occupancy sensor.
  • A retrofit triggers the energy code when 50 percent or more of the luminaires are replaced, or 10 percent or more of the lighting system is replaced, or lighting power increases. Any one of the three. Most people assume that reducing wattage keeps them clear, and it does not.
  • Florida is on ASHRAE 90.1-2019, two editions behind the current standard. Be specific about the edition on drawings.
  • LEED v5 is live, v4 and v4.1 close to new commercial registrations on 30 June 2027. The lighting credits are structured differently between them, so establish the version first.
  • WELL and the energy code want opposite things. One wants more light at the eye, the other wants fewer watts. That gets resolved in controls and spectrum, and it has to be designed in early.
  • The 9th Edition of the Florida code takes effect 31 December 2026. Projects straddling that date should confirm with the building department which edition applies.
  • Sea turtle lighting rules for South Florida beachfront property
  • HVHZ and exterior lighting in Miami-Dade and Broward

What we do, and what we do not

We are a supplier. We do not prepare energy calculations, we do not sign compliance forms, we are not the engineer of record, and we are not a LEED or WELL consultant.

What we do is quote fixtures and controls that fit the requirement rather than fight it, obtain the manufacturer documentation your engineer or your certification consultant will ask for, and tell you when something in a schedule looks likely to cause a problem. That last one is free and it is usually the most valuable.

Send the fixture schedule and the drawings through the quote form, and say if the project is chasing a certification or has already had a plan review comment. You get a line-by-line price and current lead times, usually within one business day. Call 786-395-1222 if it is easier to talk it through.

Common questions

Which of these actually stops a permit?

The Florida Building Code, Energy Conservation. LEED and WELL are voluntary certifications and have no bearing on your permit, unless the project is public work in a jurisdiction that mandates certification, which several South Florida jurisdictions do.

Do you prepare energy code compliance documents?

No. Those come from the registered design professional using state-approved software. We supply the fixtures and controls and provide the manufacturer data the calculations need.

My building is old and we are just changing the lights. Does any of this apply?

Possibly. The energy code has a defined trigger and it is easier to hit than people expect. Our Florida energy code page sets out the three tests. If in doubt, tell us what is being replaced and we will flag it before you order.

Can you help with a LEED or WELL submission?

We can supply the documentation for the products we quote, which is the part project teams usually chase us for. We are not certification consultants and would not pretend to be.

Related: Florida energy code lighting · ASHRAE 90.1 for lighting · LEED and lighting · WELL and lighting · Coastal lighting guide · Hurricane zone (HVHZ) exterior lighting · Lunch and learn sessions · The Controls Brief

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