In an ever-evolving regulatory landscape, staying ahead of compliance changes is essential for any lighting manufacturer. Forge can help you navigate the upcoming changes introduced in the “Approved Document L Conservation of Fuel And Power and Minimisation of Greenhouse Gas Emissions” consultation version, ensuring your products are not only compliant but also market-leading in terms of efficacy and sustainability.
The UK government recently concluded a consultation process that ran from November 2023 to March 2024. The outcomes of this process will result in new statutory guidance based on the amendments, both technical and editorial, introduced in the consultation version of Approved Document L for “Buildings other than dwellings” and Approved Document L for “Dwellings” by June 2025. These amendments will shape performance requirements that lighting manufacturers must integrate into their products in the coming years. Staying ahead of these changes is crucial for lighting businesses aiming to maintain compliance and grow market share in this increasingly regulated environment.
For buildings other than dwellings, the minimum luminaire efficacy for general lighting will be raised from 95 to 105 luminaire lumens per circuit-watt. For dwellings, the luminaire light source efficacy requirement climbs from 75 to 105 lumens per circuit-watt, with lift car lighting now included in the guidance with the same light source efficacy requirement of 105 lumens per circuit-watt. Forge can help you achieve this efficacy leap through advanced optical solutions, cutting-edge LEDs, recyclable PCBs mounted on optimised, custom thermal solutions.
New Standards for Display Lighting from Approved Document LDisplay lighting must now achieve an average light source efficacy of greater than 95 lumens per circuit-watt, up from 80 lumens per circuit-watt. This increase means that achieving high fidelity colour rendition at carbon conscious efficacies is more challenging than ever. Forge can help you balance these demands, with light sources or luminaires that are compliant and tested and quantified via our internal labs, ensuring that your products meet these new standards without compromising on quality.
In both general and display lighting, our design ethos is underpinned by TM66 circular economic principles of design for reuse, refurbishment, remanufacture, and recycling—designing out waste at every stage.
High excitation purity light sources (such as RGB or other combinations of colours) must now have an average light source efficacy of greater than 65 lumens per circuit-watt. Forge can assist in developing lighting products that not only meet but exceed these metrics, future-proofing them as much as possible against further legislative changes.
The updated statutory guidance for non-dwellings requires presence detection in all unoccupied spaces and in occupied spaces where the purpose of the space is deemed suitable. Daylight still plays a critical role, and areas receiving high volumes of natural light should have sensors that allow artificial light to play a supporting role in creating the required luminance levels, whenever possible. Intelligent control systems are the first line of defence in terms of downstream carbon usage for the lighting industry and, if not already the norm, will become so as we move into our carbon-conscious future. Forge has the expertise and partnerships to ensure your lighting products are compatible with these modern control systems and Approved Document L. We can offer a broad portfolio of driver solutions to enable almost any luminaire, utilising any control protocol to work on any modern building control system.
Today’s lighting schemes must combine carbon conscious efficacies with a growing awareness for the preservation of our precious Dark Skies. Learn more about why and how Forge is working hard on this topic here. Fixed external lighting should only be incorporated into a scheme when necessary. Where installed, the design should adhere to CIBSE’s SLL Lighting handbook, directing light downwards where possible to minimise light spill and glare, using shields, baffles, and reflectors. Forge’s product designs incorporate considerate light shaping using patented optics and other lighting tools, ensuring that your products can be used responsibly in any exterior lighting scheme.
Lighting Controls for fixed external lighting should ensure that it’s switched off during daylight hours and for periods of the night, if safe and secure, when the building is not in operational use. Low power luminaires or groups of low power luminaires at less than 4W sit outside of this guidance. Fixed external lighting for dwellings should have an automated switch-off in daylight, and for luminaires with a flux greater than 1200 lumens, activation should be controlled by a proximity sensor. Lower output luminaires can be manually switched. Forge has a range of exterior rated drivers that can survive the elements and provide all the control you need while complying with Approved Document L.
As the lighting industry continues to evolve, Forge remains your trusted partner, ensuring your products not only comply with new regulations but also set the standard for innovation and sustainability. Navigating these regulatory changes can be complex, but with Forge’s comprehensive support, you can be confident in your ability to stay ahead of the curve.
Enquire now to find out how we can help you today.
