Tools
Reference for specifiers.
Quick references we use on every quote. Pick a color temperature, confirm a light level, and find the rebate and code resources that apply to your project.
Color temperature guide
Correlated color temperature sets the look of a space. Warmer light reads relaxed and hospitable. Cooler light reads crisp and task focused. Most of our lines ship with selectable CCT, so one fixture covers several spaces.
- 2700KWarm whiteHospitality, restaurants, residential common areas
- 3000KSoft whiteLobbies, hotels, retail with a warm feel
- 3500KNeutral whiteOffices, classrooms, healthcare corridors
- 4000KCool whiteOpen offices, retail, kitchens, parking structures
- 5000KDaylightWarehouses, manufacturing, exterior site and area lighting
Source guidance: Color Temperature, Seattle City Light Lighting Design Lab
Recommended light levels
Planning ranges in foot-candles, drawn from IES recommended practice. Your quote uses the level that fits the task, the ceiling height, and the reflectances in the room.
- Open office and workstations30 to 50 fc
Task areas sit at the top of the range
- Private office and conference30 to 50 fc
Dimming supports presentation use
- Classroom30 to 50 fc
Uniformity matters more than peak level
- Retail sales floor30 to 75 fc
Sales floors center near 50 with displays lit several times brighter
- Warehouse, general storage10 to 30 fc
Aisle width and rack height drive the layout
- Warehouse, order picking30 to 50 fc
Vertical illuminance on the pick face
- Corridors and stairs5 to 30 fc
Offices sit at the low end, schools and healthcare run higher
- Parking lot and open site1 to 5 fc
Higher where security is the driver
Ranges adapted from the IES Lighting Handbook. See the Footcandle Lighting Guide from the Lighting Design Lab (2013, built on the IES 10th Edition) for the full utility reference.
Rebates and codes
The sources behind every quote
Rebates and qualified products
- DLC Qualified Products List
Search by manufacturer or model. Most utility rebates require a DLC listing.
- ENERGY STAR certified lighting
Certified lamps and fixtures for rebate and specification use.
- Puget Sound Energy business rebates
Lighting and controls incentives for PSE business customers.
- Snohomish County PUD business programs
Energy efficiency programs for commercial accounts.
- Seattle City Light business incentives
Incentives for lighting retrofits and new construction in Seattle.
Energy codes and standards
- Washington State Energy Code
The WSU Energy Program maintains commercial energy code resources.
- Seattle Energy Code
Seattle enforces its own commercial energy code through SDCI.
- IES Lighting Library
Recommended practices and illuminance standards from the Illuminating Engineering Society.
- Lighting in the 2021 WA and Seattle energy codes
Lighting Design Lab handout covering the commercial energy codes now in effect.
- The Power of Lighting Power Density
How watts per square foot allowances shape a code compliant design.
Green building
- LEED
USGBC rating system, including lighting power and controls credits.
- WELL Building Standard
Occupant health criteria, including light quality and circadian design.
Controls and learning
- Wireless controls in lighting
Guide to luminaire level and networked lighting controls.
- Lighting Design Lab resources
Seattle City Light's library of lighting, controls, and code resources.
- Course recordings and handouts
Free recorded webinars on lighting, controls, and Washington energy code.
Next step
Have a spec or a drawing ready?
Send it over and we quote it at factory-direct pricing, with the DLC listings and rebate documentation your project needs.