California 2025 Nonresidential Energy Code Changes

The following lighting and electrical changes were made to the California 2025 Building Energy Efficiency Standards for Nonresidential Buildings:

• Adds requirements for manual controls to be in same space as controlled lighting, or so that controlled lighting or status can be seen when operating controls. § 130.1(a)2
• Multilevel controls must provide and enable continuous dimming from 100 to 10% or lower; removes Table 130.1-A; exception for high intensity discharge (HID) and induction light sources to have at least one control step between 30 and 70% of full power. § 130.1(b)
• Updates occupant sensing controls must have no more than 20-minute time delay. § 130.1(c)1A
• Clarifies occupant sensing controls requirements for warehouse areas, library stack aisles, corridors and stairwells, offices greater than 250 square feet, parking and loading/unloading areas; all occupancy sensing control zones in offices greater than 250 square feet must be shown on plans. § 130.1(c)6
• Updates daylight responsive controls requirements for sidelit and skylit daylit zones with 75W or greater of general lighting in indoor spaces, 60W or greater for garages; luminaires longer than 8 feet must be controlled in segments up to 8 feet; secondary sidelit daylit zones with less than 85W of general lighting exempt, if primary sidelit daylit zones do not require daylight responsive controls. § 130.1(d)
• Clarifies requirements for occupancy sensing controls for space-conditioning systems. § 130.1(f)
• Updates motion sensing controls exception for building façade, ornamental hardscape, and outdoor dining areas. § 130.2(c)3
• Adds acceptance testing requirement for controlled environmental horticulture lighting. § 130.4(a)
• Removes Tailored Method of calculating lighting power allowances; moved some Tailored Method allowances in form of additional lighting power allowances to Area Category Method. § 140.6
• Removes several automatically compliant sign light sources. § 140.8(b)
• Controlled receptacles in hotel/motel guestrooms must shut off within 20 minutes of vacancy. § 130.5(d)4

Source: https://www.energy.ca.gov/sites/default/files/2025-03/Whats_new_for_2025_Nonresidential_ada.pdf