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### Restaurants

Further case studies were undertaken on the IDP in restaurants, retailers, laboratories, offices and storage spaces. “The restaurant case studies revealed that they could not achieve the proposed IPD of 6W/m²” reveals Cynthia. Although the restaurant lighting designs varied in energy intensity - even the least energy intensive did not achieve the proposed new limit. Off the back of the restaurant case studies, and further discussions with the lighting industry, the ABCB decided to raise the maximum IPD in NCC 2019 for restaurants to 16W/m² - which was down from 18W/m² in the existing code. 

It was noted that on a space by space basis, the restaurant designs did not conform to NCC 2016, but they did when the spaces were assessed as a whole. “This method of offsetting the lower power use in some spaces against other spaces to achieve an overall conformity, is the driver behind the use of the performance method,” comments Cynthia. “This is encouraged to enable clever use of overall efficient design in combination with creative elements.” 

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### Retail

The retail case study provided was the common area of a shopping mall. “Even though this was not based on an actual shop, it was a valid case study as it showed that the proposed maximum IPD of 2.5W/m² was woefully inadequate for this space type,” comments Cynthia. These findings then prompted a conversation between the lighting industry stakeholders about what would be required to light a retail space. The discussion resulted in the proposed IPD being raised to 
16W/m² - down from 22W/m² in NCC 2016.

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### Laboratories

The designers commented that the laboratory case study did not include shelves and cautioned that labs with shelves would require a higher IPD. Cynthia explains that even when Energy Action multiplied the power consumption of the case study by four, it still complied. “This indicated that even with shelving introduced, the maximum IPD is appropriate,” she reveals. Therefore the proposed IPD for laboratories of 6W/m² will not change in NCC 2019. 

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### Office

For lighting designs in office spaces, three case studies were provided. “All of these designs were effective and elegant,” remarks Cynthia. Two of them conformed to the NCC 2019 proposed IPD of 4.5W/m², proving that it is achievable. 

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The issue of compliance for vertical illuminance in storage facilities was raised by a case study into a design for an archives space. Cynthia explains the issue is that there is no allowance for vertical illuminance in the code, and this should be addressed. 

Cynthia explains that vertical illuminance targets are mentioned only fleetingly in AS1680. The UK’s Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) Lighting Codes provide more detailed recommendations for the ratio of vertical illuminance to horizontal illuminance. Based on CIBSE Lighting Codes, the recommended average vertical illuminance level would be one step down in the AS1680 tables from the recommended horizontal illuminance level. “So, for example, an office which has a horizontal target of 320lx would have a vertical target of 240lx,” she confirms. 

“The case study is targeting 320lx on the verticals and the floor,” she discusses. This specification differs from CIBSE recommendations for vertical illuminance because it requires the same illuminance on both the vertical and horizontal planes. While the necessity of this requirement is arguable, it does highlight the issue of maximum IPD for vertical illuminance. “In NCC 2019 an allowance of 4.5W/m² is proposed for an average of 320lx.” Since a higher IPD is required to achieve vertical light levels as opposed to horizontal light levels, Energy Action has proposed an extra allowance in Section J6 when a vertical illuminance is targeted. 

Energy Action recommended to the ABCB that explanatory notes be included in the NCC 2019 to state that the maximum IPD allowances were for horizontal illuminance only and that for vertical illuminance targets designers should use the maximum IPD one level up from the IPD stated for that horizontal value. Using this method, the archive would use the 320lx to 400lx maximum IPD allowance which is 6W/m², and the design would conform.

### Conclusion

Cynthia elaborates that since the NCC Section J6.2a table and explanatory notes are heavily based on AS1680, the failure of the standard to address vertical illuminance means that the ABCB’s hands are tied. “They need the lighting industry to show the way on this issue, so it looks like this recommendation will not be implemented in the NCC 2019,” she remarks. In light of this, the treatment of vertical illuminance in both the NCC and in AS/NZS1680 will be an issue which will require further analysis and discussion by the lighting industry.

LEDs mature and energy use changes, along with the expectation from light. The best outcome from the NCC in the adjustment is a careful balance between performance, design intent and energy efficiency which reflects modern technology. 

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