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This fact sheet outlines the method for the commercial and public lighting method.

Who could benefit?The method applies to projects that improve the energy performance of lighting systems in commercial and industrial buildings, as well as in public areas, such as pedestrian, street and traffic lighting. Project proponents could be: owners, operators or tenants of commercial and industrial buildings; local and state governments; electricity companies; lighting manufacturers or suppliers; or other lighting project aggregators.

How does it work?A lighting upgrade project involves modifying, replacing or supplementing lighting equipment that is part of an existing lighting system for the purpose of reducing electricity usage of that system as a whole. A number of lighting upgrades may be included in a single project. Examples of activities that could be undertaken using the method include:

• modifying or replacing illumination equipment (such as lamps and ballasts)

• installing lighting control systems (such as motion sensors, sensor lights, and programmable and manual dimmers), which affect the way lighting systems consume electricity

• installing equipment that generates electricity for direct use by the lighting systems (such as integrated photovoltaic luminaire units).

The abatement delivered by a lighting upgrade is calculated by comparing the electricity consumption of an upgraded lighting system to the electricity consumption of the system that existed prior to the upgrade. The reduction in electricity consumption is then multiplied by an electricity emissions factor to convert electricity savings to avoided emissions.

Emissions reduction fund method: Commercial and public lighting methodThe Emissions Reduction Fund creates a positive incentive for Australian businesses to adopt smarter practices to cut the amount of greenhouse gases they create. Participants can earn carbon credits by setting up a project under an approved Emissions Reduction Fund method, which sets out the rules for the activity.

Image credits: (top) Nick Rains, (above) Department of Industry and Science

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The electricity consumption of a lighting system is estimated based on the amount of power drawn by each lamp or luminaire included in the system. The calculations also apply deemed values to take account of:

• electricity consumed by control gear (such as transformers)

• hours of operation (based on the type of building or type of space serviced by the lighting system)

• lighting control devices (such as motion sensors)

• the effect of reduced heat loads on air conditioning/heating where applicable

• shutdown periods.

Specific requirements

Eligibility

The following requirements must be met to ensure a project is eligible under this method.

• Each lighting upgrade must be undertaken on a lighting system that services a non-residential building or public space.

• The use and size of the area that a lighting system services must be the same before and after the upgrade (e.g. changing the use of a space from warehouse to office, or from a larger warehouse space to a smaller warehouse space is not permitted under the method).

• The lighting system must be in working order prior to the upgrade.

• All lamps, luminaires and control gear (both pre and post upgrade) must be of a type listed in Schedules 1 and 2 of the method.

• A lighting upgrade will not be eligible if it is part of reconstruction or renovation works that would require development approval under state or territory law, with or without the lighting upgrade.

Monitoring, reporting and auditing

The commercial and public lighting method uses deemed values and readily available lighting product technical data to calculate abatement, so it does not include ongoing monitoring requirements. However, proponents must submit offsets reports providing information on the lighting systems included in a project. Such information includes the location of each lighting system, the technical data used in the abatement calculation, whether the systems were included in previous offsets reports and whether any systems have been excluded from calculations. This information helps to easily compare an offsets report with a previous or future report and helps assess whether the calculated abatement is correct.

It’s important to keep project records because you will need to submit regular reports on your project, including reporting on your emissions reductions.

Projects must be audited by a registered greenhouse and energy (NGERS) auditor. A list of registered auditors is available on the Clean Energy Regulator website.

More informationVisit ComLaw to read the determinations. The determination is available at comlaw.gov.au/Details/F2015L00980.

Contact the Clean Energy Regulator at cleanenergyregulator.gov.au if you want to submit a project application.

Visit our website at www.environment.gov.au/climate-change/emissions-reduction-fund for more information or to subscribe to regular updates.

Note: While the Commonwealth has made reasonable efforts to ensure the accuracy, correctness or completeness of the material, the Commonwealth does not guarantee, and accepts no liability whatsoever arising from or connected to, the accuracy, reliability, currency or completeness of this material. Any references to the potential costs or benefits of undertaking an activity in accordance with a methodology are estimates only. This material is not a substitute for independent professional advice and entities should obtain professional advice suitable to their particular circumstances.

© Commonwealth of Australia, 2015.

This fact sheet is licensed by Commonwealth of Australia under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Australia licence.

The views and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Australian Government or the Minister for the Environment.