Lighting Boundary

Each month we’re highlighting an interesting question you posed to LEED Coach Canada regarding LEED v4/v4.1. LEED Coach Canada is supported by a collaborative team of professionals with diverse technical backgrounds located across Canada. For insightful answers to your LEED questions, email LEEDCoach@gbcicanada.ca.

Question:
For SSc Light Pollution Reduction, does the lighting boundary have to align with the LEED boundary?

Ryan Heays, LEED Reviewer, answers:

The lighting boundary refers to the limits of the lighting zone, and it typically coincides with the property line or the project boundary, but not always. As noted in the Further Explanation section under ‘Lighting Boundary’, the lighting boundary may be modified in certain situations:

• When the LEED project boundary abuts a public area, the boundary can be moved to 5 feet (1.5 meters) beyond the property line.
• When the LEED project boundary abuts a public roadway or public transit corridor, the lighting boundary may be moved to the center line of that roadway or corridor.
• When additional properties owned by the same entity responsible for the LEED project are contiguous to the project site and have the same or a higher lighting zone as the project, the lighting boundary may be expanded to include those properties. In these cases, it is best if a lighting master plan is developed.

Note that when the lighting boundary is modified to include areas outside the LEED project boundary, only those fixtures within the LEED project boundary need to be included in the calculations.