How many watts can I use for lighting under CA Title 24?
neogeek79 asked:
I am helping my friend build a coffee shop in San Diego and I’m working on the lighting plan. Under Title 24, is there a rough guideline for how many watts per square foot I can use of dimmable incandescent light in the dining area? How about for fluorescent light? Also, am I allowed more or less wattage for the food prep area and the office?
I am helping my friend build a coffee shop in San Diego and I’m working on the lighting plan. Under Title 24, is there a rough guideline for how many watts per square foot I can use of dimmable incandescent light in the dining area? How about for fluorescent light? Also, am I allowed more or less wattage for the food prep area and the office?
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Title 24 has to do with switching, not total wattage. Wattage is determined by circuit ampacity (ohm’s law) But code say’s you can only load a circuit to 80% of it’s rating. Restaurants are based on 2 watts per sq. ft., offices on 3 1/2 watts. Title 24 requires 2 switch points per fixture for troffer lights, meaning two ballasts, so the light can be dimmed by using only one half of the fixture. Or, for recessed lighting, one half on one switch, the other half on the other switch. [who] Joe Blough