A Guide to the Lighting Standards and Codes to Expect in 2027
As a new year makes its inevitable way toward us, so too does the next wave of lighting standards, codes, and regulations.
In this article, we explain what’s coming in the regulatory landscape in 2027, and the trends that are driving major lighting initiatives. Many regulatory changes over the last several years have focused on energy efficiency, but now, codes and standards signal a shift from simply measuring watts and lumens to measuring lighting’s impact on the entire building strategy.
Efficiency Improvements Are Still Leading Lighting Regulations
The federal ban on traditional incandescent bulbs in the U.S. officially went into effect on August 1, 2023, marking the first major initiative in the Department of Energy’s enforcement of new lighting efficiency standards.
In the three years since the ban, the lighting industry has made significant strides in energy efficiency, delivering higher performance and power density in smaller form factors.
2027 will bring another wave of lighting standards and codes intended to capitalize on this progress, evolving requirements from simply replacing inefficient light sources to a broader set of regulations that enforce:
- Greater efficiency
- Smarter controls
- Increased performance
- Reduced environmental impact
- Longer product lifecycles
The direction of these updates doesn’t stray from current initiatives and progress; rather, it codifies them to ensure continued movement toward greater energy efficiency and performance.
What’s already in force, and what lands next.
A Broad Look at the Lighting Landscape in 2027 and Beyond: What’s Changing?
New and updated lighting regulations coming in 2027 and beyond are directed at improving the long-term performance of an entire lighting system, so what you specify in 2026 could be impacted in 2027 relative to competitiveness and compliance.
Let’s take a look at upcoming lighting standards and codes. Several will take effect in 2027, while others will be developed or adopted in 2027, influencing projects in subsequent years.
1. Fluorescent Lamp Bans: Current and Ongoing
In response to the 2023 federal ban on compact fluorescent (CFL) and traditional incandescent bulbs, states have been phasing out these mercury-containing light sources since 2024; however, a handful have yet to enact bans, and deadlines are looming.
On July 25, 2028, the minimum allowable federal efficiency standard for general service lamps will rise from 45 LPW to more than 120 LPW, pushing the efficiency well past what CFL and tube lighting can achieve and signifying the end of their manufacture and sale.
Dive Deeper: The Road to 200 Lumens Per Watt
For certain states like Illinois, 2027 brings deadlines for allowable pin-base CFLs and fluorescent tubes in line with local clean lighting initiatives.
Industry Impacts:
The federal ban under Department of Energy rules has effectively pushed the market toward LEDs, with manufacturers and lighting producers shifting their processes to 100% LED technology.
Lighting designers similarly are shifting how they plan spaces, with consideration to the size, shape, and thermal capacity of architectural lighting fixtures based on the parameters of LED drivers and heat sinks.
2. California’s 2025 Title 24 Supplement
The Golden State has long been a national leader in energy-efficient building requirements, and its Title 24 standards, a state-specific energy efficiency framework that requires advanced lighting controls, often influence energy codes across the country.
The 2025 California Building Standards Code supplement, scheduled to go into effect on July 1, 2027, proposes changes to multiple portions of Title 24. Once in effect, these requirements will impact product development and specification decisions across the lighting industry.
Provisions of the Title 24 supplement are intended to influence a building’s entire energy-management strategy — not just reduce the energy consumption of lighting systems.
Proposed changes address:
- Dimming capabilities
- Control interoperability
- Networked lighting
- Occupancy and vacancy sensing
- Daylight harvesting
- Demand response, including certification for controls capable of responding to Open ADR 2.0b signals
- Programmable drivers
- Monitoring and diagnostic capabilities
Industry Impacts:
Manufacturers will likely feel the effects of the Title 24 supplement in terms of product architecture and driver selection, and building owners should consider the upfront costs versus long-term energy management opportunities that exist as a result of these changes.
Dive Deeper: High-Efficiency Lighting Supports Net-Zero Building Goals
Further, lighting designers and specifiers need to pay close attention to the supplement’s provisions to understand which products can be included in a compliant design.
3. The 2027 Iteration of the IECC
The International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) continuously raises the bar for building performance, setting the maximum allowable lighting power density (measured in watts per square foot) that lighting systems are required to maintain. As a result, industrial and commercial spaces have adopted advanced automated controls and achieved significant LED efficiencies.
Driving the IECC’s 2027 updates are the Department of Energy’s findings following IECC 2024: Commercial spaces achieved 9.8% site energy savings, a meaningful change given that buildings account for 74% of total electricity consumption in the U.S.
The 2027 iteration of the IECC has been underway since publication of the 2024 edition, and includes hundreds of proposed changes that apply to both commercial and residential buildings.
According to the EPD Guide, the 2027 IECC requirements are primarily focused on energy efficiency; they’re expected to tighten performance standards to ensure a lighting product’s tested efficiency.
Exact requirements per jurisdiction will vary as states and municipalities don’t automatically adopt the newest IECC guidelines, and often choose to modify portions of the code before adoption.
Industry Impacts:
The IECC has influenced a major shift from simple energy reduction — measured in watts or lumens — to a building-wide performance strategy. Lighting designers and architects now must consider human-centric lighting, color fidelity, advanced environmental controls, and integration with other systems.
A Driving Trend: Efficiency Beyond the Light Source
As evidenced by the direction of these upcoming lighting standards and codes, an underlying trend is the changing definition of lighting efficiency.
Where “efficiency” has long been quantified by lumens-per-watt, the capability and power of modern LEDs is redefining what’s possible. The widespread adoption of LEDs has opened up greater opportunity for regulators and standards organizations to assess the performance of a complete lighting system, which includes:
- LED efficacy
- Fixture efficiency
- Standby power
- Dimming performance
- Control interoperability
- Sensor integration
- Daylight response
- Power Quality
- Thermal performance
- Useful life
- Ease of maintenance
- Performance in connected systems
The LED driver carries a lot of weight in delivering on these efficiency parameters as it influences nearly every one. And today’s lighting regulations put the driver front-and-center for compliance and performance.
One metric became twelve — and the driver touches eleven of them.
ERP Power’s LED driver solutions have always prioritized the driver as more than simply a component that converts power. With programmable outputs, dimming compatibility, intelligent controls, and connectivity, our small-size, big-power LED drivers support even the most highly regulated lighting projects.
How Will Lighting Professionals be Affected by 2027 Standards, Codes, and Trends?
Lighting manufacturers stand to face the most direct impact of new and updated lighting standards and codes in 2027 and beyond, with probable changes to product designs, testing, documentation, or component structure. In some cases, like with CFLs and incandescent bulbs, products may have to be completely retired.
Being flexible in a changing regulatory environment is key — programmable drivers and adaptable platforms allow manufacturers to support multiple fixture components, output levels, and control strategies without reinventing the wheel each time.
With a trusted and advanced partner like ERP to supply your drivers and light engines, you benefit from:
- Reduced SKU complexity
- Simplified supply chain management
- Solutions that apply across lighting applications
For other lighting industry professionals, here is how you can prepare for 2027 and beyond:
A Practical Checklist to Prepare for Lighting Standards, Codes, and Trends in 2027
Lighting regulations are reinforcing and expanding upon the capabilities of LEDs and the significant impact they can have on improving building efficiency for the long term.
Rather than viewing regulations as constraints or roadblocks to design freedom, they should be seen as quite the opposite. Lighting manufacturers and building professionals can use these requirements as a blueprint for more efficient, adaptable, connected, and capable lighting that can support a more sustainable future.
Contact ERP Power today to learn more about our compliant and future-proof drivers and light engines, and how we can support increased efficiency for your next lighting project.
Frequently Asked Questions About Lighting Standards & Regulations
What lighting regulations are changing in 2027?
Several lighting-related regulatory milestones occur in 2027, although there is no single nationwide “2027 lighting regulation.” California’s 2025 Title 24 supplement takes effect July 1, 2027, while the 2027 IECC is being developed as the next model energy code. Internationally, several EU RoHS exemptions for mercury-containing lamps are scheduled to expire in 2027.
Will LED lighting be required by new lighting regulations?
Not necessarily. Many energy codes and product regulations are technology-neutral and establish performance requirements rather than simply requiring LEDs. However, increasing efficiency requirements and restrictions on legacy technologies such as fluorescent and mercury-containing lamps are accelerating the industry’s transition toward LED-based lighting systems.
How will new lighting regulations affect lighting manufacturers?
New regulations can affect lighting manufacturers through changes to product efficiency requirements, testing procedures, certifications, controls compatibility, documentation, and component selection. Manufacturers may need to redesign products or develop more flexible platforms to accommodate changing requirements and different jurisdictional standards.
What should lighting specifiers look for as lighting regulations evolve?
Lighting specifiers should evaluate more than fixture wattage and lumen output. Important considerations include driver efficiency, dimming performance, controls compatibility, programmability, certifications, thermal performance, reliability, useful life, and the ability to integrate with building energy-management systems.
How can building owners prepare for future lighting regulations?
Building owners can prepare by evaluating lighting systems based on total cost of ownership rather than first cost alone, prioritizing efficient and controllable equipment, and considering future maintenance and retrofit requirements. Owners should also understand which energy codes apply to their properties and plan major lighting upgrades around both current requirements and foreseeable regulatory changes.