Office · Lighting
Lighting in office: what the SRI measures
For lighting, the SRI does not measure the lamp but the control: does the light switch off when nobody is there, and does it dim with daylight. This is often the cheapest domain to score points in.
In short
- 1This page shows how the Smart Readiness Indicator assesses lighting in office buildings.
- 2In offices, the Lighting domain carries full weight because lighting determines a large share of energy consumption.
- 3The score depends on two smart-ready services: occupancy detection and daylight control, each with levels 0 to 4.
Weight of this domain for this building type
Which services count
| Service | Lowest level | Highest level | Advice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Occupancy control for indoor lighting L-1a · A · 4 levels | Manual on/off switch | Automatic detection (manual on / dimmed or auto off) | highest level |
| Control artificial lighting power based on daylight levels L-2 · 5 levels | Manual (central) | Automatic dimming including scene-based light control (during time intervals, dynamic and adapted lighting scenes are set, for example, in terms of illuminance level, different correlated colour temperature (CCT) and the possibility to change the light distribution within the space according to e.g. design, human needs, visual tasks) | – |
Worked example
If everything in this domain is at level 0, the domain contributes nothing. At the highest level for all services, the indicative total score for this building type rises by about 4 percentage points (from 33 to 37 percent, with all other domains at level 1).
Why does lighting carry such heavy weight in offices?
In an office building, lighting often runs all day, even in spaces that are not constantly occupied. The Smart Readiness Indicator (SRI) therefore assigns the Lighting domain its maximum weighting factor for this building type: 3 of the 3 points this domain can contribute at most.
The SRI does not assess the lamp itself, but the controls around it. A building with LED lighting that runs at full power day and night scores low on this domain. A building with simpler lighting that is controlled intelligently can score higher.
Which smart-ready services are measured?
For offices, the SRI counts two smart-ready services within the Lighting domain. The first is occupancy control for interior lighting (L-1a). This service measures whether light automatically responds to the presence of people in a space.
- Level 0: manual switch only
- Level 1: manual switch with a general off signal
- Level 2: automatic detection, light turns on or dims automatically, and turns off automatically
- Level 3: automatic detection, light turns on or dims manually, but turns off automatically
The second service is control of artificial lighting power based on daylight (L-2). This service measures whether artificial light adjusts with available daylight, from manual operation to automatic dimming with scene-controlled lighting control at level 4.
What does this mean for an office's score?
Because this domain's weighting factor for offices is at maximum, progress in these two services directly affects the overall score. An office with a building management system already present but not properly configured often leaves points on the table that can be achieved without major investment.
Within SRI methodology, lighting ranks among the domains where results can be achieved relatively quickly, because it mainly involves control technology rather than replacement of systems.
What this means for you
- Owner
- For a building owner, lighting is often the fastest way to improve an office's SRI score, because it usually involves software settings and sensors rather than major renovations. Better configuring an existing building management system for occupancy and daylight can already deliver gains without replacing the lighting itself.
- Tenant
- A tenant notices this domain especially in daily use: light that turns off automatically in an empty meeting room or that adjusts as more daylight comes in. This feels more comfortable and reduces the energy bill often passed on to the user.
- Advisor
- An advisor should ask carefully whether occupancy detection works per room or only centrally, as that difference determines the functionality level of service L-1a. It is also important to check whether daylight control actually dims automatically (level 3 or 4) or whether users still need to switch manually (level 0 or 1).
Next step
Want to know where your building stands?