Retail and supermarket · Lighting
Lighting in retail and supermarket: 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 the lighting domain in retail shops and supermarkets.
- 2Lighting carries the highest weight of all domains here, with a weighting factor of 3 out of 3.
- 3The score depends on automatic occupancy detection and daylight control, not on the type of lamp.
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 32 to 36 percent, with all other domains at level 1).
Why does lighting weigh so heavily in retail?
Lighting is often the largest electricity cost in retail shops and supermarkets. Fixed opening hours make time-based control relatively straightforward, which increases the chance of a high score. This is why the Smart Readiness Indicator (SRI) assigns the maximum weight of 3 out of 3 to this domain for this building type.
The SRI does not assess the lamp itself, but the controls around it. Does the light switch off automatically when a room is empty, and does it adjust to daylight? This determines the functionality level, a scale from 0 to 4 that indicates how advanced a smart-ready service is.
Which smart-ready services count?
Within the lighting domain, two services are assessed. The first is L-1a, occupancy control for interior lighting. This service has four levels, from a manual switch (level 0) to automatic detection with manual on and automatic off (level 3).
The second service is L-2, control of artificial light power based on daylight level. Here the scale ranges from manual central operation (level 0) to automatic dimming with scene-based light control (level 4). At this highest level, lighting scenes adjust to time of day, illuminance level and colour temperature.
For supermarkets, refrigerated cabinets and waste heat play a role in other domains, but not in lighting itself. A car park with charging points also falls outside this domain.
What does this mean for the score?
Because lighting carries significant weight, investing in automatic occupancy detection and daylight control has a direct effect on the overall SRI score. Shops still using manual switches achieve the lowest functionality level in this area.
Improvement need not be expensive. An upgrade from level 0 or 1 to level 2 or 3 often requires only sensors and dimming controls, no structural work.
What this means for you
- Owner
- An owner of a retail shop or supermarket can achieve a substantial part of the SRI score in the lighting domain with relatively limited investment in occupancy detection and daylight control. This is relevant because lighting carries the highest weight of all domains here, and the delegated act that is expected to make the SRI mandatory for large utility buildings above 290 kW will be adopted by 30 June 2027 at the latest.
- Tenant
- A tenant will mainly notice that lighting switches on and off automatically or dims without anyone needing to operate a switch. This provides comfort and can reduce energy costs in service charges.
- Advisor
- An advisor must check specifically whether occupancy detection operates automatically in retail shops and supermarkets, and whether daylight control goes beyond manual switching per zone. Because lighting carries the highest weighting factor here, an accurate assessment of L-1a and L-2 determines the overall score to a significant degree.
Next step
Want to know where your building stands?