Nec 220.3(a)

[bill talbot]

Please explain why the lighting load for Office Buildings must calculated at 3.5 VA per square foot when ASHRAE says that the lighting load for offices should not exceed 1.3 watts per square foot to save on energy.
If ASHRAE is being enforced by law then a lot of money is being wasted by oversizing services, feeders and branch circuits to satisfy 220.3(A).

 

[iwire]

Perhaps not all areas have energy codes that strict?

 

[charlie b]

It's been a while since I looked at the Washington State Administrative Code on this topic. But what I recall it that the WAC has a rule that tells the electrical designer that the Washington Energy Code requirements supercede the NEC requirements, in the matter of watts per square foot of lighting load.