LIGHTING COMCHECK

What is COMcheck and why do you need it?

How a lighting engineer knows that whether the lighting design meets the requirements or not! This is where COMcheck comes in to play. COMcheck is one of the most effective tools that you can use to determine whether your project meets the energy requirements or not.

It is a software program that makes it easier for the builders, architects, contractors, and designers for determining whether building projects meet the requirements set by the ASHRAE Standards 90.1 and IECC, along with other local state codes. This program can not only work with new projects but with any other projects that involve building extension or modification as well. Furthermore, this program assists the officials or inspectors to determine whether a project meets the requirements set by the code or not.

COMcheck is the most commonly used tool for this purpose. Chicago Building Code has also approved this program as an effective compliance tool. With the help of this tool, our technical staff will assess whether your project meets the local legal requirements for the energy code. With the recent Energy Policy Act, efficient lamps are mandatory requirements. The Act has banned certain kinds of lamps and has scrapped them entirely. By complying with the Act, you’ll achieve the maximum efficiency and cost-efficient enhancements.

It is important for your lighting designer to follow different codes that are applicable in your region. This is where NYE comes in to play its role. We can not only provide you with all the lighting design service but can also provide guidance to your lighting designer for understanding different codes that are applicable in Chicago.

Our technical staff understands the Chicago Building Code and also provide assistance in understanding various other state or local codes that are applicable. These have to be analyzed prior to the plan development phase because some of the local codes supersede the state codes in different states. One of the most effective tools that allow you to meet these codes is COMcheck.

NYE use COMcheck in the approved manner

Using COMcheck can lead to various confusions. The reason behind that is this tool features various types of light sources (LED) such as LED linear, LED A-lamp, LED PAR or parabolic aluminized reflector, LED MR or multifaceted reflector and various other types. Once the type of light source is selected COMcheck will provide you with different wattages for that source. Wattages are not always available in an exact figure for a particular light source and this is where things start to get confusing. COMcheck will not show the exact data if the inputs are misleading.

Our engineers have a piece of detailed knowledge of different LED light sources because they have worked on a number of projects involving different types of these LEDs. This means that our engineers will easily assess the current wattage of your entire project without any issues. Using the correct wattage inputs is extremely essential for the COMcheck tool to work. Otherwise, it can lead to ill-conceived information and a negative review as well.

NYE helps to achieve light source efficiency and code compliance

The efficiency of a light source is measured in terms of lumen per watt. The higher this number is: the more efficient it will be your light source in terms of energy efficiency. In the past, the early models of LED light sources had 60 lumens per watt as efficiency but our technicians don’t recommend them. We recommend the latest LEDs that come with a light source efficiency of 100 lumens per watt or more. This means that there are different types of LED lights that you need to use depending upon the requirements of your project.

There are two different standards that regulate this factor. One of them is ASHRAE Standard 90.1 for buildings while the other one is the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC). The IECC is developed by the International Code Council. All states in the US have adopted various versions of these codes.

These codes update every three years and each update results in increasingly stringent criteria and conditions with reducing consumptions of lighting energy in comparison with the previous version. Both these codes are widely considered to be the benchmarks for building energy codes across the US. These codes have become the centerpiece for the construction codes and standards for designing and development of various building projects in Chicago as well.

NY Engineers will not only design your project while complying with the IECC and ASHRAE Standard 90.1 but will also align it with the Chicago Building Code. Complying with these legal requirements will not only put your project out of any legal jeopardy but will also lower the overall utility costs for your projects. In addition to the energy code, there are other green building regulations as well as LEED requirements for your project to meet as well. Our trained professionals can assist you with all that and we’ll develop a construction design for you that meets all the necessary budgetary and legal requirements.

Chicago Municipal require building owners to provide with an engineer’s stamp in order for them to proceed with their building project. Our technical staff at NYE will help you in reducing your time and investment.

You will be able to meet all your deadlines along with the guidelines and get approvals within the time frame as well. Our engineers will only require all the drawing and plans as well as the equipment schedule and square footage. Our technical staff can also help you in developing these documents in a timely fashion.

If all the plans and documents are provided to our technical staff, they will help you complete your design project within three to five working days. On the other hand, if all the documents are to be completed by our engineers, then overall completion time will depend on the magnitude of the entire project.

NY Engineers will take care of all your energy compliance needs and will provide you with a support plan or model development process for your project. The codes developed by ASHARE and ICEE are the guiding tool for our engineers. Our technical staff will take care of the development and submission process of various proposals and will conduct an analysis of the overall efficiency of your building. Whether the project is commercial or residential grade, our engineers will guide you about different cost savings and will also assist you in devising different assessment methodologies. NYE strives to make cost-effective upgrades and energy efficient developments within the new or existing model codes.

Adoption of models

The adoption of these energy/model codes will present you with an opportunity of an epic magnitude to save energy in your commercial projects. There is no energy code at the federal level therefore; the codes are adopted by the local authorities and state governments. As per the BECP (Building Energy Codes Program), NY Engineers will provide you with technical assistance as per the requirements set by the Chicago Municipal Code for facilitating you in the adoption procedure. 

This support from our technical engineers will also track the current status of the entire adoption process. They will also coordinate different activities among various stakeholders and will also take care of the entire technical assessment.

The most important aspect of realizing all the positive outcomes linked with the energy codes of your building is the compliance and verification process. The establishment and maintenance of different mechanisms for assurance of energy compliance are critical for the purpose of achieving economic growth. Efficient enforcement and compliance unlocks increased energy savings and improves cost reduction.

This means that the overall resale value of your entire project gets a boost and its environmental impacts lower as well. The BECP has generated a host of tools and innovative materials to assist the building industry in achieving, documenting and verifying compliance with the model codes. NYE can help you in the attainment of all these objectives with the expertise and knowledge of its entire engineering staff.

BECP has also produced a number of techniques and programs to assist the local and state jurisdictions to effortlessly gauge and report the compliance of a particular project with the energy codes. It also provides with all the assistance that the state and local authorities need to meet various challenges associated with the compliance process. COMcheck is one of the best tools for this purpose and NY Engineers can provide all the support associated with this tool to your project for energy-efficient completion.

Compliance with lighting energy codes is extremely important not only with the legal perspective but in terms of cost efficiency too. If your project adheres to the rules set by the regulatory authorities then your project will not only gain plenty of recognition but you will also save a lot of legal costs. Due to the current status of the national and global energy and environmental regimes, authorities are cutting down energy consumption. Regulations are becoming more and more stringent with every year passing by.

It is critical that you hire a quality engineering service to look after your project’s current and future energy demands and also consider the regulations associated with them. Therefore, you’ll need a team of experienced professionals working on your lighting energy projects. At NYE, our team of technical professionals is equipped with loads of experience working in this field for more than a decade now. 

Our primary focus is to understand what needs to be done while considering all the budgetary aspects pertaining to a project. We engage in detailed discussions with our clients and try to understand their exact needs and requirements. It helps us in developing a long-lasting bond with our clients, winning their trust and allowing them to keep coming back for more. It is a philosophy that has helped us garner a huge clientele across different industries.