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Final Version of DesignLights Consortium’s New Technical Requirements for LED Lighting Released

William Attardi on November 4, 2025

The SSL V6.0 and LUNA V2.0 Technical Requirements are now combined in a single set of technical requirements and scheduled to take effect in January.

Key updates to SSL V6.0 include:

  • A major revision to the DLC Premium product classification for luminaires with higher efficacy thresholds and more rigorous requirements for controllability, expanding the classification to further enable incentives for advanced controls and integrated building systems.
  • Provisions to drive wider adoption of controls through compatibility-based product selection from the SSL and Networked Lighting Controls (NLC) QPLs.
  • Expanded SSL QPL eligibility to support sustainability, lighting innovation and flexible installation practices.
  • Clear criteria and improved documentation for manufacturers and specifiers.

Overall, the new technical requirements for LED lighting maintain an average increased efficacy threshold across all DLC qualified product types of 14 percent (with some product efficacy increases as high as 19 percent). At the same time, recognizing that efficacy must accompany quality to support long-term energy savings and user satisfaction, SSL V6.0 includes efficacy allowances for products that meet higher quality of light thresholds in terms of features such color rendition and glare control. Full details of SSL V6.0 and LUNA V2.0 are available the DLC’s website 

DesignLights Consortium Opens Comment Period for Second Draft of Technical Requirements for LED Lighting: SSL V6.0 & LUNA V2.0

William Attardi on July 28, 2025

The DesignLights Consortium (DLC) today released the second draft of major updates to its Solid-State Lighting (SSL) technical requirements for indoor and outdoor non-residential LED lighting, as well as revisions to LUNA, a dark sky solution. Draft 2 will have a six-week comment period through September 5.  Reviewers can provide feedback via email to comments@designlights.org using the comment form. The final policy will be released in early November. Other changes in Draft 2 reflect feedback the DLC received from stakeholders relative to clarifying various aspects of the technical requirements. These changes are meant to streamline the qualification process for manufacturers while advancing the essential goals of SSL V6.0 and LUNA V2.0. Full details of all proposed revisions are available on the DLC’s website.

Remembering the Solemn Purpose of Memorial Day

Memorial Day is a federal holiday in the United States observed on the last Monday in May to honor and mourn U.S. military personnel who died while serving in the armed forces. The holiday traces its roots to the years immediately following the American Civil War (1861–1865), which caused massive casualties—roughly 620,000 soldiers dead, about 2% of the U.S. population at the time. Communities across the North and South began spontaneously decorating the graves of fallen soldiers with flowers, wreaths, and flags, a practice that gave rise to the original name: Decoration Day. On May 5, 1868, Major General John A. Logan, commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR)—a powerful Union veterans’ organization—issued General Order No. 11. This proclaimed May 30, 1868, as a nationwide “Decoration Day” to honor those who died in the Civil War. After World War I, the holiday expanded to honor all American service members who died in any war, not just the Civil War.  In 1968, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act to create more three-day weekends for federal employees. This moved Memorial Day to the last Monday in May, effective in 1971, when it was also officially named “Memorial Day.” As one 1868 quote put it: “That Nation which respects and honors its dead, shall ever be respected and honored itself.”