According to the Northmore Gordon glossary page, CLF stands for 'Commercial Lighting Formula.' This is a component of energy assessment and optimization work relevant to commercial buildings, which Northmore Gordon services as part of its energy optimisation offerings. CLF provides a structured method for evaluating lighting systems in commercial environments to identify efficiency opportunities and support investment decisions.
According to the Northmore Gordon glossary page, CLF stands for 'Commercial Lighting Formula.' This is a component of energy assessment and optimization work relevant to commercial buildings, which Northmore Gordon services as part of its energy optimisation offerings. CLF provides a structured method for evaluating lighting systems in commercial environments to identify efficiency opportunities and support investment decisions.
Commercial Lighting Formula (CLF) is relevant to the broader energy assessment and optimization work that we perform in commercial buildings. Commercial buildings require aligned control, performance management, and investment strategies to address energy efficiency. Lighting typically represents a significant portion of building energy consumption, making CLF a practical tool within the auditing and investment-case development process that we use to help commercial clients understand energy use and prioritize upgrades.
Lighting assessment, including use of tools like CLF, can be part of our Type 1, 2, or 3 energy audits offered for commercial buildings and industrial facilities. These audits investigate causes of high energy consumption and identify efficiency opportunities. The depth of lighting assessment depends on the audit level and the client's decision requirements. Lighting systems are examined as part of the broader building energy balance to support feasibility studies, investment cases, and measurement and verification planning.
Commercial Lighting Formula (CLF) can help quantify baseline lighting energy consumption and model potential savings from proposed upgrades such as LED conversions or controls improvements. This quantification supports the investment case development process that we use to help management understand decisions, compare alternatives, and identify factors affecting project outcomes. CLF provides the technical foundation for estimating operating cost savings and simple payback periods that inform capital investment decisions in commercial buildings.
Whether a commercial lighting project qualifies for energy efficiency certificates under schemes such as Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) or NSW Energy Savings Scheme (ESS) depends on the specific activity, method requirements, and applicable scheme rules - not CLF alone. If CLF is used as part of assessment, the project must still meet scheme-specific eligibility criteria, measurement standards, and evidence requirements. We can assess scheme applicability and support certificate pathways once the technical project scope and baseline are established through tools like CLF.
A CLF assessment generally requires details about existing lighting equipment (type, capacity, operating hours), facility area or usage patterns, current lighting energy consumption data, and the proposed lighting improvements. This information feeds into the formula to estimate baseline energy use and project savings. Our metering guidance emphasizes collecting information that supports the investment decision; for lighting projects, reliable operating-hours data and circuit-level consumption records strengthen the assessment and support later measurement and verification of actual performance.
Commercial Lighting Formula (CLF) establishes baseline lighting energy consumption against which post-installation performance can be compared. This baseline is essential to measurement and verification (M&V), which confirms the actual savings achieved by a lighting upgrade. Our M&V methodology compares pre- and post-project conditions using the baseline, adjustments for operating changes, and relevant data to demonstrate what changed as a result of the project. CLF provides the technical foundation for this credible savings assessment.
Different jurisdictions, schemes and audit standards may recognise different calculation approaches for commercial lighting projects. Confirm which method applies to the project, implementation date and intended outcome before selecting a formula. The method must align with the evidence required for the relevant funding, certificate or internal investment decision.
