Frequently Asked Questions

Correlated Color Temperature (CCT) describes the color of light, measured in Kelvin (K), from warm (yellowish) to cool (bluish). Whereas lumens represent a measure of the total amount of visible light (to the human eye) from a lamp or light source.

The IES (Illuminating Engineering Society) recommends footcandle values and provides detailed guidance on appropriate lighting levels for different applications. Our team can offer advice on how to achieve appropriate foot-candle values based on the IES handbook recommendations while meeting Seattle’s watts per square foot allowance.

Yes. Our specification team works directly with design professionals to develop accurate, project-specific lighting control specifications, boilerplate language, and technical documentation that protects design intent from specification through closeout.

Absolutely. We review and improve boilerplate specifications, identify spec-lock opportunities, and ensure your office standards include current product capabilities and local code requirements.

Yes. We provide AIA presentations on lighting controls, human-centric lighting, energy code compliance, and product-specific training tailored to your firm’s needs.

For an accurate preliminary budget, we need your project location, approximate square footage, basic lighting plan or fixture count estimate, desired control features (occupancy sensing, daylight harvesting, scene control), and target occupancy date. Even rough sketches, one-line diagrams, or conceptual layouts help us provide realistic numbers. Don’t have drawings yet? No problem, we can work from verbal descriptions of your vision and refine the budget as your design develops through SD and DD phases.

Absolutely. We routinely separate budgets by lighting fixtures, controls, programming/commissioning. We can also break down pricing by floor, or room type, particularly helpful for phased projects or when you need to prioritize spaces within budget constraints. This granular approach lets you make strategic decisions about where to invest in premium solutions versus where value-engineered options make sense without compromising overall design intent.

A budget estimate is a preliminary planning tool we provide during SD/DD phases based on conceptual information, it typically carries a +/- 15-20% variance to account for design evolution and helps you determine project feasibility. A formal quote is a fixed, line-item price based on 100% construction documents and complete specifications, provided during the bidding phase with minimal variance (+/- 5%). Both are critical: budget estimates guide design decisions early, while formal quotes ensure competitive bidding and accurate contractor pricing.

Yes. We represent multiple best-in-class manufacturers and regularly provide apples-to-apples budget comparisons that go beyond initial cost. Our comparisons consider performance specifications, warranty terms, local technical support availability, lead times, energy efficiency, and total cost of ownership over the product lifecycle. This comparative approach helps you select solutions that balance upfront budget with long-term value, ensuring your specification decisions are informed by both financial and performance criteria rather than price alone.

Our team is well-versed in the electrical code in Seattle and the other areas where we operate. We regularly meet with utilities rebate managers and can recommend opportunities where rebates are being offered.

The ERW controls team is engaged daily in controls design, which allows our team to accurately quote any given project, and meet Washington State and or local jurisdictional code.

Dark-sky compliant light fixtures are designed to reduce light pollution by minimizing glare, reducing light trespass and eliminating night sky pollution. To be approved, a fixture must be fully shielded and emit no light above the horizontal plane with no sag or drop lenses, side light panels, or uplight panels. Approved fixtures shall employ warm-toned (3000K and lower) white light sources or may employ amber light sources or filtered LED light sources. Dark sky compliance in Washington is handled at the local level through municipal codes and zoning ordinances, not through the statewide energy code. If you’re working on a project, we can assist to help check the specific city or county requirements where the project is located, as these vary significantly across jurisdictions. Several Washington cities and counties have adopted their own outdoor lighting ordinances to address dark skies, including Bainbridge Island, Chelan, Enumclaw, Island County, Kennewick, Lakewood, Lynnwood, and Mountlake TerraceLocal jurisdictions that do have Dark Sky

Historically, Seattle’s energy code has been more stringent than Washington State’s code by design. The city code requires a 5% lighting energy reduction beyond the state requirements ICC Digital Codes, though in 2024, the Harrell Administration proposed walking back additional requirements that would have reduced lighting wattage by another 5% ICC Digital Codes. Currently, the proposed changes would largely align Seattle’s energy code for new apartments and commercial buildings with the Washington State energy code, creating more consistency for builders across jurisdictions ICC Digital Codes. This represents a shift from Seattle’s nearly two-decade practice of maintaining stricter standards than the state.

Yes. Our team helps clients meet Washington State energy codes, from design through installation, including support for retrofits and tunable white/circadian systems.

BAA vs. BABA refers to the Buy American Act (BAA) and the Build America, Buy America Act (BABA). Both US federal laws mandate the use of domestic products in government projects. The key difference is scope: BAA applies to direct purchases by the U.S. government, while BABA extends these “Buy American” requirements to a much broader range of federally funded infrastructure projects, including state and local projects. Our team can assist in providing both BAA- and BABA-compliant products to meet the project’s needs.

ERW has a full line card of BAA and BABA compliant products that we will gladly recommend in addition to offering pricing comparison for compliant vs. non-compliant material.

Declare is like a “nutrition label” for building products created by the International Living Future Institute (ILFI). It’s a voluntary disclosure program where manufacturers provide transparency about what their lighting fixtures (and other building products) are made from. Absolutely, ERW can help you find Declare fixtures for your projects.

Declare labels disclose all intentionally added components and chemicals at or above 100 ppm (0.01%) in the final product by weight. Each ingredient must be reported with a chemical name, CAS number, and percentage or percentage range. The labels also provide information on the product’s final assembly locations, life expectancy, end-of-life options, and overall compliance with the Living Building Challenge’s relevant requirements.

Declare labeled products can help achieve credits in LEED v4, WELL Building Standard V2, and Living Building Challenge 4.0 certification. The program helps lighting engineers and fixture designers select materials that align with their sustainability goals and promotes environmentally friendly and socially responsible construction
ERW specializes in LEED projects and is excited to assist specifiers in developing Declare fixture schedules.

Yes. We represent manufacturers who provide Red List–free products, helping architects and developers meet Living Building Challenge (LBC) and LEED sustainability goals.

We focus on energy-efficient LED solutions, retrofits for fluorescent phase-outs, and smart lighting integrations for long-term performance and savings.