Confirm which version of UFC 3-530-01 the contract invokes, since WBDG now lists a reissued digital edition, then check that the lighting plans show a control strategy for each space and that any light source other than LED is justified in the Basis of Design. Next trace the photometric calculations, the ASHRAE 90.1 controls and daylighting zones, egress lighting under NFPA 101, the exterior lighting zone, and security lighting power through the set. AI can flag conflicts; the electrical designer of record and the DoD reviewer decide compliance.
What does UFC 3-530-01 cover?
The digital UFC 3-530-01, Interior and Exterior Lighting Systems, sets requirements for interior and exterior lighting systems and controls and says it is based on the IES Lighting Library. Its six chapters cover interior lighting technical requirements, interior lighting applications, exterior lighting, exterior lighting applications, security lighting technical requirements, and security lighting applications such as entry control facilities, perimeters, and waterfront areas.
WBDG’s UFC 3-530-01 page lists the criteria as active digital UFC content, published July 2, 2026, and tells teams to refer to UFC 1-200-01 for project applicability. The digital criteria viewer labels the latest version June 4, 2026. Checked October 19, 2026. WBDG lists ten superseded files, the newest from 2023 with Change 1, and its change summary says the reform moved application examples and best practices into a companion UFS 3-530-01 without changing criteria. Contracts awarded before the reissue may invoke a superseded PDF version; record the version and date the task order names.
The UFC applies ASHRAE 90.1 to all projects except low-rise residential, which uses the IECC, with the edition set through UFC 1-200-02, and it follows ASHRAE 90.1 for controls commissioning and daylighting control zones. Egress illumination follows NFPA 101, exit signs UFC 3-600-01, and elevator lighting UFC 3-490-06. See the ASHRAE 90.1 guide and the UFC 3-520-01 interior electrical guide for the power side.
Gather the lighting design and criteria documents
Collect the task order naming the UFC version, the Basis of Design, the lighting narrative from the early design stage, interior and exterior lighting plans, luminaire schedules and cut sheets, lighting control diagrams and sequences, the photometric calculations, the reflected ceiling plans, the life safety plans, the site plan with pole locations, the security plan if one applies, and the lighting and lighting control specifications.
Add the energy compliance documents for ASHRAE 90.1, because the lighting power and controls the UFC asks for are checked against them.
Trace lighting criteria through the set
| Review question | Sources to compare | Decision to record |
|---|---|---|
| Control strategy for each space | Lighting plans, control diagrams, room schedule, sequences | Confirm every space or subspace has a stated control strategy and that the diagrams, devices, and sequences match it. |
| Light sources other than LED | Luminaire schedule, Basis of Design, specifications | Record each non-LED source and whether the Basis of Design documents why it was chosen. |
| Photometrics at the right stage | Lighting narrative, photometric plans, luminaire schedule, furniture plan | Check the early narrative states target illuminance and lighting power, and the later calculations model furniture, reflectances, and the scheduled fixtures. |
| Daylighting and ASHRAE 90.1 controls | Lighting plans, daylight zone diagrams, energy compliance forms | Match the daylight zones and control types on the plans to the energy compliance documents and the commissioning scope. |
| Egress illumination | Life safety plans, lighting plans, emergency circuiting, photometrics | Confirm the egress path is lit on the calculations and that emergency luminaires are circuited as the life safety plan shows. |
| Exterior and security lighting | Site lighting plan, lighting zone in the Basis of Design, security plan, generator and UPS circuits | Record the exterior lighting zone, pole locations against site features, and the backup power the security lighting depends on. |
Lighting control devices continue in the lighting controls specifications guide, site poles and fixtures in the exterior lighting specifications guide, and egress in the NFPA 101 guide.
Example: open office zones that differ by sheet
Hypothetical example. An administrative building has an open office along the south facade. The lighting plan shows daylight-responsive controls on the first two rows of fixtures, the control diagram groups the whole room on one occupancy sensor zone, and the energy compliance form reports daylight zones for a different window layout from an earlier design.
The lighting plan shows daylight-responsive control of the perimeter rows in the open office, but the control diagram puts the room on a single occupancy zone and the energy compliance form uses an earlier window layout. Confirm the control strategy for the space and coordinate the plan, diagram, and compliance form.
The electrical designer confirms the strategy and updates the diagram and the energy documents. The finding is a disagreement between documents, not an illuminance or energy result.
Review DoD lighting documents with Groundbook
Upload the current drawings and specifications to Groundbook, and state the edition, amendments, and review scope in your instructions. Add UFC 3-530-01 and the other UFCs the task order names from WBDG, which publishes them free, plus the model codes and standards the project uses from copies you are licensed to upload.
Compare the Basis of Design, lighting narrative, interior and exterior lighting plans, luminaire schedule, control diagrams, photometric calculations, reflected ceiling plans, life safety plans, site and security plans, energy compliance forms, and lighting specifications. Flag a conflicting UFC version, spaces with no control strategy, non-LED sources not justified in the Basis of Design, photometrics that do not match the scheduled fixtures, daylight zones that differ between documents, unlit egress paths, and security lighting with no backup power shown. Use the supplied UFC 3-530-01 and cite both sources.
Groundbook links each potential finding to the sheets and documents involved. It does not run photometric calculations or lighting power compliance.
Document review does not certify compliance with DoD criteria or replace the lighting designer, the electrical engineer of record, or the DoD authority.