Related Articles:
Activity settings for hot water in SBEM v6
The 2021 (England) & 2022 (Scotland and Wales) NCMs now offer a range of lighting illuminance for each activity (though in some cases the minimum and maximum values are identical). By default the minimum (also referred to as 'Standard') value is used. For over 50% of the NCM activities the 2021 minimum value does not match the previous default value and thus lighting consumption in Actual and Reference Buildings may be significantly different to earlier assessments.
Note you can check the Minimum and Maximum Illuminance for a specific activity by setting the specification to 'Design':
Note if the Design illuminance field is not set (ie left as zero), the standard (minimum) illuminance is used. You can set an illuminance outside these limits but if that is below the standard illuminance the lighting will be 'upgraded' to an equivalent efficiency based on an illuminance equal to the standard value.
The following tables list the current and previous default values. Increased and Decreased values are highlighted:
Offices / Workshop businesses
Activity | 2021 | 2013 |
Car Park | 75 | 100 |
Office | 300 | 400 |
Changing | 100 | 100 |
Circulation | 100 | 100 |
FoodPrep | 500 | 500 |
Plant | 200 | 200 |
Toilet | 200 | 200 |
WkshpSS | 300 | 300 |
EatDrink | 200 | 150 |
Reception | 300 | 200 |
Gym | 300 | 150 |
Store | 100 | 50 |
Retail and Financial/Professional services
|
Hospitals and Care Homes
Activity | 2021 | 2013 |
Diagnostic | 50 | 1000 |
Reception | 200 | 500 |
OpTheatre | 500 | 1000 |
PostMortem | 500 | 1000 |
AEConsRm | 300 | 500 |
Lecture | 200 | 300 |
Store | 100 | 150 |
Wards | 100 | 150 |
Laund | 300 | 400 |
Bed | 100 | 125 |
Bed24x7 | 100 | 125 |
Offices | 300 | 350 |
Changing | 100 | 100 |
Circulation | 100 | 100 |
CirculationPub | 100 | 100 |
ClassRm | 300 | 300 |
Hydrotherapy | 300 | 300 |
IndProcess | 300 | 300 |
Physiotherapy | 300 | 300 |
Toilet | 200 | 200 |
Lab | 500 | 400 |
Plant | 200 | 150 |
Bath | 200 | 125 |
EatDrink | 200 | 125 |
FoodPrep | 500 | 300 |
Storage or Distribution
Activity | 2021 | 2013 |
24x7WareStore | 100 | 300 |
WareStore | 100 | 300 |
Reception | 100 | 200 |
24x7Office | 300 | 400 |
Office | 300 | 400 |
Changing | 100 | 100 |
Circulation | 100 | 100 |
FoodPrep | 500 | 500 |
Plant | 200 | 200 |
Toilet | 200 | 200 |
EatDrink | 200 | 150 |
Store | 100 | 50 |
Hotels
Activity | 2021 | 2013 |
Office | 300 | 400 |
Changing | 100 | 100 |
Circulation | 100 | 100 |
DrySptHall | 300 | 300 |
Ensuite Bedroom | 100 | 100 |
FoodPrep | 500 | 500 |
Hall | 300 | 300 |
Laund | 300 | 300 |
Plant | 200 | 200 |
Swim | 300 | 300 |
Toilet | 200 | 200 |
Bedroom | 100 | 80 |
Bath | 200 | 150 |
EatDrink | 200 | 150 |
Reception | 300 | 200 |
FitGym | 300 | 150 |
Store | 100 | 50 |
Community/Day Centre
Activity | 2021 | 2013 |
Reception | 100 | 200 |
WkshpSS | 300 | 500 |
Lecture | 200 | 300 |
Offices | 300 | 400 |
Changing | 100 | 100 |
Circulation | 100 | 100 |
DrySptHall | 300 | 300 |
FoodPrep | 500 | 500 |
Plant | 200 | 200 |
Toilet | 200 | 200 |
EatDrink | 200 | 150 |
Store | 100 | 50 |
Primary Health Care
Activity | 2021 | 2013 |
Offices | 300 | 445 |
Circulation | 100 | 100 |
Plant | 200 | 200 |
Reception | 200 | 200 |
Toilet | 200 | 200 |
Store | 100 | 50 |
Non Residential Schools
Activity | 2021 | 2013 |
Toilet | 100 | 200 |
Lab | 500 | 800 |
Offices | 300 | 400 |
Changing | 100 | 100 |
Circulation | 100 | 100 |
DrySptHall | 300 | 300 |
FoodPrep | 500 | 500 |
HighDensIT | 300 | 300 |
Lecture | 300 | 300 |
Plant | 200 | 200 |
Swim | 300 | 300 |
WkshpSS | 500 | 500 |
Teaching | 300 | 280 |
EatDrink | 200 | 150 |
Reception | 300 | 200 |
Store | 100 | 50 |
Residential schools
Activity | 2021 | 2013 |
Toilet | 100 | 200 |
Lab | 500 | 800 |
Offices | 300 | 400 |
Bedroom | 100 | 125 |
Changing | 100 | 100 |
Circulation | 100 | 100 |
DrySptHall | 300 | 300 |
FoodPrep | 500 | 500 |
HighDensIT | 300 | 300 |
Laund | 300 | 300 |
Lecture | 300 | 300 |
Plant | 200 | 200 |
Swim | 300 | 300 |
WkshpSS | 500 | 500 |
Teaching | 300 | 280 |
Residents common rooms | 200 | 150 |
EatDrink | 200 | 150 |
Reception | 300 | 200 |
Bathroom | 200 | 125 |
Store | 100 | 50 |
Restaurant and Cafes/Drinking Establishments and Hot Food takeaways
Activity | 2021 | 2013 |
Stage | 300 | 750 |
Office | 300 | 400 |
Circulation | 100 | 100 |
FoodPrep | 500 | 500 |
Plant | 200 | 200 |
Toilet | 200 | 200 |
EatDrink | 200 | 150 |
Store | 100 | 50 |
Libraries Museums and Galleries
Activity | 2021 | 2013 |
Reception | 100 | 200 |
WkshpSS | 300 | 500 |
Lab | 500 | 800 |
Lecture | 200 | 300 |
Offices | 300 | 400 |
Circulation | 100 | 100 |
FoodPrep | 500 | 500 |
Plant | 200 | 200 |
Toilet | 200 | 200 |
EatDrink | 200 | 150 |
Store | 100 | 50 |
General Assembly and Leisure plus Night Clubs and Theatres
Activity | 2021 | 2013 |
Stage | 300 | 750 |
CirculationPub | 100 | 200 |
Reception | 100 | 200 |
Sales | 300 | 600 |
WkshpSS | 300 | 500 |
Auditoria | 200 | 300 |
Lecture | 200 | 300 |
Office | 300 | 400 |
Changing | 100 | 100 |
Circulation | 100 | 100 |
DrySptHall | 300 | 300 |
FoodPrep | 500 | 500 |
Laund | 300 | 300 |
Plant | 200 | 200 |
Swim | 300 | 300 |
Toilet | 200 | 200 |
EatDrink | 200 | 150 |
IceRink | 300 | 200 |
FitGym | 300 | 150 |
FitStud | 300 | 150 |
Store | 100 | 50 |
Industrial
Activity | 2021 | 2013 |
WareStore | 100 | 300 |
Reception | 100 | 200 |
IndProcess | 200 | 300 |
Office | 300 | 400 |
Circulation | 100 | 100 |
FoodPrep | 500 | 500 |
Plant | 200 | 200 |
Toilet | 200 | 200 |
EatDrink | 200 | 150 |
Lab | 500 | 300 |
Store | 100 | 50 |
Car Parks 24 hrs
Activity | 2021 | 2013 |
Car Park | 75 | 100 |
Office | 300 | 400 |
Circulation | 100 | 100 |
Plant | 200 | 200 |
Toilet | 200 | 200 |
Universities and colleges
Activity | 2021 | 2013 |
Toilet | 100 | 200 |
Lab | 500 | 800 |
Offices | 300 | 400 |
Changing | 100 | 100 |
Circulation | 100 | 100 |
DrySptHall | 300 | 300 |
FoodPrep | 500 | 500 |
Class Room | 300 | 300 |
HighDensIT | 300 | 300 |
Laund | 300 | 300 |
Lecture | 300 | 300 |
Plant | 200 | 200 |
Swim | 300 | 300 |
Tea | 200 | 200 |
WkshpSS | 500 | 500 |
Bed | 100 | 80 |
Bath | 200 | 150 |
Communal Area | 200 | 150 |
EatDrink | 200 | 150 |
Reception | 300 | 200 |
FitGym | 300 | 150 |
Store | 100 | 50 |
Emergency services
Activity | 2021 | 2013 |
Reception | 100 | 200 |
Office | 300 | 400 |
Cell | 100 | 100 |
Changing | 100 | 100 |
Circulation | 100 | 100 |
DrySptHall | 300 | 300 |
FoodPrep | 500 | 500 |
Plant | 200 | 200 |
Toilet | 200 | 200 |
Bed | 100 | 80 |
Bath | 200 | 150 |
EatDrink | 200 | 150 |
FitGym | 300 | 150 |
Store | 100 | 50 |
Residential spaces
Activity | 2021 | 2013 |
DomDining | 50 | 150 |
DomLounge | 50 | 150 |
DomKitchen | 150 | 300 |
DomBath | 150 | 150 |
DomBed | 100 | 100 |
DomCirculation | 100 | 100 |
DomCommonAreas | 100 | 100 |
DomToilet | 100 | 100 |
Passenger terminals
Activity | 2021 | 2013 |
Office | 300 | 400 |
Circulation | 100 | 100 |
FoodPrep | 500 | 500 |
Plant | 200 | 200 |
Reception | 200 | 200 |
Toilet | 200 | 200 |
WaitRm | 200 | 200 |
EatDrink | 200 | 150 |
Store | 100 | 50 |
Secure Residential Institutions
Activity | 2021 | 2013 |
Reception | 100 | 200 |
WkshpSS | 300 | 500 |
Lecture | 200 | 300 |
Offices | 300 | 400 |
Cell | 100 | 100 |
Changing | 100 | 100 |
Circulation | 100 | 100 |
ClassRm | 300 | 300 |
DrySptHall | 300 | 300 |
FoodPrep | 500 | 500 |
Laund | 300 | 300 |
Plant | 200 | 200 |
Toilet | 200 | 200 |
Bath | 200 | 150 |
EatDrink | 200 | 150 |
FitGym | 300 | 150 |
Store | 100 | 50 |
Crown and County Courts
Activity | 2021 | 2013 |
Reception | 100 | 200 |
Lecture | 200 | 300 |
Offices | 300 | 400 |
Cell | 100 | 100 |
Circulation | 100 | 100 |
FoodPrep | 500 | 500 |
Plant | 200 | 200 |
Toilet | 200 | 200 |
EatDrink | 200 | 150 |
Store | 100 | 50 |
Stand alone utility block
Activity | 2021 | 2013 |
Changing (all types) | 100 | 100 |
Miscellaneous 24hr activities
Activity | 2021 | 2013 |
24x7Office | 300 | 400 |
Circulation | 100 | 100 |
Toilet | 200 | 200 |
DataCentre | 500 | 500 |
Heavy Plant Room | 100 | 100 |
ServerRoom | 100 | 100 |
Was this article helpful?
That’s Great!
Thank you for your feedback
Sorry! We couldn't be helpful
Thank you for your feedback
Feedback sent
We appreciate your effort and will try to fix the article