California Advanced Lighting Controls Training Program (CALCTP)

Many IBEW Electricians and NECA Contractors have gone through the rigorous training and certification to become CALCTP certified. Why? Utility research has consistently shown that energy efficiency measures like advanced lighting controls are frequently not achieving their specified savings. The reason for this is the electrician performing the work. The vast majority of advanced lighting controls are not installed, programmed, tested, commissioned and/or maintained properly. Building owners suffer when they do not realize the expected energy and financial savings.

For this reason organizations like Southern California Edison and The Lighting Center at the University of California Davis started CALCTP. CALCTP is a non-profit, public/private, statewide initiative that educates, trains and certifies licensed C-10 electrical contractors and state-certified general electricians in the proper programming, testing, installation, commissioning and maintenance of advanced lighting control systems. Advanced lighting control systems typically include: dimmers, occupancy sensors, photo-sensors, relay modules, and communication-based control devices. Today, CALCTP is comprised of many organizations in the lighting industry, including all the investor owned utilities, SMUD, The California Energy Commission, California Community College System, National Electrical Manufacturers Association and many more.

The CALCTP course is divided into seven modules consisting of both lecture and lab activities. The module content is organized to answer the following about lighting controls: what they are, what they do, where they are used, and how they are installed. The lab periods, following the lecture, allow the attendees to directly apply what has been learned by installing the devices on electrical lab board, under the supervision of the CALCTP-certified instructor(s).

IBEW and NECA are very proud of our relationship with CALCTP and the commitment to the highest quality electrical work it represents!