Category Archives: Stretch Code

Many towns in Massachusetts adhere to the Massachusetts Building “Stretch Code”, an optional appendix to the Massachusetts Building Energy Code that allows cities and towns to choose to increase the energy efficiency requirements for all new homes, additions and renovations. This means that for these types of jobs, a certain percentage of the lighting needs to be either compact florescent or LED (light emitting diode). One thing that I always take into consideration in these situations is whether you want fixtures that are dimmable. If so, I’ll make sure the fixtures I recommend to you have dimming capable ballasts that are designed for compact florescent bulbs.