Elco vs Nora Recessed Downlights: How to Choose

Elco and Nora both build modular recessed downlight systems, both are stocked deep, and on a cut sheet they look interchangeable. They are not. The difference that decides most jobs is not lumens or CRI, where the two are close. It is the dimming protocol and the input voltage, and on California work it is which edition of Title 24 JA8 the product is certified to.

This comparison uses what each manufacturer publishes, quoted from their own documents. Rock stocks both lines in volume: 8,265 Elco part numbers and 3,614 Nora part numbers, of which 2,399 and 2,749 respectively belong to the Koto and Iolite systems.

The short answer

If the job is	Lean toward
120V residential, TRIAC/ELV wall dimmers	Elco Koto
Commercial with a 0-10V or DALI control system	Nora Iolite
277V circuits	Nora Iolite
California residential permit pulled in 2026	Check the JA8 edition, see below
2 inch aperture with a deep reflector range	Elco Koto
1 inch aperture	Nora Iolite
Chicago Plenum	Nora Iolite
Warm dim with the widest colour swing	Elco Koto (Human Centric)

Elco Koto: what the module actually publishes

The Koto system is a twist-on LED module that works across Elco housings and Koto trims. Per Elco's Koto LED Module page:

• Wattage: 10.5W to 12.5W
• Lumens: 730 lm to 1400 lm
• Voltage: 120V
• Dimming: Triac/ELV, integrated driver
• CRI: 95
• Colour temperature: 2400K to 4000K, plus Human Centric and Sunset
• Beam angle: 18° to 90°, with a 38° lens installed and 25° and 60° lenses included in the box
• Listings: Energy Star Certified, Title 24 JA8-2019 Compliant
• Location: cUL Listed damp, cUL Listed wet with a wet location trim

The part number encodes the spec. ELK plus a two-digit lumen code, plus a CCT code, plus a beam suffix. The published per-SKU outputs:

Catalog number	Watts	CCT	Lumens
ELK0724	10.5W	2400K	730 lm
ELK0727	10.5W	2700K	770 lm
ELK0730	10.5W	3000K	800 lm
ELK0740	10.5W	4000K	860 lm
ELK0930	10.5W	3000K	990 lm
ELK0940	10.5W	4000K	1100 lm
ELK09SD	10.5W	Sunset	940 lm
ELK1130	12.5W	3000K	1150 lm
ELK1140	12.5W	4000K	1260 lm
ELK11SD	12.5W	Sunset	1050 lm
ELK11HC	12.5W	Human Centric	1050 lm
ELK1340	12.5W	4000K	1400 lm

Two Elco-side warnings, both taken from Elco's own page:

The builder's nominal lumen labels do not match the SKU table. The ordering tool labels the lumen codes as 750, 950, 1150 and 1350 lumens, but almost no SKU lands on those numbers. ELK0727 is 770 lm, ELK0930 is 990 lm, ELK1340 is 1400 lm. Use the SKU table figure in any Title 24 calculation, not the code label.

Elco contradicts itself on 5 inch housings. The page header says the module works with 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 inch housings. The features list on the same page says 2, 3, 4 and 6 inch. Confirm 5 inch compatibility with Elco before you rely on it.

Also note that lumen output is published identically across every beam variant of a given base number. ELK0730, ELK0730-S (18°), and ELK0730-E (90°) are all listed at 800 lm. That reads as source lumens rather than delivered lumens per optic. VERIFY with a per-catalog-number spec sheet if the beam matters to a photometric layout.

Elco's Sunset modules run 3000K down to 1800K as they dim. Human Centric runs 4000K down to 2200K. That 4000K to 2200K swing is wider than anything Nora publishes on the Iolite line.

Nora Iolite: what the spec sheet publishes

Nora's Iolite line covers 1 inch, 2 inch, 4 inch and 4 inch PLUS apertures, in new construction, remodel, can-less, retrofit and Chicago Plenum housings.

Taking the current can-less sheet, NIOC-4RSP, as a worked example:

• Source: 12W LED, 1200 lm
• Input voltage: 120VAC or 120-277VAC, must specify
• Colour rendering index: 90+ CRI
• Colour temperature: 2700K, 3000K, 3500K, 4000K, or Comfort Dim
• Comfort Dim: 3100K to 2000K, available in 900 lm only
• Dimming: Phase or 0-10V, must specify
• Lifetime: 50,000 hours at L70
• Warranty: 5 year limited
• Listings: cULus Listed for Wet Locations, RoHS Compliant, certified to the high efficacy requirements of California Title 24 JA8-2025
• Air flow: factory gasket restricting airflow to under 2 CFM per ASTM 283
• Operating temperature: 0°C to 30°C
• Efficacy: 101 to 103 lumens per watt across the three included optics

The included optics are a 29° spot, a 40° narrow flood and a 59° flood, all field-changeable, at 1196 lm, 1200 lm and 1175 lm respectively at 4000K.

Nora publishes lumen multipliers by colour temperature, which is the kind of disclosure that saves a redesign: 2700K is 0.85, 3000K is 0.92, 3500K is 0.94, 4000K is 1.00, Comfort Dim is 0.78. Finish matters too, with black reflectors at 0.87 against bright white at 1.00. If you spec 2700K in a black reflector you are at roughly 74 percent of the headline 4000K bright white number. Elco does not publish equivalent multipliers on the Koto module page.

Across the wider Iolite housing range, Nora's own filters list four dimming types: 0-10V, DALI, Lutron Hi-Lume EcoSystem and Triac/ELV. Rock's stocked Iolite housings show the convention plainly. NHIOICD-28LE3 is 120V input with Triac/ELV dimming. NHIOICD-28LE4 is 120V-277V input with Triac/ELV or 0-10V. The LE4 suffix is what buys you the commercial voltage and control range.

The comparison that matters

	Elco Koto	Nora Iolite
Apertures	2, 3, 4, 6 inch (5 inch disputed)	1, 2, 4, 4 PLUS
Input voltage	120V	120V or 120-277V, specify
Dimming	Triac/ELV	Phase, 0-10V, DALI, Lutron Hi-Lume EcoSystem
CRI published	95	90+
Lumen range	730 to 1400 lm	600 to 2500 lm across the housing range
Warm dim	Sunset 3000K to 1800K, Human Centric 4000K to 2200K	Comfort Dim 3100K to 2000K, 900 lm only
Title 24 JA8 edition published	JA8-2019	JA8-2025
Wet location	cUL with wet location trim	cULus listed for wet locations
Life rating published	Not stated on the module page	50,000 hours at L70
Warranty published	Not stated on the module page	5 year limited
Chicago Plenum	Not listed	Listed
Lumen multipliers by CCT	Not published	Published

The Title 24 JA8 edition difference, and why it is the headline

This is the finding most likely to change a decision on a California job.

Nora's current Iolite can-less spec sheet states certification to JA8-2025. Elco's Koto LED Module page states JA8-2019.

JA8 is the Joint Appendix in the California Energy Code that defines high-efficacy light sources for residential compliance, and it is revised with each code cycle. The 2025 Energy Code took effect on 1 January 2026, so a residential permit pulled today is being reviewed against the current cycle. Our explainer on JA8 high-efficacy lighting covers what the listing actually certifies, and our 2025 Title 24 lighting controls compliance guide covers the wider code picture.

Two honest caveats before anyone treats this as settled:

1. These are different document types. Nora's is a per-model spec sheet dated 2026. Elco's is a family product web page last modified February 2025. Family pages routinely lag per-model sheets.
2. VERIFY the edition on the specific Elco catalog number's own spec sheet before you conclude a Koto module is not current. Elco publishes per-catalog-number sheets, and the module page is not the last word.

What is not in dispute is the practical instruction: on a California residential job, read the JA8 edition off the spec sheet for the exact part number you are ordering, for either brand. Do not take it from a family page, and do not assume it carries forward from a previous code cycle.

Which one to specify

Choose Elco Koto when the job is 120V, the dimming is a TRIAC or ELV wall dimmer, and you want the 95 CRI figure and a wide dim-to-warm swing. The Koto reflector range in the Pex family, covering 3 and 4 inch round and square deep and adjustable reflectors, gives a lot of aesthetic range off one module. Our Elco recessed downlights buying guide covers the Koto, Oak and Pex families in full, and the Oak series deep dive decodes that part-number family.

Choose Nora Iolite when any of these are true: the circuit is 277V, the control system is 0-10V or DALI, the ceiling assembly needs Chicago Plenum, you need a 1 inch aperture, or the job is a California residential permit and you want the current JA8 edition on the sheet without further checking. Our Nora Lighting buying guide covers the housings and fire-rated options.

If the control system is the deciding factor, our explainer on 0-10V dimming is worth reading before the fixture is locked, because a fixture chosen before the control protocol is usually the fixture that gets swapped.

Browse the ranges directly: Elco Lighting and Nora Lighting.

Ratings are a property of the housing

Worth repeating for both brands. IC rating, air-tight rating, fire rating and Chicago Plenum all attach to the housing part number, not to the module and not to the trim. Nora's NIOC-4RSP is IC Airtight rated as a can-less unit with no housing at all, which is a genuine convenience, but that rating belongs to that part number and does not transfer to another Iolite trim.

If the ceiling assembly is fire rated, the housing has to carry that rating explicitly and the spec sheet has to be in the submittal. Our guide to fire-rated downlights covers what a rated ceiling actually requires.

Let us build the part numbers

Both systems are modular, both encode the spec in the part number, and both have families where a single wrong character changes the voltage or the dimming protocol. If you send us the fixture schedule and the control system, we will build the Elco or Nora part numbers, check the JA8 edition on the specific catalog numbers, and flag anything that will not hold spec before it ships.

Request a quote, set up a contractor account for project pricing, or contact us with the drawings.

Related guides

• Elco Lighting Recessed Downlights: Koto, Oak and Pex Buying Guide
• Elco Oak Series Downlights (E1L Family): Specs Explained
• Nora Lighting Buying Guide: Recessed Downlights, Fire-Rated Housings and Cylinders
• Fire-Rated Downlights: A Contractor's Guide to Rated Ceilings
• How to Read a Lighting Spec Sheet
• Choosing Color Temperature for Commercial Spaces

Frequently asked questions

Is Elco or Nora better for a commercial job? Nora Iolite, in most cases. Elco's Koto LED module is published at 120V with Triac/ELV dimming only, which rules it out on 277V circuits and on 0-10V or DALI control systems. Nora publishes 120-277V input and 0-10V, DALI and Lutron Hi-Lume EcoSystem options across the Iolite housing range.

Does Elco Koto have a higher CRI than Nora Iolite? On the documents compared here, yes. Elco publishes CRI 95 for the Koto LED module. Nora publishes 90+ CRI on the Iolite can-less spec sheet, with photometric testing at 90 CRI. Both are well above the 80 CRI floor common in commodity downlights, and the difference is unlikely to be visible in most spaces.

What is the difference between Elco Sunset and Nora Comfort Dim? Both are dim-to-warm. Elco Sunset runs 3000K down to 1800K, and Elco Human Centric runs 4000K down to 2200K. Nora Comfort Dim runs 3100K down to 2000K and is available in the 900 lumen output only. Elco's Human Centric option gives the widest published colour swing of the three.

Which Title 24 JA8 edition do these products certify to? Nora's current Iolite can-less spec sheet states JA8-2025. Elco's Koto LED Module page states JA8-2019. Those are different document types with different revision dates, so confirm the edition on the spec sheet for the exact catalog number you are ordering before submitting for a California residential permit.

Do Elco Koto lumen figures change with the beam angle? Elco publishes the same lumen figure for every beam variant of a given base number, so ELK0730 at 38°, 18° and 90° are all listed at 800 lumens. That reads as source lumens rather than delivered lumens per optic, so request the per-catalog-number spec sheet if the beam distribution matters to your photometric layout.

Does the reflector finish change light output? On Nora Iolite, yes, and Nora publishes the figure. A black reflector is a 0.87 multiplier against bright white at 1.00. Colour temperature also multiplies output: 2700K is 0.85 against 4000K at 1.00. Elco does not publish equivalent multipliers on the Koto module page, so ask for them if you are close to a lighting power budget.

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