As LED technology evolves, emergency function becomes one of the features of LED lighting products.
Emergency light is a battery-backed lighting device that switches on automatically when a building experiences a power outage. Emergency lights are standard and required by most building codes in new commercial and residential buildings, also in older buildings as well.
LED Emergency Lighting
LED products tick the box for nearly every photometric parameter with the lamp life advantage and energy saving benefit.
LEDs have also enabled the development of a new generation of more compact emergency luminaires, while retaining or improving the quality and distribution of light – a big plus for architects and designers.
Apart from lamp life advantage and energy saving benefit, LED emergency luminaires further win in lamp replacement cost, illumination of high-risk task areas using controlled light distribution, heat reduction, light quality and lamp source quality as well.
Standards Regulating Emergency Lighting
UL 924 Standard for Safety – Emergency Lighting and Power equipment
The scope applies to equipment for use in unclassified locations and intended for connection to branch circuits of 600 volts or less. Such equipment is intended to automatically supply illumination or power or both to critical areas and equipment in the event of failure of the normal supply, in accordance with Article 700 or 701 of the National Electrical Code, NFPA 70, the Life Safety Code, NFPA 101, the Fire Code, NFPA 1, the International Building Code, IBC, and the International Fire Code, IFC.
Examples of equipment include:
- Exit signs
- Emergency luminaires
- Unit equipment
- Central station battery banks
- Inverters
- Automatic battery charging and control equipment
- Automatic load control relays
- Derangement signal equipment
IEC 60598-2-22 Particular Requirements – Luminaires for Emergency Lighting
The scope specifies requirements for emergency luminaires for use with electrical lamps on emergency power supplies not exceeding 1000 V, and does not cover the effects of non-emergency voltage reductions on luminaires incorporating high pressure discharge lamps.
Examples:
- Emergency lighting
- For use when the supply to the normal lighting fails
- Emergency escape lighting
- Provides illumination for the safety of people leaving an area or attempting to terminate a dangerous process before vacating an area
- Standby lighting
- Enables normal activities to continue substantially unchanged
- High-risk task-area lighting
- Ensure the safety of people involved in a potentially dangerous process or situation and to enable proper shut-down procedures for the safety of the operator and occupants of the premises
