1 Scope

NOTE This standard governs the lighting that keeps the means of egress usable: the illumination of the exit access, the exit, and the exit discharge while the building is occupied, the emergency illumination that replaces it automatically when normal power fails, the exit signs that mark the route, and the luminous path markings that supplement them where the adopted code requires. (1.1)

NOTE Four decisions are made independently of one another and are stated as independent selections in this standard: the emergency power source strategy for the egress luminaires, the battery bridging provided where that source is a generator, the power source for the exit signs, and the type of exit sign. Every combination is manufactured, and this standard does not assume that one selection implies another. (1.2)

NOTE The illumination levels, the uniformity limit, the minimum duration, and the periodic test regime are fixed by NFPA 101 and the International Building Code and are stated in this standard as requirements rather than as selections; the datasheet carries the decisions the code leaves open, which are how the required performance is produced and with what equipment. (1.3)

NOTE The following are governed elsewhere and are outside this standard: (1.4)

the architectural luminaires, their drivers, and the emergency battery driver as a component of the luminaire (Lighting FixturesInterior Lighting Fixtures (Luminaires)Resolves to the current edition.sync/lighting-fixtures)
the lighting control system and the listed control override device on a switched or dimmed egress luminaire (Lighting ControlsLighting ControlsResolves to the current edition.sync/lighting-controls)
exterior site and area lighting beyond the exit discharge (Exterior LightingExterior and Site LightingResolves to the current edition.sync/exterior-lighting)
the classification of loads, the selection and sizing of the emergency power system, its transfer scheme, and its selective coordination (Emergency And Standby PowerEmergency and Standby Power SystemsResolves to the current edition.sync/emergency-and-standby-power)
the engine-generator set (GeneratorsEngine GeneratorsResolves to the current edition.sync/generators) and the automatic transfer switch (Automatic Transfer SwitchesAutomatic Transfer SwitchesResolves to the current edition.sync/automatic-transfer-switches)
uninterruptible power supplies that serve loads other than egress illumination (Uninterruptible Power Supply SystemsUninterruptible Power Supply SystemsResolves to the current edition.sync/uninterruptible-power-supply-systems)
fire alarm notification appliances and the fire alarm control panel (Fire Alarm SystemsFire Alarm SystemsResolves to the current edition.sync/fire-alarm-systems)
the branch assignment and topology of a health care essential electrical system (Healthcare Essential Electrical SystemsHealthcare Essential Electrical SystemsResolves to the current edition.sync/healthcare-essential-electrical-systems)
the emergency panelboards and the feeders that serve them (PanelboardsPanelboardsResolves to the current edition.sync/panelboards, Conductors And CablesConductors and CablesResolves to the current edition.sync/conductors-and-cables, Raceways And ConduitRaceways and ConduitResolves to the current edition.sync/raceways-and-conduit)
surge protective devices as products (Surge Protective DevicesSurge Protective DevicesResolves to the current edition.sync/surge-protective-devices)
tactile exit signage, elevator car lighting, and the emergency lighting inside equipment furnished under other standards

1.5 The locations of emergency luminaires, exit signs, and path markings shall be as indicated on the electrical lighting plans.

1.6 The Contractor shall coordinate the emergency power source, the control override devices, the monitoring interface, and the wiring separation with the standards named in this section before any emergency lighting equipment is released for procurement.

2 Referenced Standards

2.1 Equipment, materials, and installation shall comply with the latest adopted edition of each of the following unless a specific edition is cited.

2.2 Where the contract documents, the Authority Having Jurisdiction, or two referenced standards impose conflicting requirements, the more stringent requirement shall govern unless the Engineer of Record directs otherwise in writing.

Standard	Title
NFPA 101	Life Safety Code (Sections 7.8, 7.9, and 7.10)
NFPA 70	National Electrical Code (Articles 700, 701, and 410)
NFPA 110	Standard for Emergency and Standby Power Systems
NFPA 111	Standard on Stored Electrical Energy Emergency and Standby Power Systems
IBC	International Building Code (Sections 1008, 1013, and 1025)
IFC	International Fire Code (Chapter 6 and Chapter 10)
UL 924	Emergency Lighting and Power Equipment
UL 1994	Luminous Egress Path Marking Systems
UL 1598	Luminaires
UL 8750	Light Emitting Diode (LED) Equipment for Use in Lighting Products
ASTM E2072	Standard Specification for Photoluminescent (Phosphorescent) Safety Markings
ASTM E2073	Standard Test Method for Photopic Luminance of Photoluminescent (Phosphorescent) Markings
IES LM-79	Approved Method: Optical and Electrical Measurements of Solid-State Lighting Products
IES LM-80	Approved Method: Measuring Luminous Flux and Color Maintenance of LED Packages, Arrays, and Modules
ASCE 7	Minimum Design Loads and Associated Criteria for Buildings and Other Structures (Chapter 13)
ICC-ES AC156	Acceptance Criteria for Seismic Certification by Shake-Table Testing of Nonstructural Components
10 CFR Part 32	Specific Domestic Licenses to Manufacture or Transfer Certain Items Containing Byproduct Material (self-luminous signs)

3 Submittals

3.1 Action Submittals

3.1.1 The Contractor shall submit the following for review before any emergency lighting equipment is procured:

product data for each unit equipment type, exit sign type, emergency battery pack, central inverter, and control override device, identifying the UL 924 listing and the emergency lumen output, duration, and operating temperature range of each
point-by-point photometric calculations for the entire means of egress, including the exit discharge to the public way, prepared with the manufacturer's IES LM-79 photometric files and the emergency lumen output of each luminaire, demonstrating the initial and end-of-duration illumination levels and the uniformity limit required by this standard
battery data for every battery-containing product, giving the chemistry, the rated duration, the rated operating temperature range, the recharge time, and the published design life
for emergency battery packs in architectural luminaires, the manufacturer's statement that the pack and the host luminaire driver are a factory-matched or tested combination
for a central inverter system, the sizing calculation showing the connected load, the inrush allowance, and the capacity margin, together with the UL 924 listing of the complete assembly
an exit sign schedule giving the type, legend, letter color, number of faces, chevron direction, mounting, and power source of every sign by location
the monitoring interface description, giving the protocol, the points reported, and the terminating system
the seismic certification for the central inverter, where the datasheet requires one

Action Submittalscheckbox

☑ Product data with UL 924 listing for every emergency product

☑ Point-by-point photometric calculations including the exit discharge

☑ Battery data for every battery-containing product

☐ Factory-matched driver and battery pack statement

☐ Central inverter sizing calculation and listing

☑ Exit sign schedule

☐ Monitoring interface description

☐ Seismic certification for the central inverter

3.1.2 Emergency lighting equipment shall not be procured until the action submittals covering it have been reviewed and returned.

NOTE The photometric calculation is the submittal that most often comes back deficient, because it is prepared from the luminaire's normal lumen output rather than its emergency output, or it stops at the exit door and leaves the exterior path to the public way unproven. (3.1.3)

3.2 Informational Submittals

3.2.1 The Contractor shall submit the following with or before the action submittals:

the installer's qualification statement required under Quality Assurance
the Authority Having Jurisdiction's confirmation of the exit sign letter color and legend, where the datasheet derives the color from that authority
the proposed acceptance test procedure, identifying the discharge method, the illumination measurement locations, and the instrument to be used
for self-luminous signs, the manufacturer's license under 10 CFR Part 32 and the general-license conditions the Owner assumes on receipt

Informational Submittalscheckbox

☑ Installer qualification statement

☐ Authority Having Jurisdiction confirmation of exit sign color and legend

☑ Acceptance test procedure

☐ Self-luminous sign license documentation

3.3 Closeout Submittals

3.3.1 The Contractor shall submit the following before the emergency lighting is accepted:

the acceptance test report, recording for every unit, sign, pack, and inverter the date, the discharge duration achieved, the illumination measured along the egress path at the end of the discharge, and the tester's determination
the transfer test record for every generator-fed and inverter-fed circuit, recording the measured time from loss of normal power to restored illumination
an as-built record of the location, type, and power source of every emergency luminaire, exit sign, and path marking
operation and maintenance data giving the test procedure, the test schedule NFPA 101 requires, the battery replacement procedure, the battery design life, and the disposal requirements for each battery chemistry furnished
the monitoring point list as commissioned, where a monitoring interface is furnished
the warranty documentation for the equipment and for the batteries
a signed receipt from the Owner for the spare parts delivered

Closeout Submittalscheckbox

☑ Acceptance test report

☐ Transfer test records

☑ As-built record of emergency lighting locations and sources

☑ Operation and maintenance data with the test schedule

☐ Monitoring point list as commissioned

☑ Warranty documentation

☐ Spare parts receipt

NOTE The acceptance test report is the first entry in the test record NFPA 101 requires the Owner to keep for the life of the building, and an Authority Having Jurisdiction that inspects the building later reads the record from that entry forward. (3.3.2)

4 Quality Assurance

4.1 Listing

4.1.1 Every emergency luminaire, unit equipment, exit sign, emergency battery pack, central inverter, and control override device shall be listed and labeled to UL 924 by a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory.

4.1.2 Luminous egress path marking shall be listed to UL 1994 or shall comply with ASTM E2072, as the adopted code requires.

4.1.3 A product listed only to UL 1994 is a path marking and not an exit sign, and shall not be installed at a position where an exit sign is required.

NOTE UL 924 is the listing NFPA 101 and the International Building Code both name for emergency lighting equipment and for exit signs, so it is the single mark that makes a product code-recognized in either regime; a luminaire listed to UL 1598 alone is a luminaire and carries no emergency function until a UL 924 listed component gives it one. (4.1.4)

4.2 Installer Qualifications

4.2.1 The installer shall have completed emergency lighting installations under NFPA 70 Article 700 on not fewer than the number of projects indicated in the datasheet.

Minimum Installer Comparable Projectsrange

projects

13510

4.2.2 The photometric calculations shall be prepared by an individual experienced in egress lighting calculation, and the calculation software shall accept IES photometric files and compute illumination at the floor.

5 Environmental and Service Conditions

5.1 Battery Operating Temperature

NOTE Battery capacity falls as the cell cools, and a unit that delivers its full duration at room temperature can fall short of it in an unheated stair, a vestibule, a loading dock, or a canopy in winter; a battery in a hot mechanical room or an unventilated attic loses service life instead of capacity. The rated operating range of the battery is therefore matched to the coldest and hottest locations the equipment is installed in. (5.1.1)

5.1.2 The minimum operating temperature rating of the battery in unit equipment and in emergency battery packs shall be as indicated in the datasheet.

Minimum Battery Operating Temperature Ratingrange

°C

-40-30-20-101020

Derived — Site Ambient Temperature MinimumSite Ambient Temperature MinimumParameterEach project supplies its own value.site-ambient-temperature-minimum for equipment installed outdoors or in an unconditioned space, and the lowest maintained temperature of the space for equipment installed in a conditioned space (by default)

5.1.3 The maximum operating temperature rating of the battery in unit equipment and in emergency battery packs shall be as indicated in the datasheet.

Maximum Battery Operating Temperature Ratingrange

°C

303540455055

Derived — Site Ambient Temperature MaximumSite Ambient Temperature MaximumParameterEach project supplies its own value.site-ambient-temperature-maximum for equipment installed outdoors or in an unconditioned space, and the highest maintained temperature of the space for equipment installed in a conditioned space (by default)

NOTE A standard unit is rated for an operating range of roughly 20°C to 30°C, which is a conditioned interior and nothing else; cold-weather models carry a heated battery compartment or a chemistry rated to a stated low temperature, and high-temperature models carry a chemistry and a charger rated for the stated high temperature. Where one location on the project is outside the standard range, the equipment serving that location is the model rated for it, and the rest of the project is not upgraded with it. (5.1.4)

5.1.5 Equipment installed in a location whose temperature falls outside the rated range of the battery furnished shall be replaced with equipment rated for that location at the Contractor's expense.

5.2 Location Ratings

5.2.1 Equipment installed in a damp location shall be listed for damp locations.

5.2.2 Equipment installed outdoors or in a wet location shall be listed for wet locations.

5.2.3 Equipment installed where the atmosphere carries salt, chemical vapor, or another corrosive agent shall be furnished in a corrosion-resistant housing and with corrosion-resistant hardware.

5.2.4 Equipment installed in a hazardous (classified) location shall be listed for the class, division, and group of that location.

5.2.5 Equipment installed in a food-processing area, a wash-down area, or a natatorium shall be listed for wet locations and shall be furnished in a housing that withstands the cleaning agents and the chlorinated atmosphere of that area.

5.3 Seismic Qualification of Central Equipment

5.3.1 The seismic certification required for a central inverter system shall be as indicated in the datasheet.

Central Inverter Seismic Certificationselect

No seismic certification required

Anchorage design only, in accordance with ASCE 7 Chapter 13

Special certification as an active component in accordance with ASCE 7 Section 13.2.2

Derived — Seismic Design CategorySeismic Design CategoryParameterEach project supplies its own value.seismic-design-category and the component importance factor assigned to egress lighting equipment under ASCE 7 Chapter 13 (by default)

NOTE Egress illumination is a life-safety function, so equipment serving it carries a component importance factor of 1.5 under ASCE 7, and in the seismic design categories where ASCE 7 requires it the inverter must be shown to keep operating after the design earthquake rather than merely to stay on its pad. (5.3.2)

5.3.3 Where special certification is required, it shall be by shake-table test in accordance with ICC-ES AC156 or by analysis accepted by the Authority Having Jurisdiction, and shall cover the inverter as furnished, including its battery cabinet and its enclosure.

6 Governing Code and Duration

NOTE Both NFPA 101 and the International Building Code require the same illumination levels, the same uniformity limit, and the same 90-minute duration for egress illumination, so the performance requirements in this standard hold under either regime; the two codes differ on where luminous path markings are required, on the illumination of stairs in use, and in the edition of NFPA 70 they adopt by reference, which is why the governing code is a fact this standard needs. (6.1)

6.2 The duration for which emergency illumination and exit sign illumination shall be sustained after loss of normal power shall be as indicated in the datasheet.

Emergency Durationrange

minutes

90120180240

Derived — the minimum duration NFPA 101 Section 7.9.2.1 and IBC Section 1008.3.4 require under Adopted Building CodeAdopted Building CodeParameterEach project supplies its own value.adopted-building-code (by default)

6.3 The duration shall be not less than 90 minutes, and equipment rated for a shorter duration shall not be furnished for egress illumination or for exit signs.

NOTE The code minimum is 90 minutes under both codes, and a longer duration is a project decision made where the Owner's operating program, an evacuation plan for a large or slow-to-evacuate population, or a facility that must remain occupied through an outage calls for it; a longer duration is bought as a larger battery in every distributed unit or as a larger battery plant at the inverter, and it lengthens the annual discharge test by the same amount. (6.4)

NOTE Sixty-minute unit equipment is manufactured for markets and applications outside the scope of this standard and is sometimes substituted at bid; the clause above exists so that the substitution is rejected on the face of the specification. (6.5)

6.6 Emergency illumination shall be restored automatically on loss of normal power, without manual intervention, and shall be capable of repeated automatic operation.

7 Egress Illumination Performance

7.1 Illumination Under Normal Power

7.1.1 The means of egress shall be illuminated at all times the building is occupied, to not less than 1 fc measured at the floor along the path of egress travel, in accordance with NFPA 101 Section 7.8 and IBC Section 1008.2.

7.1.2 Where NFPA 101 is the adopted code, new stairs that are part of the means of egress shall be illuminated to not less than 10 fc measured at the walking surface during conditions of stair use.

NOTE The normal-power illumination of the egress path is delivered by the architectural lighting furnished under Lighting FixturesInterior Lighting Fixtures (Luminaires)Resolves to the current edition.sync/lighting-fixtures, and the arrangement of that lighting along the path is checked by this standard's photometric calculation rather than assumed from the lighting layout. (7.1.3)

7.2 Emergency Illumination Levels

NOTE Emergency illumination is measured at the floor along the path of egress travel rather than at a work plane, because an evacuating occupant is reading the floor, the stair treads, and the obstacles on them. (7.2.1)

7.2.2 At the start of the emergency duration, the emergency illumination shall be not less than an average of 1 fc and not less than 0.1 fc at any point, measured at the floor along the entire path of egress travel, in accordance with NFPA 101 Section 7.9.2.1 and IBC Section 1008.3.5.

7.2.3 At the end of the emergency duration, the emergency illumination shall be not less than an average of 0.6 fc and not less than 0.06 fc at any point, measured at the floor along the entire path of egress travel.

7.2.4 The ratio of the maximum to the minimum illumination along any portion of the path of egress travel shall not exceed 40 to 1.

NOTE The code permits the illumination to decline over the duration as the battery discharges, which is why the requirement is stated at both ends of the discharge; a design that meets the initial levels with no margin fails at the end of the duration on every unit whose battery has aged. (7.2.5)

NOTE The uniformity limit is the requirement most often missed on a design that meets the averages, because a layout of a few high-output units near the exits and nothing at the corridor midpoints satisfies the average and still leaves a stretch of floor that is dark by comparison with the pool under each unit. (7.2.6)

7.2.7 Emergency illumination shall be arranged so that the failure of any single lighting element, including the failure of one lamp head, one luminaire, or one battery, does not leave any space requiring emergency illumination in total darkness, in accordance with NEC 700.16.

7.3 Photometric Demonstration

7.3.1 Compliance with the emergency illumination levels and the uniformity limit shall be demonstrated by point-by-point calculation over the entire means of egress, including the exit discharge from the exit door to the public way, and shall not be inferred from luminaire spacing or count.

7.3.2 The calculation shall use the emergency lumen output of each luminaire at the end of the emergency duration, as published by the manufacturer for the battery or inverter output furnished.

7.3.3 The light loss factor applied to the emergency lumen output in the photometric calculation shall be as indicated in the datasheet.

Light Loss Factor Applied in Emergency Photometric Calculationsrange

factor

0.70.750.80.850.90.951

NOTE The manufacturer's end-of-duration emergency lumen output already accounts for the battery discharge curve, so a factor of 1.0 applied to that output is a calculation at the published condition; a factor below 1.0 adds an allowance for LED lumen depreciation over the service life, dirt on the lens, and battery aging between replacements, which some Authorities Having Jurisdiction require and some Owners adopt so that the installation still passes the annual test years after acceptance. The factor is a design margin and no value is the norm across projects. (7.3.4)

7.3.5 Where a control override device or a generator transfer produces an interval of darkness before emergency illumination is restored, the calculation shall state that interval and the source that bridges it.

8 Spaces Provided with Emergency Illumination

8.1 Emergency illumination shall be provided along the exit access, in every exit, and along the exit discharge to the public way, and in every room and space the adopted code requires to have it.

8.2 Where the International Building Code is the adopted code, emergency illumination shall be provided in electrical equipment rooms, fire command centers, fire pump rooms, generator rooms, and public restrooms larger than the area IBC Section 1008.3.3 states, in addition to the means of egress.

8.3 Emergency illumination shall be provided at the location of the emergency system transfer equipment and of the emergency system disconnecting means, so that the equipment can be operated with normal lighting lost.

8.4 The additional spaces provided with emergency illumination beyond those the code requires shall be as indicated in the datasheet.

Additional Spaces Provided with Emergency Illuminationcheckbox

☐ Mechanical rooms

☐ Telecommunications and data rooms

☐ Elevator machine rooms

☐ Commercial kitchens

☐ Open work areas and open office floors

☐ Assembly seating areas

☐ Locker rooms and shower rooms

☐ Parking structures

☐ Loading docks

☐ Laboratories

☐ Patient care areas

NOTE The code requires emergency illumination on the path out of a space, not within it, so a large open floor, a kitchen, or a laboratory can be code-compliant with emergency light only at its exits; the Owner's decision to light the space itself is made where occupants must shut down a process, secure a patient, or find their way across an obstructed floor before they reach the path. (8.5)

8.6 The exit discharge from each exit door to the public way shall be illuminated under emergency power by luminaires on the emergency source or by battery-equipped luminaires, and the luminaires serving it shall be located as indicated on the site electrical plan.

8.7 Exterior emergency luminaires at the exit discharge shall be listed for wet locations and shall be rated for the battery operating temperatures derived under this standard.

NOTE The exit discharge is the part of the means of egress most often left dark, because the emergency circuits are laid out inside the building and the exterior path from the door to the public way is assumed to be lit by site lighting that is on normal power. (8.8)

9 Emergency Power Source Strategy

9.1 Source Selection

9.1.1 The emergency power source strategy for the egress luminaires shall be as indicated in the datasheet.

Emergency Power Source Strategy for Egress Luminairesselect

Self-contained unit equipment

Emergency battery packs integral to the architectural luminaires

Central inverter serving dedicated emergency branch circuits

Generator-backed emergency branch circuits

Mixed, by area

9.1.2 Where the datasheet selects a mixed strategy, the source serving each area shall be as indicated on the electrical lighting plans.

NOTE No strategy is the norm across projects, because the choice follows from the building's size, from whether a generator is already present for other emergency loads, from the Owner's maintenance organization, and from the ceiling appearance the architecture calls for. (9.1.3)

NOTE Unit equipment places a battery, a charger, and lamp heads at each location, so each unit fails alone, needs no emergency feeder, and is added or moved without touching a central plant; the cost is a battery at every location, each of which is tested and replaced on its own schedule. (9.1.4)

NOTE Emergency battery packs make selected architectural luminaires into emergency luminaires, so the ceiling shows no separate emergency fixture and the emergency light comes from the same optics as the normal light; the pack is matched to the driver of its host luminaire, the emergency output is a fraction of the normal output, and the battery count equals the count of packed luminaires. (9.1.5)

NOTE A central inverter concentrates the battery plant in one room, so testing and battery replacement happen at one location and the emergency luminaires are ordinary luminaires on dedicated emergency circuits; the cost is the inverter, its battery room or cabinet, the emergency feeders and branch circuits wired to NEC 700.10, and a single point of failure that the code accepts because the inverter is listed and tested as a system. (9.1.6)

NOTE Generator-backed circuits use the on-site generator that already serves other emergency loads, so the egress luminaires are ordinary luminaires on emergency panelboards and the only lighting-specific equipment is the control override at each controlled luminaire; the generator must restore power within 10 seconds under NEC 700.12, and the interval before it does is dark unless bridged. (9.1.7)

9.1.8 The system-level selection of the emergency power source, its capacity, and its transfer scheme is made under Emergency And Standby PowerEmergency and Standby Power SystemsResolves to the current edition.sync/emergency-and-standby-power, and the strategy selected in this standard shall be consistent with that selection.

9.2 Battery Bridging of the Generator Transfer Interval

9.2.1 The battery bridging provided where the source strategy is generator-backed circuits shall be as indicated in the datasheet.

Battery Bridging Where Egress Luminaires Are Generator-Backedselect

None

Exit signs only

Exit signs and luminaires in exit enclosures

All egress luminaires

NOTE A generator that meets the 10-second restoration NEC 700.12 requires is code-compliant without bridging, so bridging is a project decision rather than a code requirement; it is made where the Owner will not accept ten seconds of darkness in a stair, where the generator start time is uncertain in cold weather, or where the facility's evacuation plan assumes continuous light. Bridging adds a battery to every bridged device and returns the testing and replacement burden of distributed batteries to the part of the project it is applied to. (9.2.2)

9.2.3 Where bridging is selected, the bridged luminaires and signs shall carry an integral battery rated for the full emergency duration, so that a generator that fails to start leaves the bridged locations illuminated for the duration rather than for the transfer interval alone.

9.3 Control Override of Switched and Dimmed Egress Luminaires

9.3.1 Where an egress luminaire is switched, dimmed, or otherwise controlled during normal operation, it shall be forced to full emergency output on loss of normal power through a control override device listed to UL 924, in accordance with NEC 700.23 and 700.24.

9.3.2 The control override device shall be selected, located, and wired under Lighting ControlsLighting ControlsResolves to the current edition.sync/lighting-controls, and shall sense the normal source serving the area rather than the switched leg at the luminaire.

NOTE A self-contained unit or a battery pack senses the loss of its own branch circuit and needs no override device, because its branch circuit is connected ahead of every local control under this standard; the override device exists for the luminaire on a central inverter or a generator circuit, which stays lit only if something defeats the control that turned it off. (9.3.3)

10 Self-Contained Unit Equipment

10.1 Unit Construction

10.1.1 Unit equipment shall consist of a rechargeable battery, a charger, one or more LED lamp heads, a transfer relay, a charge indicator, and a test means, assembled and listed to UL 924 as one product.

10.1.2 Unit equipment shall be fixed in place and shall not be portable.

10.1.3 The lamp heads shall be adjustable in aim and shall hold their aim without tools once set.

10.1.4 Where the unit is fitted with remote lamp heads, the remote heads shall be wired to the unit with a wiring method of NEC Chapter 3 and shall be listed for use with the unit that powers them.

10.1.5 The number of remote lamp heads served by each unit shall be as indicated in the datasheet.

Remote Lamp Heads per Unitrange

heads

12346

Per drawings — the luminaire schedule (deferred by default)

NOTE Every remote head draws on the same battery as the heads on the unit, so the battery is sized for the total connected head load at the full emergency duration, and a unit fitted in the field with more heads than its listing covers fails the annual discharge test on its first winter. (10.1.6)

10.1.7 Unit equipment shall not be fitted with a remote head load exceeding the load its listing covers for the emergency duration selected under this standard.

10.2 Unit Input Voltage

10.2.1 The input voltage of the unit equipment shall be as indicated in the datasheet.

Unit Equipment Input Voltageselect

120 V

277 V

347 V

120 V or 277 V dual-voltage

120 V through 277 V universal

120 V through 347 V universal

Per drawings — the panel schedules (deferred by default)

NOTE The unit is powered from the lighting branch circuit of the area it serves, so its input voltage is the voltage of that circuit; a dual-voltage or universal input is bought where one unit type is to serve areas on different lighting voltages or where the circuit voltage is not settled at procurement. (10.2.2)

10.3 Unit Housing

10.3.1 The housing material of the unit equipment shall be as indicated in the datasheet.

Unit Equipment Housing Materialselect

Thermoplastic

Die-cast aluminum

Steel

Stainless steel

Fiberglass-reinforced polyester

NOTE A conditioned interior corridor or room is the installed location of most units on most projects, which is why thermoplastic is the default; every other location named in the Location Ratings article calls for the housing those clauses require. (10.3.2)

NOTE Thermoplastic housings are rated for dry indoor locations and are the lightest and least costly; die-cast aluminum and steel housings carry wet-location listings and resist impact; stainless steel and fiberglass-reinforced polyester housings are what a corrosive or wash-down location is served with. (10.3.3)

10.3.4 Units installed where they can be struck, in a gymnasium, a corridor of a detention or correctional occupancy, a loading dock, or a parking structure, shall be furnished in a metal housing with a lamp head guard or in a housing listed as vandal-resistant.

10.3.5 The location listing of the unit equipment shall be as indicated in the datasheet.

Unit Equipment Location Listingselect

Dry location

Damp location

Wet location

10.3.6 Where the Location Ratings article requires a listing higher than the datasheet selection for an installed location, the higher listing shall be furnished at that location and the conflict reported to the Engineer of Record before procurement.

10.4 Charger, Indication, and Test Means

10.4.1 The charger shall recharge a fully discharged battery to the capacity required for the full emergency duration within 24 hours, and shall then hold the battery at float without overcharging it.

10.4.2 The charger shall be temperature-compensated where the battery chemistry furnished requires it, and shall be listed with the battery it charges.

10.4.3 The unit shall carry a visible indicator showing that the charger is energized and the battery is charging, and shall carry a test switch that simulates loss of normal power and operates the lamp heads on the battery.

10.4.4 The transfer relay shall energize the lamp heads on loss of the branch circuit voltage and shall return them to the charging condition on restoration, without manual reset.

10.4.5 The unit shall include low-voltage disconnect of the battery at the end of discharge, so that a battery run to exhaustion during an extended outage is not damaged by deep discharge.

10.5 Battery Chemistry for Unit Equipment and Battery Packs

10.5.1 The battery chemistry of the unit equipment and of the emergency battery packs shall be as indicated in the datasheet.

Battery Chemistry for Unit Equipment and Battery Packsselect

Nickel-cadmium

Nickel-metal hydride

Sealed lead-acid

Lithium iron phosphate

NOTE No chemistry is the norm across projects, because the choice turns on the operating temperatures derived under this standard, on the replacement interval the Owner's maintenance program can sustain, and on the disposal rules of the jurisdiction. (10.5.2)

NOTE Nickel-cadmium cells hold their capacity across the widest temperature range of the four and tolerate float charging for years, which is why they are the chemistry of most cold-weather and high-temperature units; cadmium is restricted at disposal in some jurisdictions and the cells are returned through a take-back program rather than discarded. (10.5.3)

NOTE Nickel-metal hydride cells are cadmium-free and carry more capacity for their size than nickel-cadmium, at a narrower temperature range and a shorter float life, so they suit a conditioned interior on a regular replacement schedule. (10.5.4)

NOTE Sealed lead-acid cells are the least costly per watt-hour and are the chemistry of larger-capacity units and of most central plants; they are heavier, lose capacity quickly at low temperature, and reach the end of their float life in a few years in a warm location. (10.5.5)

NOTE Lithium iron phosphate cells carry the longest cycle and float life, the lightest weight, and the flattest discharge curve, so a unit holds its output nearer the initial level through the duration; the chemistry does not charge below freezing without a heated compartment, and its charger and protection circuit are part of the listing. (10.5.6)

10.5.7 The battery shall be replaceable in the field without removing the unit from its mounting and without tools other than a screwdriver, and the replacement battery shall be a stocked item identified in the operation and maintenance data.

11 Emergency Battery Packs in Architectural Luminaires

NOTE Where the source strategy selects emergency battery packs, the pack is furnished as a component of the luminaire under Lighting FixturesInterior Lighting Fixtures (Luminaires)Resolves to the current edition.sync/lighting-fixtures, and this standard governs what the pack must deliver for the egress design and the conditions it must deliver it under. (11.1)

11.2 The battery pack and the host luminaire driver shall be a factory-matched or manufacturer-tested combination, and the combination shall be identified in the submittal.

NOTE An emergency driver that is not matched to the host driver can fail to transfer, can drive the LED array outside its rating on battery, or can produce a lower emergency output than the calculation assumed, and none of these is visible until the discharge test. (11.3)

11.4 The emergency lumen output of each battery-packed luminaire shall be not less than the output the photometric calculation requires of it, and the output required at each location shall be as indicated on the luminaire schedule.

11.5 The battery pack shall be rated for the emergency duration selected under this standard, for the battery operating temperatures derived under this standard, and shall be of the battery chemistry selected under this standard.

11.6 The pack shall be located inside the luminaire, in a listed enclosure attached to it, or in a remote enclosure within the distance the listing permits, and the pack's charge indicator and test switch shall be visible and reachable from the floor or from the access the luminaire provides.

11.7 The pack shall be powered from the unswitched lighting branch circuit of the area the luminaire serves, connected ahead of every local control, so that the pack charges whenever the branch circuit is energized and transfers whenever it is lost.

12 Central Inverter Systems

12.1 Inverter Listing and Ratings

12.1.1 A central inverter system shall be listed to UL 924 as a complete assembly, comprising the inverter, the charger, the battery, the transfer provision, and the enclosure, and shall be installed, tested, and maintained as a stored electrical energy emergency power supply system in accordance with NFPA 111.

12.1.2 The output capacity of the inverter shall be as indicated in the datasheet.

Central Inverter Output Capacityrange

kW

0.350.50.7511.52357.510152025335075100150

Per drawings — the one-line diagram (deferred by default)

12.1.3 The capacity margin above the connected emergency lighting load shall be as indicated in the datasheet.

Inverter Capacity Margin Above Connected Loadrange

%

1020253050100

NOTE NEC 700.4 requires the source to carry every emergency load that can operate at once, so a margin of zero is code-legal; the margin covers the inrush of LED drivers energizing together at transfer, a lagging power factor that the inverter's volt-ampere rating sees and its watt rating does not, and the luminaires the Owner adds over the life of the plant. A margin of 25 percent is the value most specifications carry, and a larger margin is bought where the load is expected to grow or where the drivers furnished have a high inrush. (12.1.4)

12.1.5 The inverter shall be rated to carry the connected emergency lighting load, with the margin selected, for the full emergency duration selected under this standard, with its battery at the end of its published design life.

12.1.6 The inverter output voltage shall be as indicated in the datasheet.

Central Inverter Output Voltagerange

V

120208240277347480

Per drawings — the one-line diagram (deferred by default)

12.1.7 The inverter output configuration shall be as indicated in the datasheet.

Central Inverter Output Configurationradio

○ 1Φ, single output voltage

○ 1Φ, two output voltages

○ 3Φ, four-wire

NOTE The output voltage matches the driver input voltage of the luminaires the inverter serves; a two-voltage output serves 120 V and 277 V luminaires from one plant, and a three-phase output is the construction of the largest plants and of an inverter that also serves three-phase emergency loads under Emergency And Standby PowerEmergency and Standby Power SystemsResolves to the current edition.sync/emergency-and-standby-power. (12.1.8)

12.2 Inverter Topology and Transfer

12.2.1 The inverter topology shall be as indicated in the datasheet.

Central Inverter Topologyradio

○ Line-interactive with fast transfer

○ Double-conversion with no transfer interval

NOTE A line-interactive inverter passes utility power to the load in normal operation and transfers to the battery within a few milliseconds of an outage, so the luminaires see an interruption shorter than a driver's hold-up and stay lit; a double-conversion inverter powers the load from its own output at all times and has no transfer interval, at a higher first cost and a continuous conversion loss for the life of the plant. UL 924 permits a transfer interval of up to 10 seconds, so both are code-compliant for egress illumination. (12.2.2)

12.2.3 The inverter shall transfer to battery on loss or degradation of the normal source and shall return to normal operation on restoration without manual reset, and shall not produce a visible interruption in the output of the connected luminaires on either transfer.

12.2.4 The operation of the inverter output circuits under normal power shall be as indicated in the datasheet.

Inverter Output Circuit Operationradio

○ Normally on

○ Normally off

○ Normally on and controlled through UL 924 listed control devices

NOTE A normally-on output keeps the emergency luminaires lit at all times and makes them part of the normal lighting; a normally-off output energizes them only on loss of normal power, so the emergency luminaires are dark and unnoticed until they are needed; a controlled output lets the emergency luminaires be switched and dimmed with the rest of the lighting through the override devices selected under Lighting ControlsLighting ControlsResolves to the current edition.sync/lighting-controls, which force them to full output at transfer. (12.2.5)

12.2.6 Where the output is normally off, the inverter shall energize its output circuits within 10 seconds of loss of normal power, and the emergency luminaires on those circuits shall be tested from the inverter's test provision rather than by removing normal power at each luminaire.

12.3 Inverter Battery

12.3.1 The inverter battery chemistry shall be as indicated in the datasheet.

Central Inverter Battery Chemistryselect

Valve-regulated lead-acid

Vented lead-acid

Nickel-cadmium

Lithium iron phosphate

12.3.2 The published design life of the inverter battery shall be not less than the period indicated in the datasheet.

Central Inverter Battery Design Liferange

years

510152025

NOTE Valve-regulated lead-acid is the chemistry of most lighting inverters, is furnished in five-year and ten-year design-life grades, and needs no separate battery room; vented lead-acid and nickel-cadmium reach twenty years and beyond and require the ventilation, spill containment, and eyewash provisions of a battery room; lithium iron phosphate reaches a long life in a small footprint and carries its management system and its fire-code provisions as part of the listing. The battery room and the battery as a system are governed by DC Battery SystemsDC Battery SystemsResolves to the current edition.sync/dc-battery-systems where the inverter is furnished with a separate battery installation. (12.3.3)

12.3.4 The inverter shall include a battery charger that recharges the battery to the capacity required for the full emergency duration within 24 hours of a full discharge, a low-voltage disconnect that protects the battery from deep discharge, and battery monitoring that reports a battery fault to the monitoring interface selected under this standard.

12.4 Inverter Enclosure and Location

12.4.1 The inverter enclosure type shall be as indicated in the datasheet.

Central Inverter Enclosure Typeselect

NEMA Type 1

NEMA Type 2

NEMA Type 3R

NEMA Type 4

NEMA Type 4X

NEMA Type 12

NOTE A dry, conditioned electrical room is the installed location of the inverter on most projects, which is why Type 1 is the default; an inverter installed outdoors shall have an enclosure of Type 3R, Type 4, or Type 4X, an inverter installed in a corrosive atmosphere shall have a Type 4X enclosure, and an inverter installed where dust or dripping liquid is present shall have an enclosure of Type 12, Type 4, or Type 4X. (12.4.2)

12.4.3 Where a rating higher than the datasheet selection is required for the installed location, the higher rating shall be furnished and the conflict reported to the Engineer of Record before procurement.

12.4.4 The inverter shall be installed in the location indicated on the electrical plans, in a space that holds the battery within its rated operating temperature and that satisfies Electrical RoomsElectrical RoomsResolves to the current edition.sync/electrical-rooms.

12.4.5 The emergency branch circuits from the inverter shall be installed in accordance with NEC 700.10 and shall serve no load other than emergency illumination and exit signs.

13 Generator-Backed Emergency Lighting Circuits

NOTE Where the source strategy selects generator-backed circuits, the egress luminaires are ordinary luminaires furnished under Lighting FixturesInterior Lighting Fixtures (Luminaires)Resolves to the current edition.sync/lighting-fixtures on emergency branch circuits from emergency panelboards, and the generator, the transfer switch, and the emergency distribution are furnished under GeneratorsEngine GeneratorsResolves to the current edition.sync/generators, Automatic Transfer SwitchesAutomatic Transfer SwitchesResolves to the current edition.sync/automatic-transfer-switches, and Emergency And Standby PowerEmergency and Standby Power SystemsResolves to the current edition.sync/emergency-and-standby-power. (13.1)

13.2 The emergency lighting load shall be restored within 10 seconds of loss of normal power, in accordance with NEC 700.12 and NFPA 101 Section 7.9.2, and the restoration time shall be demonstrated in the transfer test required under this standard.

13.3 The transfer switch serving emergency lighting shall be listed for emergency system use in accordance with NEC 700.5, as selected under Automatic Transfer SwitchesAutomatic Transfer SwitchesResolves to the current edition.sync/automatic-transfer-switches.

13.4 Battery bridging of the transfer interval shall be provided as selected under this standard, and each bridged device shall be listed to UL 924 with an integral battery rated for the full emergency duration.

13.5 Every egress luminaire on a generator-backed circuit that is switched or dimmed shall be controlled through the override device selected under Lighting ControlsLighting ControlsResolves to the current edition.sync/lighting-controls.

13.6 Where an emergency panelboard serves both egress luminaires and other emergency loads, the egress luminaires shall be on branch circuits that serve no load other than emergency illumination and exit signs.

14 Exit Signs

14.1 Exit Sign Type

14.1.1 The exit sign type shall be as indicated in the datasheet.

Exit Sign Typeselect

Internally illuminated LED

Edge-lit LED

Photoluminescent

Self-luminous tritium

NOTE An internally illuminated LED sign is the sign furnished on the large majority of projects, which is why it is the default; an edge-lit sign is a variant of it with the legend on a clear or mirrored panel lit from its edge, chosen for appearance. (14.1.2)

NOTE A photoluminescent sign carries no lamp and no battery and glows from energy absorbed from the ambient light, so it needs no circuit, no test switch, and no battery replacement; it depends on a stated level of continuous ambient illumination at its face, and it is not usable in a space where the lighting is dimmed, switched off, or occupancy-controlled during occupancy. (14.1.3)

NOTE A self-luminous tritium sign glows from a sealed radioluminescent source, needs no circuit and no ambient light, and has a rated life of ten to twenty years after which the sign is returned to the manufacturer under the general license the Owner holds under 10 CFR Part 32; it is used where no circuit can be run and the ambient light cannot be assured, and the Owner accepts the license obligations before it is furnished. (14.1.4)

14.1.5 Internally illuminated and edge-lit signs shall use LED light sources and shall be listed to UL 924 for the sign as furnished.

14.1.6 Photoluminescent and self-luminous signs shall be listed to UL 924 as exit signs.

14.1.7 A photoluminescent sign shall receive continuous ambient illumination at the sign face of not less than the level and from the source type its listing requires, and shall not be installed where the ambient lighting is dimmed or switched off by controls or by occupancy sensing during the time the building is occupied.

14.2 Exit Sign Power Source

14.2.1 The power source of the exit signs shall be as indicated in the datasheet.

Exit Sign Power Sourceselect

Integral battery

Central inverter emergency circuit

Generator-backed emergency branch circuit

Central inverter emergency circuit with integral battery

Generator-backed emergency branch circuit with integral battery

No electrical supply, photoluminescent or self-luminous sign

NOTE The sign source is decided separately from the luminaire source, because a sign with an integral battery is often furnished on a project whose luminaires are on a generator, so that the route stays marked through the transfer interval and through a generator failure, and because a photoluminescent sign needs no source at all. (14.2.2)

14.2.3 Where the sign is powered from an emergency circuit, the sign shall be illuminated continuously by that circuit and shall not be switched.

14.2.4 Where the sign carries an integral battery, the battery shall sustain the legend illumination for the full emergency duration selected under this standard, and the sign shall carry the charge indicator and test switch required of unit equipment under this standard.

14.3 Legend, Color, and Size

14.3.1 The letter color of the exit signs shall be as indicated in the datasheet.

Exit Sign Letter Colorselect

Red

Green

Derived — the letter color the Authority Having Jurisdiction requires under the adopted code and its local amendments (by default)

NOTE Neither NFPA 101 nor the International Building Code names a letter color, and the color is fixed by state or local amendment; red is required in most jurisdictions and green in some, and a sign in the wrong color is rejected at inspection, so the color is confirmed with the Authority Having Jurisdiction and recorded before the signs are procured. (14.3.2)

14.3.3 The legend of the exit signs shall be as indicated in the datasheet.

Exit Sign Legendselect

EXIT

EXIT / SALIDA

EXIT with running-figure pictogram

14.3.4 The word EXIT shall be in plainly legible letters not less than 6 in. high with a principal stroke not less than 3/4 in. wide, in accordance with NFPA 101 Section 7.10.6 and IBC Section 1013.6, and a bilingual or pictogram legend shall be in addition to and not in place of the word EXIT.

14.3.5 The rated viewing distance of the exit signs shall be as indicated in the datasheet.

Exit Sign Rated Viewing Distancerange

ft

5075100

NOTE A sign is listed for a viewing distance under UL 924, and NFPA 101 Section 7.10.1 places signs so that no point in the exit access is farther from the nearest sign than that rating or 100 ft, whichever is less; a sign rated for 100 ft is the standard product, and a sign rated for a shorter distance is a smaller sign that can be used only where the layout keeps every point within its rating. (14.3.6)

14.4 Exit Sign Construction

14.4.1 The housing material of the exit signs shall be as indicated in the datasheet.

Exit Sign Housing Materialselect

Thermoplastic

Die-cast aluminum

Steel

Stainless steel

NOTE A conditioned interior is the installed location of most signs, which is why thermoplastic is the default; a sign installed outdoors, in a wet location, or where it can be struck shall be furnished in a metal housing listed for the location, and a sign installed in a corrosive atmosphere shall be furnished in stainless steel or in a thermoplastic listed for that exposure. (14.4.2)

14.4.3 Signs installed where they can be struck, in a gymnasium, a corridor of a detention or correctional occupancy, or a loading dock, shall be furnished with a vandal-resistant housing or a polycarbonate guard listed with the sign.

14.4.4 Exit signs installed outdoors or in a wet location shall be listed for wet locations.

14.4.5 The number of faces of each sign shall be as indicated on the exit sign schedule.

14.4.6 The direction of the chevrons on each sign shall be as indicated on the exit sign schedule.

14.4.7 The mounting of each sign, whether ceiling, wall, or end mounted, shall be as indicated on the exit sign schedule.

NOTE The faces, chevrons, and mounting of a sign follow from its position in the egress path and are settled sign by sign on the schedule; a double-faced sign marks a corridor approached from both directions, a chevron is added wherever the direction to the exit is not apparent, and the mounting follows the ceiling and the sightline. (14.4.8)

14.4.9 Exit signs shall be furnished with a universal mounting canopy and with knockout provisions for the mounting the schedule indicates, so that a sign can be remounted in the field without replacement.

14.5 Combination Exit Sign and Emergency Lighting Units

14.5.1 Whether combination units that house an exit sign and emergency lamp heads in one enclosure are permitted shall be as indicated in the datasheet.

Combination Exit Sign and Emergency Lighting Unitsradio

○ Not used

○ Permitted

NOTE A combination unit reduces the fixture count at an exit door where both a sign and an emergency luminaire are needed, and puts both functions on one battery, so a battery failure at that door takes down the sign and the light together and the single-element-failure requirement is checked against the adjacent devices. (14.5.2)

14.5.3 Where combination units are permitted, each shall be listed to UL 924 as a combination unit, shall satisfy the exit sign requirements and the unit equipment requirements of this standard, and shall be installed at the locations indicated on the exit sign schedule.

15 Luminous Egress Path Marking

15.1 Whether luminous egress path marking is provided shall be as indicated in the datasheet.

Luminous Egress Path Markingselect

Not provided

Required by the adopted code

Provided as an Owner requirement beyond the code

Derived — the occupancy group and building height evaluated under IBC Section 1025 and Adopted Building CodeAdopted Building CodeParameterEach project supplies its own value.adopted-building-code (by default)

NOTE The International Building Code requires luminous path markings in the exit enclosures and exit passageways of high-rise buildings of certain occupancy groups, and NFPA 101 does not require them for new construction, so whether they are required follows from the occupancy, the height, and the governing code rather than from a design preference; an Owner adds them beyond the requirement where a stair will be used by a large population in smoke. (15.2)

NOTE Smoke stratifies from the ceiling down, so a marking at the floor, on the nosing, and on the handrail stays visible after an overhead sign is lost in the smoke layer; the markings supplement the exit signs and never replace them. (15.3)

15.4 The components of the luminous egress path marking shall be as indicated in the datasheet.

Luminous Egress Path Marking Componentscheckbox

☐ Step and stair nosing markings

☐ Landing and floor-perimeter demarcation lines

☐ Handrail markings

☐ Obstacle markings

☐ Door frame and hardware markings

☐ Directional markings on the floor

Derived — the components IBC Section 1025 requires where the marking is required by the adopted code (by default)

15.5 Path marking shall be listed to UL 1994 or shall comply with ASTM E2072, and its luminance shall be verified by ASTM E2073 where the adopted code requires it.

15.6 Path marking shall receive the continuous ambient charging illumination its listing requires at the marking surface during the time the building is occupied, from a source that is not controlled by occupancy sensing or by a schedule, in accordance with IBC Section 1025.

15.7 Path marking shall be installed at the locations indicated on the egress marking plan.

16 Periodic Testing and Monitoring

16.1 Test Regime

16.1.1 Every battery-equipped emergency luminaire, unit equipment, exit sign, and central inverter shall be tested at intervals not exceeding 30 days by a functional test of not less than 30 seconds, and at intervals not exceeding 12 months by a discharge test of not less than the full emergency duration, in accordance with NFPA 101 Section 7.9.3, and the results shall be recorded.

NOTE A battery that has failed gives no sign of it under normal power, so the code fixes the test interval and the Owner's record is the only evidence that the egress lighting works; the monthly test proves the transfer and the lamps, and the annual test proves the battery. (16.1.2)

16.1.3 The test method furnished shall be as indicated in the datasheet.

Emergency Lighting Test Methodradio

○ Manual testing with written records

● Self-testing and self-diagnostic equipment listed to UL 924

○ Self-testing equipment with computer-based monitoring and automatic records

NOTE Manual testing sends a person to every device monthly with a stopwatch and annually for the full duration, and the record is only as complete as that person's rounds; self-testing equipment performs the same tests on its own schedule and shows the result at the device; computer-based monitoring adds the record and the remote alarm, so a failed device is reported instead of discovered. NFPA 101 Section 7.9.3 recognizes all three and requires the record in each case. (16.1.4)

16.1.5 Where self-testing equipment is furnished, it shall be listed to UL 924 for self-testing and self-diagnostic operation, shall perform the monthly and annual tests automatically, shall stagger the annual discharge of adjacent devices so that the path is not left without emergency illumination during the test, and shall indicate a failed test at the device.

16.1.6 Where manual testing is furnished, every unit and sign shall carry a test switch reachable from the floor or from a ladder, and the operation and maintenance data shall include the test log form.

16.2 Monitoring Interface

16.2.1 The systems to which emergency lighting test and trouble status is reported shall be as indicated in the datasheet.

Emergency Lighting Monitoring Destinationcheckbox

☐ Local indication at the device only

☐ Building automation system

☐ Fire alarm control panel, as a supervisory signal

☐ Dedicated emergency lighting monitoring system

☐ Networked lighting control system

16.2.2 The monitoring protocol shall be as indicated in the datasheet.

Emergency Lighting Monitoring Protocolselect

Dry contacts

BACnet MS/TP

BACnet/IP

Modbus RTU

Modbus TCP

DALI-2 emergency control

Wireless mesh, manufacturer's protocol

Wired bus, manufacturer's protocol

NOTE A self-testing device that reports only at itself is a device whose failure is seen by whoever happens to look at it, which for a unit above a stair door is no one; the protocol follows from the monitoring platform the project has, so the field carries no default, and dry contacts are listed so that a device reporting through a contact closure alone is recorded as such. (16.2.3)

16.2.4 Where the monitoring destination includes the fire alarm control panel, the interface shall be a supervisory signal and not an alarm, shall be supervised for open and ground, and shall be coordinated with Fire Alarm SystemsFire Alarm SystemsResolves to the current edition.sync/fire-alarm-systems.

16.2.5 Where the monitoring destination includes the building automation system, the point list shall be coordinated with Building Automation SystemBuilding Automation SystemResolves to the current edition.sync/building-automation-system and shall report at least the device identity, the test result, the trouble condition, and the date of the last successful annual discharge.

16.2.6 The test and monitoring provisions shall satisfy NEC 700.3, and the record produced shall be in a form the Authority Having Jurisdiction accepts as the written record NFPA 101 requires.

17 Electrical Installation

17.1 Wiring Independence

17.1.1 Emergency system wiring, including the branch circuits from a central inverter and from an emergency panelboard, shall be kept entirely independent of all other wiring in accordance with NEC 700.10, in separate raceways, cables, boxes, cabinets, and panelboards, except as NEC 700.10 permits within transfer equipment, within a luminaire supplied from both sources, and within a common junction box at a unit equipment or an exit sign.

17.1.2 Boxes, enclosures, and raceways containing emergency circuits shall be permanently marked as components of the emergency system in accordance with NEC 700.10 and Electrical IdentificationElectrical IdentificationResolves to the current edition.sync/electrical-identification.

NOTE A fault on a normal circuit that shares a box or a raceway with an emergency circuit can take the emergency circuit down with it, which is the failure the separation exists to prevent, and it is the item an inspector opens boxes to check. (17.1.3)

17.1.4 The emergency panelboards shall be identified as emergency panelboards in the field, and their designations shall be as indicated on the panel schedules.

17.1.5 A surge protective device shall be installed on each emergency system switchboard and panelboard where the adopted edition of NFPA 70 Article 700 requires it, and the device shall be selected under Surge Protective DevicesSurge Protective DevicesResolves to the current edition.sync/surge-protective-devices.

17.2 Connection of Unit Equipment and Battery Packs

17.2.1 Unit equipment and emergency battery packs shall be supplied from the same branch circuit that serves the normal lighting in the area they serve, connected ahead of every local switch, dimmer, occupancy sensor, and control relay, in accordance with NEC 700.12.

17.2.2 The branch circuit supplying unit equipment shall be controlled by no device other than its branch-circuit overcurrent device.

NOTE Unit equipment connected to a branch circuit other than the one lighting its area transfers when its own circuit trips and stays dark when the area's lighting circuit trips, which is the reverse of what the occupant needs; the code ties the unit to the lighting it replaces so that any event that darkens the area also starts the unit. (17.2.3)

17.2.4 Where a unit or a pack is supplied through a cord and plug, the receptacle shall be on the required branch circuit, shall be within the reach the listing permits, and shall be provided with a listed retaining means so that the plug cannot be removed by casual contact.

17.3 Mounting and Aiming

17.3.1 Emergency luminaires and unit equipment shall be mounted at the locations and heights indicated on the electrical lighting plans, and the lamp heads shall be aimed in the field to the photometric layout and adjusted to remove any dark pocket the layout did not predict.

17.3.2 Unit equipment shall be mounted so that its charge indicator is visible and its test switch is reachable from the floor or from a step ladder, and shall not be mounted above a ceiling or inside a cabinet.

17.3.3 Exit signs shall be mounted so that a sign is visible from every direction of egress travel it serves, at the positions indicated on the exit sign schedule, and so that no point in the exit access is farther from a visible sign than the rated viewing distance.

17.3.4 Exit signs and emergency luminaires shall be mounted clear of ducts, pipes, cable trays, sprinkler piping, signage, and other obstructions to the sightline, and the Contractor shall coordinate their positions with the architectural reflected ceiling plans and with the other trades before rough-in.

17.3.5 The mounting of emergency luminaires and exit signs shall comply with Lighting FixturesInterior Lighting Fixtures (Luminaires)Resolves to the current edition.sync/lighting-fixtures for the support, the seismic bracing of pendant and suspended devices, and the attachment to the ceiling system.

18 Acceptance Testing

NOTE A discharge test on the installed equipment is what proves the duration and the illumination as built, because a weak battery, an unmatched driver, a unit in an unheated space, and a remote head added beyond the listing are each invisible under normal power. (18.1)

18.2 After installation is complete and the batteries have been charged for not less than 24 hours, the Contractor shall perform a discharge test of every unit equipment, emergency battery pack, battery-equipped exit sign, and central inverter for the duration indicated in the datasheet, and shall record the result for each device.

Acceptance Discharge Test Durationrange

minutes

90120180240

Derived — the emergency duration selected under this standard (by default)

18.3 During the acceptance discharge test, the illumination along the path of egress travel shall be measured at the floor at the end of the duration with a calibrated illuminance meter, at not fewer than the points the acceptance test procedure identifies, and the measured values shall satisfy the end-of-duration levels and the uniformity limit required by this standard.

18.4 The transfer of every generator-fed and inverter-fed emergency lighting circuit shall be tested by interrupting the normal source, and the time from interruption to restored illumination shall be measured and recorded together with the continuity of illumination at every bridged location.

18.5 The control override of every switched or dimmed egress luminaire shall be tested by interrupting the normal source with the luminaire switched off and with it dimmed, and the luminaire shall go to full emergency output in each case.

18.6 Every exit sign shall be inspected for legend, letter color, faces, chevron direction, mounting, and visibility from each direction of approach it serves, and every photoluminescent sign and path marking shall be checked for the ambient charging illumination its listing requires.

18.7 A device that fails to sustain the full duration, a path that fails to meet the required illumination, or a circuit that fails to transfer within 10 seconds shall be corrected and retested, and the cost of the correction and of every repeated test shall be borne by the Contractor.

18.8 The acceptance test shall be witnessed by the Owner's representative where the datasheet requires witnessing.

Acceptance Test Witnessingradio

○ Witnessed by the Owner's representative

● Recorded by the Contractor without witnessing

18.9 Where the emergency lighting is served by a generator, the acceptance test shall be scheduled with the generator and transfer switch field tests required under GeneratorsEngine GeneratorsResolves to the current edition.sync/generators and Automatic Transfer SwitchesAutomatic Transfer SwitchesResolves to the current edition.sync/automatic-transfer-switches, so that the chain from source failure to restored illumination is verified as one system under Emergency And Standby PowerEmergency and Standby Power SystemsResolves to the current edition.sync/emergency-and-standby-power and CommissioningTotal Building CommissioningResolves to the current edition.sync/commissioning.

19 Delivery, Storage, and Handling

19.1 Equipment shall be delivered in the manufacturer's packaging with the listing marks intact, and shall be inspected for damage at receipt.

19.2 Battery-containing equipment shall be stored in a dry space within the manufacturer's published storage temperature range, and shall not be stored in a space that freezes or that exceeds the storage temperature the battery chemistry permits.

19.3 Battery-containing equipment shall be installed and its battery placed on charge within the shelf interval the manufacturer publishes for the chemistry, and equipment stored beyond that interval shall have its battery capacity verified by a discharge test or its battery replaced before acceptance.

NOTE A battery that sits discharged loses capacity it does not recover, and a lead-acid battery left uncharged for a season can fail the acceptance test on a unit that has never been energized. (19.4)

19.5 Lithium iron phosphate batteries shall be shipped, stored, and handled in accordance with the hazardous materials regulations that apply to them, and damaged lithium batteries shall be quarantined and returned to the manufacturer rather than installed.

19.6 Self-luminous signs shall be received, inventoried, and stored in accordance with the general license conditions under 10 CFR Part 32, and a damaged self-luminous sign shall be returned to the manufacturer and shall not be discarded.

20 Warranty

20.1 The manufacturer shall warrant each unit equipment, exit sign, emergency battery pack, and central inverter against defects in materials and workmanship for the period indicated in the datasheet, measured from the date of substantial completion.

Equipment Warranty Periodrange

years

123510

20.2 The manufacturer shall warrant every battery furnished for the period indicated in the datasheet, measured from the date of substantial completion.

Battery Warranty Periodrange

years

1235710

NOTE A five-year warranty on the electronics of LED emergency equipment is the manufacturer's standard offering across the market, which is why the equipment period carries a default; the battery period follows the chemistry, with a sealed lead-acid battery commonly warranted for one to three years, a nickel-cadmium or nickel-metal hydride battery for five to seven, and a lithium iron phosphate battery for five to ten, so no period is the norm and the field carries no default. (20.3)

20.4 Where the contract documents state a longer warranty period than the datasheet, the longer period shall govern.

20.5 A battery warranty that is prorated shall state the proration schedule in the warranty documentation, and a full-replacement warranty shall be stated as such.

20.6 The Contractor shall warrant the installation, including the connection of every unit and pack ahead of local controls, the wiring separation, the aiming, and the mounting, for the project warranty period.

20.7 A repair or replacement performed under this warranty shall itself be warranted for a full new term equal to the original period from the date the repair is completed, or for the remainder of the original period, whichever ends later.

21 Spare Parts

21.1 The Contractor shall deliver spare batteries for the unit equipment, the emergency battery packs, and the battery-equipped exit signs, in the quantity indicated in the datasheet as a percentage of the installed count of each battery type, and shall obtain a signed receipt for them.

Spare Batteries Furnishedrange

% of installed count of each battery type

251025

21.2 The Contractor shall deliver spare remote lamp heads, in the quantity indicated in the datasheet as a percentage of the installed count of each head type.

Spare Remote Lamp Heads Furnishedrange

% of installed count of each head type

251025

NOTE A spare quantity is sized to the installed count and to the Owner's maintenance program, so no quantity is the norm and neither field carries a default; a zero records that the Owner stocks nothing and replaces on failure. (21.3)

21.4 The other spare parts to be furnished shall be as indicated in the datasheet.

Other Spare Parts to Be Furnishedcheckbox

☐ One complete unit equipment of each type furnished

☐ One complete exit sign of each type and legend furnished

☐ One emergency battery pack of each type furnished

☐ One set of fuses for the central inverter

☐ One set of indicator lamps or indicators for the central inverter

☐ One polycarbonate guard of each type furnished

21.5 Spare parts shall be of the same manufacturer, model, and rating as the installed items, shall be delivered in their original packaging, and shall be labeled with the equipment type they serve and the date of manufacture of any battery.

21.6 Spare batteries shall be delivered within the shelf interval the manufacturer publishes for the chemistry, and the Owner's operation and maintenance data shall state the date by which each spare battery must be placed on charge or replaced.