Lighting Branch Circuit Calculations

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T-Wragg

Senior Member
Location
Paradise, California, USA
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
Does it state in the NEC that lighting loads are continuous? Is it just our knowledge that the circuits we are considering a calculation for are continuous? I was always taught to never load a lighting circuit to more than 80 %. Thank you, Trent
 

iwire

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Massachusetts
Does it state in the NEC that lighting loads are continuous? Is it just our knowledge that the circuits we are considering a calculation for are continuous? I was always taught to never load a lighting circuit to more than 80 %. Thank you, Trent

No it does not.

Lighting loads can be either continuous or not.

For instance the sales floor lighting in a store would be considered continuous. On the other hand a closet light would not be.

The determining factor is found in article 100.

Continuous Load. A load where the maximum current is expected to continue for 3 hours or more.
 
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