110.26 D - Illumination in electrical rooms

[steve66]

I know this has been debated before, occupancy sensors need a by pass switch, but what is the point in having the sensors when someone will just turn on the bypass switch and leave it on forever.

I have an electrical room with 6 lights. I'm thinking about leaving 4 lights on a typical occupancy sensor, and just controlling the other two lights with a regular on/off switch. Would that be code compliant with 110.26(D)? Or could that paragraph be interpreted to mean "none of the lights shall have automatic only control"?

This building just so happens to have an emergency generator, and ATS's in the electrical room. So the two lights I would switch also have generator power and battery backup.

 

[cppoly]

From what I’m interpreting in 110.26(D) “shall not be controlled by automatic means only”. It sounds like an occupancy sensor would be allowed if there’s a pushbutton (manual control) on the sensor which is basically every type of wall mounted occupancy sensor switch. The sensor times out in 30 minutes anyway so the lights would never be on forever. Ceiling occupancy sensors sound like they wouldn’t be allowed unless provided with a manual wall switch. But either way in a switchgear room, I would just install a manual switch for safety concerns even if the lights remain on forever (although I think most facilities personnel would be mindful and turn the lights off). I wouldn’t want the lights going off from an occupancy sensor if someone is working on a switchgear with their head in there and the sensor times out. Sorry I didn't directly answer your question.