We have a project with whole building backed up by a generator. That means the service main is feeding to the automatic transfer switch and generator to connect to the other leg of the ATS. How to you guys approach the life safty emergency lighting circuits design. Are you still using a separate ATS for the circuits? Thanks.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
emergency lighting circuits
- Thread starter dahualin
- Start date
- Status
- Not open for further replies.
MIEngineer
Member
- Location
- Michigan
If you are having the generator supply the egress lighting then a separate transfer switch is required per 700.17. If each egress light has the integrated battery pack then a separate transfer switch is not required. That's the way we've been doing it, at least.
Corey Zachel
Member
- Location
- Northwest Ohio
two breakers in the generator, one for a lighting panel and the other for other emergency loads. now if you have a fire pump too then your one breaker feeds that and the other feeds a panel that feeds the two previous mentioned panels with separate ats's.
Thanks for the response.
If you think about the normal power for the emergency lighting circuit is fed by the switchboard which is backed up by the generator with ATS no. 1. How can the separate ATS (we say no.2) for emergency lighting circuit is going to work? When the generator start, it will provide power through switchboard to the lighting circuit. Any thought is welcome.
If you think about the normal power for the emergency lighting circuit is fed by the switchboard which is backed up by the generator with ATS no. 1. How can the separate ATS (we say no.2) for emergency lighting circuit is going to work? When the generator start, it will provide power through switchboard to the lighting circuit. Any thought is welcome.
hillbilly1
Senior Member
- Location
- North Georgia mountains
- Occupation
- Owner/electrical contractor
Thanks for the response.
If you think about the normal power for the emergency lighting circuit is fed by the switchboard which is backed up by the generator with ATS no. 1. How can the separate ATS (we say no.2) for emergency lighting circuit is going to work? When the generator start, it will provide power through switchboard to the lighting circuit. Any thought is welcome.
It's kinda redundant, but if you did not have the battery backup, and the generator feed fails for the switch gear, then the second switch and feed automatically takes over. It's mainly done that way if your non-critical loads overload or have a short circuit that trips the switch gear feed from the generator, life safety will still work. Some systems are set up with a shunt trip breaker that drops the non-critical load if it gets above the setpoint on the load management system.
MIEngineer
Member
- Location
- Michigan
You can have the generator supply both the egress lighting and general lighting from the same distribution equipment but it must be a switchboard. A panelboard does not provide the physical separation required (taken from NEC 2005 Handbook).
We have used multiple breakers at the generator as others have mentioned; one to ATS-1 (general lighting & equipment) and ATS-2 (egress lighting).
We have used multiple breakers at the generator as others have mentioned; one to ATS-1 (general lighting & equipment) and ATS-2 (egress lighting).
- Status
- Not open for further replies.