Battery Packs in a building with an emergency generator

[JasonLSelf]

I have an emergency generator and all that entails at the facility I am designing, as such most of the emergency lighting and exit lighting is served by this generator. I have a couple of areas where due to aesthetics we have selected fixtures that are only available as battery powered emergency lights. The plan I had was to feed them from the normal lighting circuits, however the Electrical Contractor is suggesting that this would be a code violation of some sort since we have emergency power available from the generator. Does anyone know if this is a true statement? I can't think of where in a code this is true.

Thanks for all of your help!

 

[ron]

There are some jurisdiction that require you to power certain loads from the generator if it is installed, even if you have local batteries. The NEC or IBC does not.

 

[mgookin]

Are you asking if you can feed battery powered emergency lights from an emergency generator?​

 

[GoldDigger]

If you have unit lights that are normally switched but come on automatically when their always-hot power lead goes off, you must not feed that lead from the generator.

 

[jap]

If you have unit lights that are normally switched but come on automatically when their always-hot power lead goes off, you must not feed that lead from the generator.

The last job we bid had the Emergency Lights fed off of normal power and Generator Power through a Generator Transfer Relay for each circuit.
The Spec's also called for an Emergency Ballast to be installed in the fixtures with a suffix of "EM" as a 3rd backup.
The Battery Backup was a backup for the generator which was the backup for the utility power.


JAP>

 

[GoldDigger]

The last job we bid had the Emergency Lights fed off of normal power and Generator Power through a Generator Transfer Relay for each circuit.
The Spec's also called for an Emergency Ballast to be installed in the fixtures with a suffix of "EM" as a 3rd backup.
The Battery Backup was a backup for the generator which was the backup for the utility power.


JAP>

That works fine when the designated fixture is intended to always be on.

 

[jap]

That works fine when the designated fixture is intended to always be on.

?

 

[david]

Electrical Contractor is suggesting that this would be a code violation of some sort since we have emergency power available from the generator. Does anyone know if this is a true statement? I can't think of where in a code this is true.Thanks for all of your help!

If unit equipment is allowed to be the source for egress lighting in the facility you should be fine. There are some occupant classifications where the emergency source is defined.

 

[fmtjfw]

That works fine when the designated fixture is intended to always be on.

The EM ballast is fed by an unswitched branch circuit conductor on the same branch circuit that feeds the normal ballast (with or without a switch).

 

[jap]

The EM ballast is fed by an unswitched branch circuit conductor on the same branch circuit that feeds the normal ballast (with or without a switch).

:thumbsup:

jap>

 

[JFletcher]

I have an emergency generator and all that entails at the facility I am designing, as such most of the emergency lighting and exit lighting is served by this generator. I have a couple of areas where due to aesthetics we have selected fixtures that are only available as battery powered emergency lights. The plan I had was to feed them from the normal lighting circuits, however the Electrical Contractor is suggesting that this would be a code violation of some sort since we have emergency power available from the generator. Does anyone know if this is a true statement? I can't think of where in a code this is true.

Thanks for all of your help!

??? No hard wiring?

Tho pricey, you could use something like this. May be cheaper than a regular battery back up sign with the asociated wiring... and they look nice too.

 

[ASG]

The problem might be that if the power goes out for more than 90 minutes (or the length of the battery), that, according to the building code, once those lights go out, the lighting is now not up to Code required illumination and is now not allowed to be occupied. So it depends on if the building is intending to be occupied when the building is on generator power.