LED Site Lighting MOCP

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jmwest

Member
Location
Virginia
Trying to determine the maximum breaker size I can use for LED site lighting. NEC 210.23 (B) allows the use of a 30 amp circuit for heavy-duty lampholders. NEC 210.23 (C) also allows 40 and 50 amp circuits for heavy-duty lampholders. My understanding that heavy-duty lamp holders are those with a mogul base. Do LED fixture qualify for this? Unfortunately the 2011 NEC (used in my state) has not caught up with LED fixtures yet.
 

mattdb

Member
Trying to determine the maximum breaker size I can use for LED site lighting. NEC 210.23 (B) allows the use of a 30 amp circuit for heavy-duty lampholders. NEC 210.23 (C) also allows 40 and 50 amp circuits for heavy-duty lampholders. My understanding that heavy-duty lamp holders are those with a mogul base. Do LED fixture qualify for this? Unfortunately the 2011 NEC (used in my state) has not caught up with LED fixtures yet.

Would also like to see the answer to this one. Still not fixed in 2017 which we are on.
 

jmwest

Member
Location
Virginia
Would also like to see the answer to this one. Still not fixed in 2017 which we are on.

I've been researching this on the internet for several days now and haven't found anything on it. I'm surprised no one else has responded on this forum. I was beginning to think it was a stupid question and everyone was laughing. But then there are no stupid questions, especially when messing around with electricity. I asked a commercial electrical contractor friend the question and he didn't know the answer either. Also another electrical engineer didn't know for sure either and thought it was a good question. I'd sure like to hear from some other engineers on this forum.
 

LarryFine

Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
Location
Henrico County, VA
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
J.M., I'm pretty sure we'd be limited to a 20a circuit, but that should run a lot of LED's.

Welcome to the forum. Just curious, where in VA are you?
 

jmwest

Member
Location
Virginia
J.M., I'm pretty sure we'd be limited to a 20a circuit, but that should run a lot of LED's.

Welcome to the forum. Just curious, where in VA are you?

Larry,

I'm in Hartfield east of Richmond, near Deltaville.

You can't put many LED pole lights on a 20 amp circuit, even at 277V. I agree with you on the 20 amp limitation but because of the fixture wiring limitation in 240.5(2), not 210.23(B). 210.21(A) also states the 20 amp branch circuit limitation for other than heavy duty lampholders. The NEC handbook also states the intent is to limit fluorescent lighting ballast circuits to 20 amps. In my opinion, LED drivers fall into this same category. To get around this issue I'll be using 30 amp circuits with 20 amp in-line fuses at the pole bases.
 

mattdb

Member
This is what we got back from Durham NC inspections:

"210.23(B) is the code section.

It states fixed lighting units (which the lights you are referring to are) are allowed on a 30 amp circuit only if equipped with heavy duty lamp holders.

If you have fixed lighting units without heavy duty lamp holders or no lamp holders at all they would not be allowed on 30 amp circuits.

That section also allows a 30 amp circuit to supply utilization equipment, which the definition of in article 100 includes lighting but section 210.23 (B) specifically states only fixed lighting with heavy duty lamp holders."

Matt

Where are you installing the inline fuses?
 
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