Commercial building emergency lighting question

[lineman_16735]

Can someone point me to a NEC reference to emergency lighting? I was recently informed that I must have atleast 3 phases of general lighting in the retail, and storage areas of a commercial store, or I need atleast two emergency lighting circuits. I was baffled by this as I have searched article 500 top to bottom, and can find no such reference. Am I missing something here?


Thanks,

Chris

 

[infinity]

I'm not sure that I understand the question. Generally a battery backup piece of unit equipment would have to be supplied by the lighting circuit within that location unless there are 3 or more lighting circuits supplying an uninterrupted area. This is in Article 700 not 500.

700.12(F)Exception: In a separate and uninterrupted area supplied by a minimum of three normal lighting circuits, a separate branch circuit for unit equipment shall be permitted if it originates from the same panelboard as that of the normal lighting circuits and is provided with a lock-on feature.
IV. Emergency System Circuits for Lighting and Power

 

[lineman_16735]

Sorry about the typo, I did mean 700. I did phrase my question poorly. the inspector was adamant in that I needed 3 phases, of lighting and not 3 circuits. It was not a problem as i had three phases of lighting, but if I had 2 circuits on 1 phase and 1 on another he would have failed me. This is why I was confused. Thanks for your response.

Chris

 

[hornetd]

Inspector preference strikes again.

Inspector preference strikes again.

Three phase is not what the code says but that does not make it worth fighting the inspector. I will bet a dollar to the hole in a donut that the inspector is not a nationally certified electrical inspector.
--
Tom Horne