Dual Circuit Lighting Track and NEC article 700

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patrox2000

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Baltimore, MD
I have a project where it has been proposed to use dual circuit lighting track with one circuit used for normal power lights and the other circuit used for emergency lights. Someone reviewing the project electrical drawings said this would violate NEC 700.10(B).

NEC 700.10(B)(2) says "Wiring supplied from two sources in exit or emergency luminaires" is permitted, so you can have both normal and emergency wiring entering a luminaire.

NEC 100 defines luminaire as "a complete lighting unit consisting of a light source such as a lamp or lamps, together with the parts designed to position the light source and connect it to the power supply. It may also include parts to protect the light source or the ballast or to distribute the light. A lampholder itself is not a luminaire."

Based on the definition of a luminaire, the track and the track heads together make up a luminaire. This is obvious but the reviewer doesn't buy it. He wants to know if the track and heads are UL listed for emergency operation, which doesn't make sense because, as far as I know, UL924 and 1008 don't apply to luminaires but to bypass and transfer equipment.

My questions are:

1. Are track and track heads ever UL listed for emergency operation?
2. Are there any NEC based arguments for track and track heads as a system to not be considered a luminaire?

Please provide answers/arguments based on the NEC or UL standards. I have been through too many discussions based on speculation.

Thanks.
 
iwire

iwire

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Any two, or three circuit track I have ever worked with uses a common neutral conductor therefore you cannot supply it from different panels at the same time.

In my opinion that ends the idea right there.
 
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patrox2000

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Baltimore, MD
iwire said:
Any two, or three circuit track I have ever worked with uses a common neutral conductor therefore you cannot supply it from different panels at the same time.

In my opinion that ends the idea right there.
Click to expand...

The track my lighting designer is specifying will have dedicated neutrals.
 
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david

Senior Member
Location
Pennsylvania
patrox2000 said:
I have a project where it has been proposed to use dual circuit lighting track with one circuit used for normal power lights and the other circuit used for emergency lights. Someone reviewing the project electrical drawings said this would violate NEC 700.10(B).
My questions are:
1. Are track and track heads ever UL listed for emergency operation?

Please provide answers/arguments based on the NEC or UL standards. I have been through too many discussions based on speculation.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

My thought would be if the fixture has a thermal overload than the fixture would not be suitable for egress emergency lighting as you described the application.

I further doubt UL would list any fixture with thermal over load protection as suitable for emergency lighting

look at 410.130 (E) (4) 2008

"Section 410.130(E)(4) exempts egress lighting from the thermal protection requirement for the same reason that exit signs are exempt. However, this exemption applies to egress lighting that is energized only during the emergency condition"
NFPA Handbook comment
 
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sterry

Member
Location
New York NY
patrox2000 said:
I have a project where it has been proposed to use dual circuit lighting track with one circuit used for normal power lights and the other circuit used for emergency lights. Someone reviewing the project electrical drawings said this would violate NEC 700.10(B).

NEC 700.10(B)(2) says "Wiring supplied from two sources in exit or emergency luminaires" is permitted, so you can have both normal and emergency wiring entering a luminaire.

NEC 100 defines luminaire as "a complete lighting unit consisting of a light source such as a lamp or lamps, together with the parts designed to position the light source and connect it to the power supply. It may also include parts to protect the light source or the ballast or to distribute the light. A lampholder itself is not a luminaire."

Based on the definition of a luminaire, the track and the track heads together make up a luminaire. This is obvious but the reviewer doesn't buy it. He wants to know if the track and heads are UL listed for emergency operation, which doesn't make sense because, as far as I know, UL924 and 1008 don't apply to luminaires but to bypass and transfer equipment.

My questions are:

1. Are track and track heads ever UL listed for emergency operation?
2. Are there any NEC based arguments for track and track heads as a system to not be considered a luminaire?

Please provide answers/arguments based on the NEC or UL standards. I have been through too many discussions based on speculation.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

If the track-mounted luminaires contain a control input, they become Directly Controlled Luminaires per NEC 700.2 and 700.24. This requires them to be Listed for emergency under UL924.

Specific wording on Directly Controlled Luminaires was added to the 10th edition of UL924 on March 9, 2017. Therefore, it is reasonable to expect that manufacturers will now start obtaining a UL924 listings on Directly Controlled Luminaires.

As to the question of the 2-circuit track and separation of circuits, there is no specific allowance in 700.10(B) for such an arrangement. Therefore, it could be argued that the current NEC does not allow such an arrangement. However, I think a discussion with the applicable AHJ would be the best course of action. In addition, who knows what proposals might be made in the 2020 Code Cycle, even by yourself?
 
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