EBU or Integral Light Fixture Battery?

[designer82]

What is the reason to specify either EBU'S (Emerg. Battery Units) vs. Light Fixtures w/ integral battery backup?

Thanks

 

[raberding]

IMO it's a balance of Cost vs Appearance

 

[designer82]

IMO it's a balance of Cost vs Appearance

Thanks for the response. So are the EBU'S generally cheaper?

 

[gadfly56]

Thanks for the response. So are the EBU'S generally cheaper?

When you say "EBU", do you mean a central battery going out to the lights?

 

[brantmacga]

Thanks for the response. So are the EBU'S generally cheaper?

It depends. I've had some jobs where integral batteries may only add $60-$80 per fixture, and at that cost, I'm using integral batteries. My breakeven will be around $70 per fixture considering the additional labor/material needed for an EBU. I'd still rather take the labor time-savings at $100/ea so I can keep the job moving.

 

[designer82]

When you say "EBU", do you mean a central battery going out to the lights?

I mean something like this

 

[gadfly56]

I mean something like this

View attachment 2563742

EBU's are flexible in terms of location, and you can get combination EBU/Exit units, killing two birds with one stone. They are also dirt cheap, much cheaper than adding an emergency ballast and batteries to the normal fixtures. Depending on the fixture, they may not be offered in an emergency configuration, depending on if you or an architect are selecting the fixtures. As brantmaga points out, there is extra labor for the EBU's, so it really comes down to the kind of space you have and what your labor costs are. You have a 50 foot corridor, maybe you put in an emergency ballast, but at one or both ends you have to put and emergency exit light, so you have that cabling anyway, you'd be better off putting in a combo unit(s) instead. Or you have a warehouse; you'll need EBU's on the perimeter unless you can arrange emergency power for some of the HID's or whatever general lighting the warehouse has.

 

[Sparky2791]

EBU's are flexible in terms of location, and you can get combination EBU/Exit units, killing two birds with one stone. They are also dirt cheap, much cheaper than adding an emergency ballast and batteries to the normal fixtures. Depending on the fixture, they may not be offered in an emergency configuration, depending on if you or an architect are selecting the fixtures. As brantmaga points out, there is extra labor for the EBU's, so it really comes down to the kind of space you have and what your labor costs are. You have a 50 foot corridor, maybe you put in an emergency ballast, but at one or both ends you have to put and emergency exit light, so you have that cabling anyway, you'd be better off putting in a combo unit(s) instead. Or you have a warehouse; you'll need EBU's on the perimeter unless you can arrange emergency power for some of the HID's or whatever general lighting the warehouse has.

Who uses ballasts and HID's anymore, I assume you mean you mean emergency battery for LED drivers.

 

[gadfly56]

Who uses ballasts and HID's anymore, I assume you mean you mean emergency battery for LED drivers.

I admit to complete ignorance regarding the preferred lighting equipment for high-bay luminaires on new installations nowadays. I am mostly going off what I see from time to time.