panelboard emergency lighting circuit

[johnmac53]

I have a regular lighting/receptacle panelboard located in a substation control building,in the design/engineering phase, one circuit is used to supply the emergency lighting. Does this circuit breaker need to be red and/or padlockable. Access to this panelboard is available to any worker in the substation, not normally occupied, for other service switching.
My interpretation is that based on Art 700 such an installation requires this feature, but I am overruled. Compliance with the code is required even though it is for a Municipal Utility.
Any comments?

 

[roger]

Re: panelboard emergency lighting circuit

Actually a dedicated circuit is a poor design, the EM lighting should be connected to a local lighting circuit in each area.

Roger

 

[eprice]

Re: panelboard emergency lighting circuit

Is the emergency lighting being provided by unit equipment as covered in 700.12(F)? If so, connecting the unit equipment to a dedicated circuit would be a violation of that section, which requires the unit equipment to be supplied from the same circuit as that serving the normal lighting in the area.

 

[jtester]

Re: panelboard emergency lighting circuit

You must keep in mind that "electric supply stations" which include substations not accessible to the public, generally aren't under the NEC, they are governed by the NESC. No question that the NEC is a reasonable reference given the almost complete lack of information in the NESC governing emergency lighting which is under NESC 111. Illumination.
However the NEC is not the recognized governing document in most cases.
Jim T