The adoption of the 2011 NEC is a long ways off but we all need to start early to have any hope of getting something changed. I have been told many times that a single person does not have the clout to get a change made but if backed by an organization, a city or even a union then there is enough interest to get it considered. I am offering this change with the idea of having other understand my reasoning and willing to help push this through (if you agree with me).
a. I am proposing a change to Article 220.43(b) regarding the calculating of the electrical load for light track installations.
b. My proposal would be to eliminate or reduce the minimum required load applied to a light track. The present code requirement calls for a load of 150 watts per 2 foot of track or the actual connect load applied to that track, which ever is greater.
c. This load requirement for track light originated in the 1993 or 1996 NEC and at that time there were no adopted energy codes dealing with energy efficient lighting or reduced lighting watts. Since that time codes have been adopted to reduce lighting. Working with today?s building codes and energy codes we are forced to provide transformer capacity and services for a lighting load that cannot existing within the space (unless illegally installed by a third party).
d. This requirement of the NEC was intended to makes sure that a tenant or building owner would have ample capacity if additional track lighting were installed. But in today?s retail design the tenant or owner pays the engineer to calculate the acceptable lighting load and to design a space with as much flexibility in the lighting as possible. There is no common sense in installing 15,000 watts of lighting and providing 50,000 of capacity. Energy codes will not allow that kind of increase.
e. We need to bring the National Electrical Code in line with the Energy codes and not force the build owner to pay for capacity that will never be used. Maybe the solution is to have the NEC require a minimum amount to capacity as allowed by the energy code.
Thank you for the opportunity for me to present this idea to this form.
a. I am proposing a change to Article 220.43(b) regarding the calculating of the electrical load for light track installations.
b. My proposal would be to eliminate or reduce the minimum required load applied to a light track. The present code requirement calls for a load of 150 watts per 2 foot of track or the actual connect load applied to that track, which ever is greater.
c. This load requirement for track light originated in the 1993 or 1996 NEC and at that time there were no adopted energy codes dealing with energy efficient lighting or reduced lighting watts. Since that time codes have been adopted to reduce lighting. Working with today?s building codes and energy codes we are forced to provide transformer capacity and services for a lighting load that cannot existing within the space (unless illegally installed by a third party).
d. This requirement of the NEC was intended to makes sure that a tenant or building owner would have ample capacity if additional track lighting were installed. But in today?s retail design the tenant or owner pays the engineer to calculate the acceptable lighting load and to design a space with as much flexibility in the lighting as possible. There is no common sense in installing 15,000 watts of lighting and providing 50,000 of capacity. Energy codes will not allow that kind of increase.
e. We need to bring the National Electrical Code in line with the Energy codes and not force the build owner to pay for capacity that will never be used. Maybe the solution is to have the NEC require a minimum amount to capacity as allowed by the energy code.
Thank you for the opportunity for me to present this idea to this form.
