Emergency Lighting Introduction
Introduction
Emergency evacuation lighting is designed
to automatically provide adequate lighting
levels and signage for the safe evacuation of
humans from buildings in the
event of electricity supply
failure to the normal lighting
of the building
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Basic terminology concepts & technology
Exit Signs
Emergency Lighting
Power Packs & Accessories
Basic terminology,
concepts &
technology
Single Point Units
• The term for an emergency light fitting
(unit) that stands alone (at a single point)
and includes its own rechargeable battery
and charger equipment. When normal
mains power fails, it automatically
energises its emergency lamp until the
power is restored or the battery discharges
Types of Single Point Units (SPU)
• Maintained – contains one lamp that is
used for dual purpose of normal (AC
mains) lighting and for emergency lighting.
The light output is maintained
even when the power has
failed.
Types of Single Point Units (SPU)
• Non-Maintained – uses one lamp that
does not normally light the surrounding
area but only uses that lamp for
emergency purposes. The
light output is on only when
the power fails.
Types of Single Point Units (SPU)
• Combined Maintained – are a two lamp
combination of normal lighting and
maintained emergency lighting located
side by side in the same luminaire. Both
lamps are used for normal lighting and one
of these is also used for
emergency lighting when
the power fails.
Types of Single Point Units (SPU)
• Sustained (now called Combined NonMaintained) – are a two lamp combination of
normal lighting and non-maintained emergency
lighting located side by side within the same
luminaire. One lamp is used for normal lighting
and the other for emergency
lighting. The light output is
sustained even when the
power has failed.
Direct & indirect lighting
• Direct lighting – a system of lighting in
which most of the light emitted is directed
towards the surface to be lit, usually in a
downward direction.
• Indirect lighting – a system in which most
of the light is provided by
reflection from ceilings,
walls or other surfaces
Mains connections
• Unswitched active – the unswitched
supply is used to charge the battery and is
monitored to determine the supply status.
It therefore must be present at all times to
ensure reliable operation of the
emergency function.
Mains connections
• Switched active – some emergency light
fittings have two active connections,
switched and unswitched. The nonemergency part of those fittings can be
turned ON and OFF in the same
manner as conventional light
fittings.
Communications & Emergency Lighting
• The Australian Standard AS2293.2 requires emergency light fittings
to be tested every 6 months. On large sites this is a particularly
cumbersome exercise.
• Computerised emergency lighting systems are a combination of a
communication network and emergency lighting.
• They allow the control and testing of a large series of emergency
lights from a single PC
• The Stanilite monitoring system is called Nexus. There are currently
two Nexus systems available:
– Nexus LX: data cable monitoring system
– Nexus RF: wireless monitoring system
Rechargeable Battery Technology
• There are 3 types of batteries used in emergency lighting
– Sealed Lead Acid (SLA)
– Nickel Cadmium (NiCad)
– Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH)
• Each of these types of battery has it’s place depending
upon the cost and performance required from a unit.
Rechargeable Battery Technology
• There are 4 primary factors affecting battery life
–
–
–
–
Improper charging
Elevated temperature
Continuous overcharging
Depth of discharge
Lamp Technology
There are 3 types of lamp used in Stanilite emergency lighting
• Fluorescent
– Reliable
– easy to replace
– 10W most common in Exits
– up to 1 year lamp life
Lamp Technology
• Stanilite Lumatec Cold Cathode
– very reliable
– easy to replace
– Less than 7W means energy savings of
up to 300% over conventional 10W fluoro
based product
– up to 6 year lamp life means further
cost savings
– CCFL lamps do no burn out which is
the primary cause of Exit sign failure
Lamp Technology
• Halogen – a specialised type of incandescent lamp used
in downlight emergency luminaires and flood lights. They
produce a crisp, white light and allow precise light
focusing whilst reducing energy consumption.
Charging Technology
There are 3 types of battery charging techniques used for NiCad & NiMH batteries
• Single Rate – charges the battery at a constant current regardless of time or
battery condition. This method is cheap but will shortened battery life
• Dual Rate – after an AC failure, the dual rate charger switches to a higher
charging current for a timed period, then switches to a lower rate. Prolongs
battery life however may not fully charge the battery and at the low rate may not
maintain a full charge. This method is the most expensive.
• Variable Rate – varies the current according to the battery “charged” condition.
Higher rate after an AC failure but reduces as battery capacity is restored.
Prolongs battery life and provides good recharge even at elevated temperatures.
The best option in terms of performance and cost.
Codes & Standards
• The BCA sets the rules and regulations
for the construction of all types of
buildings. When an emergency and
exit lighting design is required, the
BCA must first be consulted to
determine the class of structure and
the requirements.
• AS/NZS 2293 must then be used to
determine the spacings for different
classifications of lights as well as
physical installation conditions
Codes & Standards
• AS/NZS 2293 is broken into 3 parts
– System, Design & Installation
• Eg spacings, labeling, control, commissioning etc
– Inspection & Maintenance
• Eg Emergency lighting is to be tested every 6 months
and results recorded in a logbook etc
– Emergency Luminaires & Exit Signs
• Eg Colours, markings, compliance testing etc
IP Rating
• You will often hear the term IP rating used throughout the
industry. The Ingress Protection (IP) rating indicates the
degree of protection provided by an enclosure from solid
objects & water.
• Within lighting this term is most often used in relation to
Weatherproof Fittings.
• The IP rating consists of 2 numbers eg IP65. The first
number indicates the protection from solid objects such as
dust. The second number refers to the protection against
water. The higher the numbers the better the degree of
protection.
• The maximum rating is IP68
EXIT Signs
Indicate a path of egress (escape)
Exit Signs
• The Australian emergency lighting industry is about to undergo the most
significant change in some years.
• AS2293, the standard governing emergency evacuation lighting has
been updated as of mid 2005 and came into force when the Building
Code was re-released in May 2006.
• The most significant change is the move away from using the word
EXIT on all signs, to the use of an international “moving person”
pictograph
• The standard also sets out the maximum
viewing distance of signs and introduces
the potential for a 16m viewing distance
sign of which there are currently none on
the market.
Viewing distances
• With respect to EXIT signs, one of the issues
that AS/NZS 2293 deals with is maximum
viewing distances i.e what is the maximum
distance at which a given sign is deemed to be
effective in guiding egress.
• The most critical element here is the physical
size of elements on the sign. Previously, the
smallest sign was a 24m viewing distance
however the revised AS2293:2005 recognises
sizes from 16m to 40m
Configurations
• There are 4 basic configurations of
Exit sign that need to be understood
– Single sided – means that it can only be read from one side
– Double sided – means the EXIT sign is legible from both sides
– No diffuser but including Back Plate - means it is a single sided sign
with the diffuser missing.
– No diffuser or back plate – means that only the body of the unit is
supplied
• Note that each range handles these configurations slightly
differently but the underlying philosophy holds
Mounting options
• There are 6 basic mounting options
for Exit signs that need to be understood
– Wall Mount
• Surface
• Recessed
• Cantilever
– Ceiling Mount
• Surface
• Recessed
• Suspended
Wall mounting options
• Surface wall mount
– the unit sits in a horizontal position attached
parallel to the surface of the wall either
directly or via a bracket
• Recessed wall mount
– the unit sits in a horizontal position
recessed into the surface of the wall so the
face sits flush with the surface
• Cantilever wall mount
– the unit sits in a horizontal position attached
perpendicular to the wall via a bracket
Ceiling mounting options
• Surface ceiling mount
– the unit is fixing directly onto the ceiling
which can apply to battens, downlights or
exits
• Recessed ceiling mount
– in the case of an exit sign, the control gear
is recessed into the ceiling and only the
diffuser protrudes downwards.
• Suspended ceiling mount
– some or all of the unit is suspended via wire
or chain from the ceiling. The control gear
may be surface or recess mounted to the
ceiling
Exit Lighting
• Thomas & Betts market Exit Lights in 3
ranges
Economy Series
Quickfit Series
Legend Series
Economy Exit Lights
• The Economy 10W Exit gives the contractor a good
quality “box” style Exit for both the replacement and new
construction markets.
• Peel off arrow diffusers in 3 mounting options – Wall
Mount, Single Sided Ceiling and Double Sided Ceiling
• Opal or prismatic diffusers available for use as a safety
light
Economy Exit Lights
• Bodies and diffusers are sold separately
• Large 16mm2 mains terminal with switched active option
for easy installation
• Standard with high temperature NiCad batteries with 2
hour discharge rating
Quickfit Exit Lights
• The Stanilite Quickfit is the market standard for Exit
lights and is the most widely used product.
• Pivotal to the success of the Quickfit range has been the
unique steel slide connect
bracket allowing any Quickfit
to be swapped or upgraded
without tools.
Quickfit Exit Lights
• The Quickfit bracket comes with large 16mm terminals
for easy installation
• The integral full length cable cover provides safe and
accessible power cable junctioning
• All Quickfits can be wall or ceiling
mounted with the same diffuser
• To minimise construction phase
damage, only the Quickfit bracket
needs to be installed during fitout
Quickfit Exit Lights
• The Quickfit range comprises
– Cold Cathode EXIT series
– 10W EXIT series
– Cold Cathode & 10W Theatre EXIT series
– Weatherproof EXIT series
• All 10W EXITS come complete in one box with either
single or double sided peel off arrow diffusers until the
change to pictograph in May 2006
• All series are available in Nexus compatible models
Quickfit Exit Lights
• The Quickfit is comprised of three standard parts
– Ceiling bracket
– Body (incorporating the lamp, batteries & control
gear)
– Diffuser/s and/or backplate
Quickfit Exit Lights
• Additional parts are available as optional extras eg
cantilever brackets
• Quickfits use NiCd batteries with variable rate charging
• Both maintained and sustained models are available
• In addition to the standard range, the Quickfit is also
available in an 18W Standard and Jumbo for use in
many commercial and industrial applications
• Weatherproof range also available
Legend Exit Lights
• The Legend is the elegant Stanilite edgelight EXIT
• Features unique prismatic diffusers that provide discreet
yet highly visible exit directions at all times.
• Recessed, surface or wall mount
options available
• Available in Cold Cathode and
10W models
• Nexus option available
Emergency Lighting
Provide a minimum light level throughout an area to enable
occupants to transverse through that area
Photometric Data
• Emergency fittings are available in several different types to suit various
applications. Each fitting has a Photometric classification that is used
with a spacing table to determine spacings for given mounting heights.
• The resultant spacings provide the required AS2293 minimum of 0.2 Lux
of emergency lighting in an area.
• For large areas, multiple fittings are simply mounted in a grid determined
by the calculated spacings. Batten fittings have different spacings in the
“X” (C0 & C180) and “Y” (C90) planes due to the shape of the lamp and
reflective surfaces. It is important therefore that the battens are correctly
orientated
• Recessed downlights have a single classification which determines their
spacing in both directions
Photometric Data Table
Photometric Data
• Simple example
– EBT136M batten
– Photometric classifications
C0 = D32 & C90 = C32
– At a ceiling height of 3m
this means that the battens
can be a maximum of
17.2m apart in the X plane
and 11.8m apart in the Y
plane
Max
17.2m
Max
11.8m
Emergency Lighting
• Thomas & Betts market Emergency Lights
in 3 ranges –
Halogen Downlights
Fluorescent Battens
Halogen Flood Units
Emergency Halogen Downlights
• Thomas & Betts market 3 ranges of halogen
downlights–
10W Economy Spitfire
10W Spitfire
7W Spitfire
Spitfire 10W
• Market leading D20 classified emergency downlight
• 3 main components – remote charging & control unit, battery
pack & spinning (lamp assembly)
• Utilises NiCad batteries
• Variable rate charging using lightweight, lower profile pack
• Operates in the non-maintained mode only
Spitfire 10W
• Predominantly recessed but a surface mount option is
available
• Available with small (85mm) or large (141mm) heads
• Lampheads available with a clear dome or in a IP65
Weatherproof configuration
• Nexus compatible model available
Spitfire 7W
• D12.5 classified recessed emergency downlight
• 3 main components – remote charging & control unit,
battery pack & spinning
• Utilises NiCd batteries that outperform SLAs
• Variable rate charging using lightweight, lower profile pack
• Operates in the non-maintained mode only
• Available with small (85mm) or large (141mm) heads
• Available with clear dome
Economy Spitfire
• D10 classified recessed emergency downlight
• 3 main components – remote charging & control unit,
battery pack & spinning
• Utilises Sealed Lead Acid (SLA) batteries
• Constant rate charging and operates in the nonmaintained mode only
• Standard with large (141mm) head
• Available with clear dome
Emergency Battens
• Emergency battens are designed to provide
large amounts of light in a general nature. These
units are primarily used back of house, carparks,
warehousing & other large open spaces
Emergency Battens
• Thomas & Betts market 5 main ranges of battens –
PBAT - Premium
EBAT - Economy
EW – Economy
Weatherproof
WP – Premium
Weatherproof
VP – Vandal proof
EBAT - Economy Battens
• Available in 18W & 36W models, single or twin lamped
• Maintained or non-maintained
• Available in bare, prismatic diffused or wireguard
combinations
• Standard with hi-temp NiCad batteries
• Large 16mm terminals with switched active option
(maintained only)
• Supplied without lamps
• Use Davis metalwork
PBAT - Premium Battens
• Available in 18W, 36W & 58W models, single or twin
lamped
• Superior photometric performance means fewer fittings
are needed in an area which reduces installation, running
and maintenance costs
• Maintained or non-maintained
• Available in bare, prismatic diffused or wireguard
combinations
• Standard with advanced hi-temp NiCad batteries and
electronic ballasts
• Nexus compatible models available
• Supplied without lamps
WP - Premium Weatherproof Battens
• Available in 18W, 36W & 58W models, single or twin lamped
• Superior photometric performance means fewer fittings are needed in
an area which reduces installation, running and maintenance costs
• IP65 rated and therefore suited to a wide range of commercial &
industrial applications
• Maintained, non-maintained or AC only
• Batten consists of high quality glass reinforced polyester (GRP) base
and a tough polycarbonate diffuser with stainless steel clips
• Standard with advanced hi-temp NiCad batteries
• Nexus compatible models available
• Supplied without lamps
EW - Economy Weatherproof Battens
• Available in 18W & 36W models, single or twin lamped
• Maintained or AC only
• Batten consists of tough polycarbonate base with the
option of an acrylic or poycarbonate diffuser both with
stainless steel clips
• Standard with advanced hi-temp NiCad batteries
• Supplied without lamps
VP - Vandalproof Battens
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Available in 18W & 36W models, single or twin lamped
Designed to maintain high luminance, strength & reliability
Maintained only
Batten consists of an aluminium body and end caps, anti
tamper cover screws and a 3mm thick UV stabilised,
polycarbonate lens
Standard with advanced hi-temp NiCad batteries
Nexus compatible models available
Supplied without lamps
Vandalproof key tool required for
installation
Emergency Floodlights
• There are 2 ranges of halogen Flood Units available
EFL – Economy
Flood Units
FL –Flood Units
Economy Flood Units
• 2 x 8W Halogen Emergency Floodlight
• Provides indirect light
• Large twin lamps that can be individually angled to suit
installation
• Standard with flex & plug means no wiring
• Uses SLA battery with 2 hr discharge rating
Flood Units
• 12W Sealed beam, 20W Halogen &
35W Sealed Beam Lamp Head options
• Standard or Nexus monitored options
• Provides indirect light
• Large twin lamps that can be individually
angled to suit installation
• Steel enclosure
• Standard with flex & plug means no wiring
• Uses SLA battery with 2 hr discharge rating
• Optional 20W remote lamp head mounting base
Power Packs &
Accessories
Power packs
• Thomas & Betts provide a complete range of emergency lighting power
packs for retrofitting into luminaires often by other OEMs
• T5, T8 and special lamp types are available
• 2 series are available, the EPP Economy packs and the PP Premium
packs.
• PP packs offer better overall performance & are available in Nexus
compatible models.
• All packs use 105 deg C rated electronics
and advanced NiCad battery packs
Spare Parts & Accessories
• Thomas & Betts also supply a range of emergency
lighting accessories such as logbooks, testing units
• All of the major components are also available as spare
parts eg batteries, power packs, lamps & diffusers
Test switch
Battery pack
Log book
And lots more….
• You have come to the conclusion of the introductory lighting
module. Please note that this module has only given you a
brief overview of the range. There are several specialist
product areas that we have not explored and significant
detail within each section that has not been discussed.
• If you need or want to know more, please ensure that you go
through the more advanced modules as they become
available.
• To register your completion of this course, please email the
Human Resources department: julean.lipsham@tnb.com
EXIT