Electrical Contracting News (ECN) September 2016 | Page 30

EMERGENCY LIGHTING

Taking control
However, as is often the case, there
is a simple solution. Many emergency
lighting systems already operate using
DALI protocol to control the luminaires,
and in recent years we have seen the
introduction of emergency lighting control
systems which use both KNX and DALI,
allowing for two way communication
between the luminaire and the control
system. Making this upgrade to an
advanced lighting control system, or
considering it when commissioning either
an extension or new build, can easily
eradicate the risk of any emergency
lighting system failure going unnoticed.
By using an advanced lighting control
system, such as Electrak Buscom with
Lightrak lighting control units, the end
user and the luminaire can effectively
communicate with each other. The
end user is able to programme the
luminaires to run the full three hour test
at specific times, monitor all fittings,
check they’re able to successfully switch
into emergency mode and then report
back on the status of the tests, what’s
happened, whether there have been any
failures and if any replacements need
to be made. Crucially, it can also alert
the building’s facilities manager if the
lamps within the fittings are working
or not. This is important as, even if the
luminaire’s battery is working, if there is
a fault with the lamp then the emergency
system will fail.

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However, an advanced lighting
control system really comes into its own
when feeding into a graphical interface
connected to the BMS, sometimes known
as a ‘head end’, which allows the end
user to extract all the information into an
easily digestible format, as well as control
scheduling of further tests. What’s more,
end users are also able to see a graphical
representation of floor layouts with specific
alert markers to point out where particular
fittings aren’t working. It can even be
programmed to deliver email or text alerts
straight to the building maintenance
team, informing them of any failures, and
whether the problem is with the battery,
the fitting, or the lamps, so they can fix
them right away.
As such, there is no need for manual
testing, and any potential faults can be
recorded automatically, removing the risk
of human error and any associated effects
on an emergency lighting system.

Final thoughts
Ultimately, from the end user’s perspective,
monitoring and controlling an emergency
lighting system via the use of advanced
lighting control will remove a very long
winded and time consuming maintenance
process, as well as the associated risk of
potential human error in not testing any
lights correctly or failing to log any repairs
that need to be made.
In effect, it offers full reassurance that
the emergency lighting system is fully

In UK commercial buildings a functional test of the
emergency lighting system must be done once a month.

“

EMERGENCY LIGHTING SYSTEMS ARE
A LEGAL REQUIREMENT IN ANY PUBLIC
BUILDING, IN LINE WITH BS5266-1:2011.

operational and will be guaranteed to
perform its essential job in the event of
an emergency. Given the widespread
advances in technology in recent years,
employers cannot afford to fall short in
this department.

Investing in an advanced lighting control
system can take the risk out of emergency
lighting systems, giving employers peace
of mind that – if disaster does strike – they
can rely on their lighting system to guide
employees to a swift and safe exit.

8/3/16 2:45 PM
10/08/2016 16:26