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Emergency lighting has two functions. In the event of power failure, emergency lighting ensures that persons can leave the building quickly and safely and that emergency services can come into the building from outside. Emergency lighting is subject to legal provisions. The respective building owner is responsible for the implementation.

Different technologies are available for the implementation. A distinction is usually made between centrally and decentrally supplied emergency lighting systems.

In the case of centrally supplied emergency lighting systems, a large battery or a generator provides the energy for the emergency lighting via a specially protected supply network. Tridonic provides an extensive range of products for this area. All Tridonic LED drivers and electronic ballasts for fluorescent lamps in compliance with the EN 50172 standard can be used.

Decentrally supplied emergency lighting systems manage without an own supply network and are simpler and more flexible as a result. They consist of an emergency lighting unit, a battery and an indicator LED. Using these additional components, every luminaire can be converted into an independent emergency luminaire with only a few simple steps.
The advantages of decentralised emergency lighting systems are obvious: Thanks to installation of all necessary components in the luminaire, the expensive wiring of a central battery system is not necessary and the risk of total failure is significantly reduced by the use of many decentralised individual batteries.

There are two different operating modes for all types of emergency lighting: standby mode and continuous mode.
In standby mode, the luminaire is off while the mains power supply is available. Office applications are a frequent application area of this operating mode.
In continuous mode, the luminaire is always switched on irrespective of the mains power availability. This operating mode is frequently used for the signage of emergency exits (escape signs).

 

LED emergency lighting

The LED technology provides further possibilities for the integration of emergency lighting. For example, it is possible with only a few emergency lighting unit variants from Tridonic to provide an optimum solution for all common LED modules. In order to be able to cover all customer requirements, emergency lighting units are available in different variants, as manually tested devices and as autotest device with or without DALI interface.

  1. Power control for the EM converterLED
    • The focus during the development of the EM converterLED was on maximum flexibility and a lean range. Thanks to the integrated power control, the user always obtains the maximum possible luminous flux, irrespective of the LED module used. Any programming or adjustment of the current and voltage values for different LED modules is not required.
  2. Current and voltage values for the EM converterLED
    • Thanks to the power control, the current and voltage values of the EM converterLED are adjusted independently. In order to be able to determine the relevant parameters in advance, it is recommended to determine the appropriate values using the data sheet.
  3. Combined emergency lighting units
    • Combined emergency lighting units such as the EM powerLED 50 W or the EM powerLED 80 W provide an “All-in-One” solution. While mains voltage is available, the EM powerLED operates the connected LEDs with the specified current. In the event of any mains power failure, the control gear automatically changes over to emergency lighting operation. The advantages of this solution are the simple wiring and guaranteed compatibility of the components.
  4. SELV and non-SELV emergency lighting units
    • Emergency lighting units with different voltage classes are required for different luminaire types. In the case of luminaires that do not have a protective cover, the voltage must always be smaller than 60 V DC and all components used must have the specified insulation values.
      Only SELV-specified emergency lighting units are permitted to be used for luminaires in this category.
      Emergency lighting units with a higher voltage class are used for luminaires with higher LED forward bias.
  5. NiCd and NiMH variants
    • In order to be able to achieve the optimum performance of different battery types, appropriate charging and discharging processes are necessary.
      With NiCd and NiMH, different battery types are available for decentralised emergency lighting systems. Thereby, it must be ensured that emergency lighting unit and battery are correctly matched with each other. An incorrect combination of emergency lighting unit and battery type can result in early failure of the battery.
 
 

Emergency lighting with fluorescent lamps

A major part of existing emergency lighting systems is operated with fluorescent lamps. Tridonic provides emergency lighting units with different functionalities for all common fluorescent lamps.

  1. How long does it take for devices in the PC COMBO family of combined electronic ballasts and emergency lighting modules until the lamp starts in emergency mode following a power failure?
    • Less than 200 milliseconds.
  2. Why are there four different types for EM BASIC?
    • The EM BASIC range of emergency lighting units consists of four different product types (A, B, C, D). These are needed to cover the different starting and operating requirements of the various types of fluorescent lamp. Each EM BASIC unit is designed for optimum operation of the lamp and a long life with a minimum number of battery cells.
 
 

Battery

  1. Warranty
    • Details about the warranty conditions for batteries from Tridonic can be found at Guarantee conditions.
  2. Ageing
    • Batteries like any other electrochemical component are always subject to ageing. The expected lifetime of the battery is 4 years. The precise value depends on the temperature and the number of discharge cycles.
  3. Declaration of Design
    • The Declaration of Design specifies the limit values with which the expected lifetime of the battery is achieved. There are different documents for different charging circuits. These are located in the download directory of the respective battery.
  4. Declaration of Safety
    • The safety and the chemical composition of the respective cell types are described in the Declaration of Safety. The content of this document is particularly relevant for the transport and storage of batteries. The document is located in the download directory of the respective battery.
  5. Battery Technologies
    • NiCd and NiMH batteries are mainly used for individual battery systems. The prohibition for the use of NiCd batteries is not applicable for emergency lighting applications.
      NiCd batteries are robust and economically attractive energy storage. NiMH batteries provide the advantage of significantly higher energy density. As a result, they are frequently used in luminaires where space is limited.
  6. What is the cadmium content of NiCd batteries?
    • The cadmium content of NiCd batteries is around 20 % of the total weight.
  7. Are the batteries and connecting wires silicon free?
    • Yes, the batteries and the connecting wires, including the flat connectors for the batteries, are silicon-free.
  8. Do the emergency lighting batteries have to be replaced after four years?
    • The emergency lighting batteries have to be replaced when the prescribed emergency lighting operating time can no longer be achieved. The emergency lighting batteries are specified for a life of four years of operation at maximum casing temperature. As in most cases the ambient temperature is not constantly at the maximum level a longer life can be assumed.
  9. Do Tridonic batteries comply with the European battery directive?
    • Yes, the batteries comply with European battery directive 2006/66/EC.
  10. What is a multi-level charge system?
    • As its name suggests, a multi-level charge system operates with multiple charge cycles, namely the following three: initial charge, rapid charge and trickle charge.

      Initial charge
      When a new battery is connected to the emergency lighting unit it is charged at high charge current for 20 hours to ensure that the new cell is fully charged, irrespective of its initial state. After 20 hours the emergency lighting unit switches to trickle charge mode. 

      Rapid charge
      If the battery is discharged by emergency operation or a test it is rapidly recharged at high charge current. The charge times are considerably shorter than the relevant standards prescribe. The emergency lighting unit then switches to trickle charge mode.

      Trickle charge
      The batteries are permanently charged. This ensures that they are always fully charged - even at low temperatures. Trickle charge mode reduces the charge current. This saves energy and reduces the temperature of the batteries, which results in longer life.

  11. What are the benefits of the multi-level charge system?
      • Lower battery temperature and therefore longer battery life
      • Shorter charge times
      • Lower power consumption
      • Emergency lighting units with the multi-level charge system are compatible with NiCd + NiMH batteries without temperature restriction
  12. In which charge state are the emergency lighting batteries supplied?
    • The emergency lighting batteries are supplied with approx. 30 % charge. The charge state reduces during storage through self-discharge and may be much lower when installed in the emergency luminaire, depending on the storage temperature.
 
 

General Information

  1. Layer structure
    • Tridonic provides emergency lighting units with different functionality:

      BASIC
      Emergency lighting units in the BASIC family make manual tests possible. The duration of the emergency lighting function must be checked manually. The required test log must be maintained manually. The test is performed either using the optionally installed test switch on the emergency luminaire or using a switch in the electrical installation.

      SELFTEST
      Emergency lighting units in the SELFTEST family perform both the function as well as the duration test according to a defined pattern. Any manual intervention is not necessary for this. It can be established using the indicator LED whether the test was successful. The required test log must be maintained manually.

      PRO
      Emergency lighting units in the PRO family have a DALI interface. The emergency lighting unit communicates with a control unit via this interface. Using the control unit, the entire emergency lighting system can be controlled and monitored from a central point. The test log is created automatically and stored on an external data carrier if necessary.
  2. What is the EBLF?
    • EBLF stands for Emergency Ballast Lumen Factor and is the ratio of the luminous flux of a lamp in emergency mode and the luminous flux of the same lamp when operated with an appropriate reference ballast. The smallest value between 60 seconds after failure of the power supply and the end of the assessment time is specified as the EBLF. The value after five seconds must be at least 50 % of the specified EBLF. For the precise wording of this requirement see EN 61347-2-7.
  3. Can a dielectric strength test at 1500 V AC be used for emergency luminaires?
    • To avoid damaging the electronic operating devices a dielectric strength test at 1500 VAC must not be carried out.

      According to IEC 60598-1 Annex Q and ENEC 303-Annex A, each luminaire should be subjected to an insulation test (measurement of the insulation resistance) for 1 second at 500 VDC. The test voltage is applied between the linked phase/neutral conductor terminal and the protective earth terminal. The insulation resistance must be at least 2 MΩ.