Emergency Lighting Controls primary purpose is to provide sufficient illumination during emergencies for building evacuation and maneuvering. So just transfer the circuitry from utility power to emergency power. But wait, it’s not that simple. As Steve reveals in this episode, there are many considerations, like what kind of emergency is it? Power failure? Fire? Security? Steve points out the irony of the “bug-eye” security light at an emergency exit that blinds anyone who is approaching that exit. As more designers/engineers use general luminaires with controls for their emergency lighting, it further expands how these systems are wired and interact with each other. It might be complicated, but it’s not rocket science. Get educated and have that detailed conversation at the beginning of the project to avoid last-minute changes.
Steve has been a lighting designer and educator for 42 years. He was the Senior Lighting Program Coordinator at the Pacific Energy Center in San Francisco from 2008-2011. Steve is a member of the Illuminating Engineering Society and was the IES/Northeast Regional Vice President. He was also part of the development team for the California Advanced Lighting Controls Training Program. Steve has taught lighting for 38 years. He won an IALD award for the Palm House at Dowling College and an EPRI award for Brower Commons at Rutgers University. Since 1992, he has given several workshops at LightFair and has spoken at Lux Pacifica in New Delhi, India. He is also a private pilot.
