Night Lighting laws?

[JSelf]

I was wondering if anybody knows of any laws governing the placement of night lights in a building (NFPA, ASHRAE 90.1, NEC). We tend to put all of our night lighting on a lock out breaker with our emergency lighting, however, our customer is wanting us to put half of the store on the night light circuit and have them run all of the time. I am worried that ASHRAE 90.1 reguirements will restrict this use of power use. What would be to stop me from putting things on a Night Light circuit to get around other code requirements? I am aware of the cost to own implications.

Thanks as always,
Jason

 

[rbulsara]

There are no codes for night lights that I know of. It's a safety and prefernce issue.

Ashrae deals with only w/sf (power density) not watts-hr consumed. So Ashrae has nothing to do with how long you keep the lights on.

 

[peebee]

ASHRAE generally requires automatic control EXCEPT where lights are intended for 24-hour use.

 

[dicksewerrat]

Night lights are put there for the security people and those that work after normal hours, like the cleaning help. Emergency lights are for the safe evacuation of people in the event of power failure. They should be hard-wired and battery back up.

 

[advidana]

Night lights are used to reach lights switches that are not next to a door or for egree from rooms that do not have access to lights. example:ever have them turn off the lights to an entire large building automatically , a building that has no windows and your office is somewhere in the middle. Then you need night lights to get out or to reach a lights switch that that will illuminate the way out. Try reading NFPA 101 life safety. your other choice is to wait until someone turns on the lights for you.

 

[JSelf]

I realize why to use night lighting, My problem is that my client wants to run non nightlighting power as nightlights. I am concerned that there may be some sort of w/sf rule in ASHRAE or something in the NFPA that would restrict this. From what I see it has been left fairly open ended, I am basically trying to find code based reasons to convince my client to follow good engieering practices.

Thanks,
Jason

 

[BJC]

JSelf
I don't know where you are but I don't think ASHRAE has anything to do with night lighting or lighting at all for that matter.
Most states have energy codes that goverern lighting loads. Heres a typical one.

http://www.energy.state.or.us/

The code allows wattage per square foot based on occupancy type.
Emergency exit lighting are covered by the NFPA, if adopted by the local jurisdiction.
Night lights can be anything you want, it's a matter of switching. You can have two levels of nightlights, one for cleaning and restocking and one for security.
Good engineering practice is to do what's required by law ( exit lighting ) and what your client wants, they are after all operating the place and they know what they want.

 

[JSelf]

BJC: This is going to break you heart if you don't already have to deal with it but it has been mandated that all states comply with ASHRAE 90.1 or greater by last June I think. It isn't being enforced strictly in alot of states, and in some, for example Florida and California they have more stringent guidelines that are needed to be followed. We are based in Ohio where they don't seem to be pushing it very hard but we do national work and it can be tedious at times. I am trying to be assured that my not finding anything in ASHRAE 90.1 and within the NFPA was mutual, given that it can expend greater energy than is practically required.

 

[BJC]

Jself
My heart is not easly broken.
I deal with the energy code in three states (California is one) . ASHRAE 90.1 is in effect but is invisable. The requirements are reflected in the state energy code. You have to follow the state guidelines for wattage and controls.
The states energy dept has handy forms you fill out to verify your design meets the state codes. Having done so the local plans examiner will issue you a building permit based on you having complied with state rules. People who think ASHRAE is a town in Bangladesh do it all the time.

 

[peebee]

I said it once before. I'll say it again: "ASHRAE [90.1] generally requires automatic control EXCEPT where lights are intended for 24-hour use."

If you ask me real nice, I might even look up the exact quote for you -- but I'd strongly suggest that you look it up for yourselves as it is quickly being adopted into law all over the country. Illinois just signed it into state law last August or so.

And for all you that think ASHRAE has nothing to do with lighting, lighting controls, or power -- better get a more recent copy of ASHRAE 90.1. You'll find quite a few new eye-popping requirements in there that relate directly to both electrical and architectural in addition to mechanical.

 

[peebee]

JSelf -- back to your original question -- I'm not aware of anything that would restrain your client from keeping his lights on 24x7x365 if he wants to.

And despite my strong belief in energy codes, I think its a darn good thing that people are allowed to turn their lights on whenever they please. I'd be pissed off if some bureaucrat told me when I had to turn my lights off. They can make me put in automatic controls -- I'm cool with that. But they start telling me "lights off at 8pm" and I'd be upset.

I'd be just as upset with my consulting engineer if he told me that I HAD to shut off my lights too. He could recommend it -- cool. But you're going a little too far if you're telling your client that he MUST shut his lights off at night.

 

[JSelf]

I think my intent got a little skewed by the way I proposed the question. I am simply trying to make sure that if I give my client what he wants it is not going to bounce back at me at the code level, everything I knew of confirms what has been said in this thread but we had a bit of an inter-office debate about it. A couple of comments I made were off the cuff in trying to get my concern across.