Emergency and Battery Backup

Emergency and Battery Backup

Info
NOTICE: General Reference Only
The information provided in this article is for general reference purposes only and does not constitute project-specific guidance. SLD Technology products are engineered to order, and their installation must comply with all applicable codes, standards, and project-specific specifications. In all cases, the approved project documentation and requirements take precedence over any general information contained herein. For project-specific instructions, contact your SLD Project Manager or the SLD Support Team at: support@sldus.com.
Alert
ALERT: Code Compliance Required
SLD Products must be installed in accordance with: National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards, the National Electrical Code (NEC) and all applicable local building and electrical codes. Consult the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) prior to installation to ensure compliance with local regulations.

“Emergency” Wiring:

Due to the way the AirFRAME® internal grid is constructed, SLD Technology does not offer isolated “Emergency” wiring options. However, all LED drivers are housed in external electrical enclosures mounted on the exterior of the system. This allows for isolated "Emergency" wiring to be routed directly to these enclosures by others, as required by project design and/or code. Only low-voltage driver (ballast) wires are routed through the grid to the LED boards, which simplifies service and code compliance by keeping line-voltage wiring outside of the AirFRAME®.

Common Solutions

  1. A typical approach is to designate one or more default internal circuits/zones (such as the AirFRAME® Perimeter or AirFRAME® Interior zone) as the backup circuit.
  2. SLD can also provide a custom internal circuit/zone specifically for the backup circuit.
  3. Where all wiring is required to be isolated for compliance with “Emergency” wiring codes, the most practical solution, given the low amp draw of LED lighting, is to:
    1. Designate the entire AirFRAME® lighting system as “Emergency,” or
    2. Specify uLEDs™ or VLD troffers for outer perimeter lighting in the hard lid ceiling dedicated to the emergency circuit.

Battery Backup Inverters:

For emergency-code compliant battery backup, SLD Technology recommends the use of uninterrupted battery inverter units that back up the 120–277 VAC side of the circuit. These inverters are installed in-line between house power and the AirFRAME®, LEDiffuser®, or uLED™ lighting system.

Due to the cost and weight of inverter units, SLD does not provide them. It is in the customer’s best interest to purchase inverters directly from suppliers to avoid additional markup and handling charges.

Inrush current

When selecting an inverter, it is important to account for inrush current.
  1. Wattage draw for each system (AirFRAME®, LEDiffuser®, or uLED™) will be provided in the project-specific SLD Submittals.
  2. Consult these values when sizing the appropriate inverter capacity for your project.

Dimming override

SLD highly recommends selecting an inverter with a dimming override function.
  1. This feature forces the lighting to full brightness during a power failure, regardless of the user’s pre-set dimming level.
  2. Full-brightness emergency lighting ensures compliance with code and maximum safety during outages.
Idea
TIP: Example Cutsheets Attached
The attached attached inverter units have performed effectively in past installations and are provided for reference only. These examples should not be interpreted as recommendations, endorsements, or approvals. 
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NOTICE: Customer Responsibility
SLD Technology does not provide inverter units or maintain supplier relationships with inverter manufacturers and assumes no responsibility for their selection, compatibility, installation, performance, or use.

Battery-Pack Drivers:

Battery-pack LED drivers introduce a short delay when transitioning from normal power to backup. This occurs because the power must fully dissipate from the LEDs before battery power can engage, in order to protect the LED boards from damage. As a result, there is a noticeable flicker (off–on transition) during switchover, meaning the system is not truly uninterrupted.

While these battery packs may meet minimum code requirements, they do not meet SLD Technology’s Designed 4 Zero standard for performance.

By contrast, inverter units that back up the entire 120–277V circuit provide seamless, uninterrupted lighting without visible flicker. For this reason, SLD Technology does not provide battery-pack drivers and instead recommends inverter-based solutions where uninterrupted illumination is required.

SLD Lighting Packages

Click on the following for information on your lighting package:

Standard LED Lighting Basics

Visible Light Disinfection (VLD) Basics

VLD Testing and Troubleshooting

Contacting Support

You can reach SLD Technology Support by:
  1. Submitting a ticket online: Click: "Submit a Ticket" at the bottom of this article or at www.sldus.com/support
  2. Submit a ticket via Email: support@sldus.com
  3. Phone: +1 (503) 744-0002, Option 2

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