The combination of lithium battery chemistries and wireless monitoring systems have brought significant benefits to emergency lighting systems by extending lifetime and simplifying testing. This brings both reduced operating costs for building managers whilst also improving safety by ensuring that systems are fully tested at all times and can be promptly repaired when failures occur.
Lithium batteries have become commonplace in emergency luminaires and provide substantially longer lifetimes than Nickel Metal Hydride and Cadmium chemistries were able to. As a result manufacturers typically offer longer warranty periods for lithium batteries and require less frequent replacement reducing the cost of maintaining lithium emergency systems compared to traditional battery chemistries. Recent legislative changes have made the use of thermal protection with lithium batteries mandatory which should bring safety improvements however it always pays to be diligent and ensure that the system you are purchasing includes such protection and makes use of Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries given their improved stability compared to Lithium Ion chemistries.
Wireless emergency systems simplify many of the testing and maintenance issues surrounding emergency lighting by automatically undertaking monthly functional and annual duration tests. Whilst wireless emergency lighting systems typically have higher upfront costs these are rapidly offset by eliminating the need to manually test and by reporting the outcome to a central system. This negates the need to manually maintain test records and allows repairs to be undertaken rapidly and effectively as such systems will typically report the luminaire type, location and components required when faults occur. Wireless emergency luminaires also allow automated emergency systems to be installed without the need to rewire as would be required for equivalent wired DALI emergency luminaires allowing these systems to be installed with a minimum of cost and inconvenience. Despite the higher purchase cost of wireless systems these benefits allow wireless installations to offer rapid return on investment and reduced lifetime operating costs.
Nick Shaw – Technical Services Director, Dextra Group plc
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