Electrical Systems Company Lighting Control Panels

Lighting Control Panels are a subset of panelboards, manufactured by an electrical systems company. The other type is the distribution or power and feeder panelboard. Lighting panels provide a centralized location to manage the lighting in a facility or in a section of a building. They can be single-phase or three-phase. Such panels can contain the circuit breakers for several dozen lighting circuits. While there are several versions of the lighting control panels for home or industrial use this article will focus on the industrial lighting control.

Electrical Systems Company Following NEMA Standards

There are no specific NEMA standards for lighting control panels. They are covered under the standards for panelboards. This means there are several NEMA enclosure types that may be used, however, most lighting panels will be used in dry, indoor locations where NEMA type 1 enclosures are indicated. There are other NEMA types for more harsh environments.

There are no specific UL standards for lighting controls but there are standards for many ancillary devices commonly used in lighting control systems. These electrical systems company lighting controls with relays, programmable controllers and other additional components are not considered lighting control panels within the scope of this article. Here, the lighting panel is a form of distribution panel where the majority of the breakers are for area lighting systems. There may be a main breaker that controls the entire set of feeder circuits and several single-pole, two-pole and three-pole breakers used to control the lights or other circuits.

Many electrical systems company lighting systems operate on 277V using a single line of the three-phase power and the system neutral. (There are many 208Y/120V systems also.) Other systems are single-phase where a two-pole breaker delivers phase-to-phase voltage (usually 480V) to the lighting elements. Rarely do lighting systems use three-phase power directly although it is possible. In the most common application, three-phase power into a lighting control panel is distributed to the lights as a combination of phase-to neutral and phase-to-phase circuits.

Electrical Systems Company outside Lighting Control

Outside the lighting control panel, lights are managed by lighting consoles where the relays, switches, automatic controllers and timers reside. Lighting consoles can be as complex and varied as there are buildings to be lit. In some lighting consoles, three-pole relays receive power from three-phase breakers in the lighting panel then distribute single-phase power to three separate lighting circuits. The lighting consoles may be adjacent to the lighting control panels or in a separate and more central location. Using a lighting console helps reduce wear on the breakers by switching the lights with relays rather than using the breakers as light switches. Lighting consoles also simplify lighting automation by incorporating timers and programmable controllers to manage lighting. These systems can be tied into building automation systems and even sunlight sensors to save energy.

When designing a lighting control system the panel manufacturers can be a great help. They can recommend specific products or manufacture custom lighting control panels to meet any requirement including retrofits. A lot of manufacturers do not differentiate between lighting consoles and lighting control panels as described in this article. Be sure you know what you’re discussing so that you are not surprised when the products arrive.