Collection: Emergency Lighting Inverters

An emergency driver is installed inside a specific light fixture and powers only that one fixture. An inverter is installed outside the fixtures (usually on the wall or ceiling) and can power multiple fixtures at once via the existing wiring.

No. A computer UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) is typically not UL 924 Listed for life safety. It does not meet the strict runtime (90 minutes) or reliability standards required by fire codes for emergency lighting. You must use a specifically rated lighting inverter.

"Pure Sine Wave" means the electrical output is smooth and identical to the power you get from a wall outlet. This is critical for LED fixtures. Cheaper "modified sine wave" inverters produce "choppy" power that can cause LEDs to buzz, overheat, or fail to turn on.

This depends on the wattage capacity of the inverter. If you have a 400W inverter, you can connect any combination of lights that adds up to 400 watts (e.g., ten 40W panels). You should always leave a roughly 10% safety margin.

Inverters can usually handle "Normally On" (always lit), "Normally Off" (only lit during emergency), or "Switched" fixtures. In a "Switched" setup, the inverter includes a bypass relay that forces the lights to turn on at full brightness during an outage, even if the wall switch was turned off.

Confirm the inverter’s output voltage, supported load types, and watt and VA limits against the connected fixtures. Check starting or inrush demands and any manufacturer-required capacity allowance rather than relying on wattage alone.

Yes. Transfer time determines how long the connected lights may lose power before backup output is available. Match the inverter’s documented transfer performance to the fixture behavior and the project’s emergency-lighting requirements.

Operation depends on the inverter, control equipment, and emergency wiring arrangement. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to determine whether controls remain active or must be overridden during an outage.

Follow the model’s permitted mounting method, ambient temperature limits, ventilation clearances, and environmental rating. Keep the equipment accessible for inspection, testing, and battery servicing.

Use the manufacturer’s runtime data for the actual connected load and specified battery configuration. Verify the resulting emergency illumination through the project’s lighting calculations and commissioning tests rather than assuming normal brightness guarantees adequate coverage.