A-10 I E S LIGHTING HANDBOOK

Wiring Methods
The type of wiring that may be
used is regulated to some extent
by codes, but in most cases the
designer has a choice of several
systems which must be properly
evaluated from the standpoints
of flexibility and of ultimate cost
in operation. The various sys-
tems permitted by the National
Electrical Code together with the
article covering each is as follows:
Open wiring on insu-
lators
Concealed knob and
tube
Armored cable (BX)
Nonmetallic
sheathed cable
Rigid metal conduit
Electric metallic
tubing
Flexible metal con-
duit
Surface metal race-
way
Underfloor raceway
Article 320
Article 324
Article 334
Article 336
Article 346
Article 348
Article 350
Article 352
Article 354
WIRING CAPACITY IN
5 6 7 8 9 10
WATTS PER SQUARE FOOT
FIG. A-l. Approximate wiring capacity re-
quired to maintain a given illumination level in
a room of average size by means of various types
of lighting installations.
A complete study must be made of the type of building construction and the type
of
occupancy as well as code limitations of each system before a final choice is made.
Voltages
Interior-lighting circuits normally carry a 115- or 120-volt potential; industrial
plants sometimes utilize 230-volt circuits for lighting. Constant current, or series-
lighting, systems, using higher voltages such as are common for street lighting, are
not used in buildings but have been used in exterior protective lighting systems.
Power circuits normally are rated 230-volt or 460-volt. Small- and medium-sized
motors usually are operable on 230 and 460 volts, while motors of larger capacities
may be rated at 2,300 volts or higher.
Voltage Drop
When an electric current flows through a conductor, a part of the electrical energy
is dissipated as heat, and the conductor temperature is raised. The power P so
dissipated as heat (measured in watts) is equal to the resistance of the conductor R
(ohms) multiplied by the square of the current J (amperes) or (P = I
2
R).
For example, the resistance of 100 feet of No. 12 wire is approximately 0.16 ohm.
With a 10-ampere current flow in a No. 12 conductor, and a total length
of
wire of 100
feet, the energy lost in the form of heat will be 10 x 10 x 0.16, or 16 watts. If the
current is doubled to 20 amperes, the loss in watts will be 64 or (20 x20 x0.16). Thus,
when the curent is doubled, the energy loss and the heating effects are multiplied by
4. It is important to keep this in mind. (See Tables A-3 and A-4.)
Furthermore, voltage drop E is equal to the resistance of the conductor R (ohms)
multiplied by the current / (amperes) or (E = IR).
In other words, voltage drop is evidence of wasted electricity. With supply volt-
age below the voltage rating of the device the percentage decrease in heat produced
by any electrically heated device is approximately twice the percentage decrease in
the voltage delivered to the device.