Emergency LED Driver for Panel Lights & Downlights — Italy
The Challenge
- Italian projects needed emergency lighting built into the standard LED panel lights and downlights used in commercial and interior spaces — offices, retail and public buildings.
- The fittings are shallow and ceiling-mounted, so the emergency function had to be a compact self-contained driver that drops inside the existing fixture, not a separate box beside it.
- The work had to meet EU compliance — EN 1838 emergency illuminance and CE marking — for a 2-hour emergency period, with no change to the visible luminaire.
The Solution
- We fitted a compact self-contained emergency LED driver with a LiFePO4 (lithium iron phosphate) battery pack into the LED panel and downlight. On mains failure it powers the fitting from its battery at the emergency output level for the full 2-hour period.
- The pack is sized to the fitting's emergency load for 2 hours, with margin. LiFePO4 was chosen over NiCd for cycle life, no memory effect and far lower maintenance, and because it is cadmium-free — which matters under EU RoHS and end-of-life handling rules.
- The driver is sized for the shallow form factor of panels and downlights, so the fitting's appearance stays the same and installation is a drop-in.
- CE marked, EN 1838 / IEC 60598-2-22 — the emergency-lighting criteria Italian and wider EU building compliance references.
Emergency Configuration
| Item | Specification |
|---|---|
| Luminaire | LED panel light / downlight |
| Emergency output | Emergency level per fitting |
| Emergency duration | 2 hours |
| Battery chemistry | LiFePO4 (lithium iron phosphate) |
| Battery sizing | Sized to the fitting's emergency load for 2 h, with margin |
| Recovery | Automatic recharge and restore on mains return |
| Design standard | CE marked; EN 1838 / IEC 60598-2-22 |
Results
- Panel lights and downlights across the Italian projects now carry their own emergency backup — no separate emergency luminaires to specify or mount.
- On outage the fittings switch to battery emergency output for the full 2 hours, giving safe egress light that meets EN 1838.
- Auto-recovery on mains return keeps the emergency function maintenance-free.
Related Product
Case Study FAQ
Will the emergency driver fit a standard panel light or downlight?
The driver is sized for the compact form factor of panels and downlights, dropping inside the existing fitting rather than sitting beside it. We match it to the fitting's LED load (forward voltage and current) so the visible luminaire does not change.
What emergency duration do these projects use?
Two hours — that is the customer's specified requirement for these projects, and the LiFePO4 pack is sized to deliver it. For reference, EN 1838 applications in commercial and public buildings more commonly call for 1 hour or 3 hours; where a project needs either, we size the driver and battery to match.
Why LiFePO4 rather than NiCd?
LiFePO4 gives a much longer cycle life, has no memory effect and needs far less routine maintenance than NiCd, so the emergency function does not become a scheduled battery-replacement job across a large installation. It is also cadmium-free, which fits EU RoHS and end-of-life handling requirements. NiCd still has a place where very low-temperature performance is the binding requirement, but not in these interiors.
Is this compliant for the EU market?
Yes. The emergency driver is CE marked and built to EN 1838 / IEC 60598-2-22 emergency-lighting criteria, which is what Italian and wider EU building compliance references.
Does the fitting recover automatically when mains returns?
Yes. The driver recharges its battery and returns the panel or downlight to normal mains operation automatically after the outage.