Emergency lighting used to be the forgotten stepchild of commercial lighting projects. Self-contained fittings with their own batteries, tested manually with a stick, and often forgotten until the annual compliance check revealed half of them had failed.

DALI-2 changes this. And after working on several integrated emergency lighting systems over the past year, I’m convinced it’s one of the most practically useful advances in the standard.

What DALI-2 Adds for Emergency Lighting

The original DALI specification didn’t really address emergency lighting. DALI-2, which became mainstream around 2020-2021, added Part 252 specifically for self-contained emergency control gear.

This means emergency fittings can now:

• Report their status over the DALI bus
• Be tested automatically (function tests and duration tests)
• Log results for compliance documentation
• Alert when failures occur
• Integrate with building management systems

All without someone physically walking around with a test button on a pole.

The AS/NZS 2293 Context

In Australia, AS/NZS 2293.2 covers the routine inspection and testing of emergency lighting. The requirements are familiar to anyone who’s managed commercial buildings:

• Monthly functional tests (switch on for 30 seconds)
• Six-monthly duration tests (full rated duration, typically 90 minutes)
• Record keeping of all test results
• Remedial action within 14 days of identified faults

For a small facility, this is manageable. For a large commercial building with hundreds of emergency fittings, it’s a significant maintenance burden.

How Automated Testing Works

With DALI-2 emergency gear, the process becomes:

Functional tests: The controller commands each fitting to simulate mains failure. The fitting switches to battery mode briefly, then reports success or failure. This can happen monthly at 3am without anyone present.

Duration tests: More involved. The controller discharges batteries for the rated duration while monitoring performance. The fitting reports whether it maintained adequate output throughout.

Fault logging: When any fitting fails a test, the controller logs the fault with date, time, and fitting identification. Alerts can be sent to facility managers or monitoring systems.

Compliance reports: The controller can generate documentation showing all test dates, results, and any outstanding faults.

The Real-World Benefits

I’ve now commissioned a few of these systems. Here’s what actually matters:

Labour savings: No more monthly testing rounds. For a 500-fitting installation, the labour reduction is significant. One building manager told me they were spending two days every month on emergency lighting tests before automation.

Earlier fault detection: Faults are identified at the next scheduled test, not discovered during the annual audit. This gives more time for repairs.

Better compliance documentation: Automatic logging is more reliable than clipboards. The records exist whether someone remembered to document them or not.

Reduced battery replacements: Duration testing is hard on batteries. Doing it at 3am when the building is empty means less disruption if something fails.

The Practical Challenges

It’s not all simple. Some realities:

Mixed systems: Most retrofits involve a mix of new DALI-2 emergency gear and existing standalone fittings. You still need manual testing for the non-connected units.

Commissioning complexity: Every emergency fitting needs a unique DALI address and correct configuration. This takes time upfront.

Controller dependencies: If your DALI controller fails, you lose the automated testing capability. You need backup procedures.

Staff training: Someone needs to understand the system well enough to interpret reports and respond to faults.

What This Costs

DALI-2 emergency fittings typically cost more than basic self-contained units. The premium varies, but expect 15-30% extra for the addressable gear.

You also need the controller infrastructure. If you’re already installing DALI-2 for general lighting, adding emergency monitoring is incremental. If you’re installing it just for emergency lighting, the controllers and software add up.

The business case depends on scale. Under 50 fittings? Probably not worth it. Over 200 fittings? The labour savings compound quickly.

Integration With Building Systems

For larger buildings, the emergency lighting data can integrate with building management systems. This is where things get interesting.

Some facilities are feeding emergency lighting status into central dashboards alongside HVAC, security, and other systems. When a fault occurs, it automatically generates a maintenance work order.

For buildings moving toward intelligent building systems, the AI consultants Sydney doing that integration work often include emergency lighting status as one data input among many. The lighting contractor provides the DALI-2 installation; the systems integrators connect it to broader building intelligence.

Implementation Advice

If you’re considering DALI-2 emergency lighting:

Standardise on compatible gear: Not all DALI-2 emergency fittings work equally well with all controllers. Test the combination before specifying.

Plan for transition: If retrofitting, decide whether to replace all emergency fittings at once or accept a mixed system with partial automation.

Train the facility team: Someone needs to own the system. Automated doesn’t mean unmanaged.

Document the baseline: Record the state of all emergency fittings before commissioning. This makes ongoing troubleshooting easier.

Consider the exit strategy: What happens if you change lighting management systems in five years? How portable is your test history data?

My Recommendation

For new commercial buildings over about 200 emergency fittings, DALI-2 integration is worth serious consideration. The compliance benefits alone justify the premium in most cases.

For retrofits, it’s more nuanced. If you’re already installing a DALI-2 general lighting system, adding emergency monitoring is efficient. If you’d be installing DALI infrastructure just for emergency lighting, the economics are harder to justify unless the facility is large.

And regardless of technology, don’t forget the fundamentals. AS/NZS 2293 compliance isn’t just about testing—it’s about having emergency lighting that actually works when the power goes out. The best automated testing system doesn’t help if the underlying installation is poor.

Technology supports good practice. It doesn’t replace it.

James Thornton has been working in commercial lighting for 18 years and is based in Australia.