The central battery system,
properly specified.
Sage Em manufactures architectural-grade central battery emergency lighting designed to meet NFPA 101 by design, not by accommodation. 29 products. Five categories. Full CSI specifications. A specifier toolkit your team can use mid-project to close a spec without leaving the browser.
Engineers don't need a code primer.
Show me a system that anticipates each line.
The engineering-side companion to Sage's agency-facing introduction — for the specifier writing the basis of design, the engineer running the load math, the lighting designer dropping the photometrics, and the distributor stocking the channel.
The code reads like a checklist.
Sage's design reads like a system.
Sage's central battery system locks to these requirements at the architectural level — not by meeting the minimum and hoping the AHJ doesn't push.
| Code requirement | Threshold | Where Sage's design answers it |
|---|---|---|
| NFPA 101 — minimum egress illumination | 1 ft-candle average on path of egress | Sage Relay programmable 5W–60W per fixture; AGI32 photometric study delivered with every project |
| NFPA 101 — uniformity ratio | 40 : 1 maximum to minimum along path | Per-fixture wattage + spacing tuned by Sage engineering; point-by-point output included |
| NFPA — annual full-burn runtime | 90 minutes at battery ≥ 87.5% rated voltage | Cabinets sized for 90-min minimum; programmable extension to 120 min for assisted-living, healthcare, casino |
| NFPA 7.9.2.3 — single-circuit egress failure | EM activates in the affected zone even if rest of building has utility power | Local Circuit Monitor (LCM) senses each branch circuit; signals cabinet on a 12V loop within milliseconds |
| NEC — generator startup gap | 10-second max dark period | Sage activates immediately; generator transition handled via standard transfer switch where applicable |
| NEC 700.3(F) — alternate source during repair | Portable / temporary source required during EM-system maintenance | Low-cost portable battery cart maintains coverage during scheduled cabinet service |
| NEC 700.17 — branch-circuit independence | Two or more branch circuits from separate systems | Sage's 24V DC circuits are physically and electrically isolated; up to 8 emergency circuits per cabinet |
| UL 924 listing | Required for emergency lighting equipment | All Sage CB cabinets and Sage Relay modules listed |
| UL 1008 / ALCR requirements | Required for inverter-fed EM that bypasses normal switching | Not required for Sage. The DC emergency circuit eliminates ALCRs and Life-Safety ATS in egress zones. |
Five parts. One DC loop.
A closed sub-system that mirrors the general-lighting layout without sharing its switching, controls, or panelboard infrastructure. A programmable wattage envelope per fixture. That's the entire architecture.
In normal mode, utility power feeds general lighting; the Sage cabinet trickle-charges its batteries on a 120V or 277V input; exit signs draw continuous 12V load from the cabinet's separate 12V charger; system health reports wirelessly. In emergency mode — utility loss, branch-circuit fault, or manual test — the LCM signals the cabinet within milliseconds, all downstream Sage Relays open their normal-power contactors and energize their LEDs at the programmed wattage. Egress is illuminated at the design fc-average for 90 minutes minimum, longer if specified.
In generator-backup configuration, the cabinet provides sub-second emergency lighting during the generator's 10-second startup gap. If the generator subsequently fails during its run window, the cabinet re-energizes within milliseconds — providing redundant emergency lighting beyond the generator's mechanical envelope.
Sage's 24V DC emergency circuit bypasses normal-mode switching by design — so ALCRs are not required. The cabinet is the transfer mechanism — so a Life-Safety ATS is not required. Sage's 24V DC circuit is the second power source under NEC 700.17 — so dual branch circuits and panelboards are not required. And because Sage cabinets use standard commercial-grade lead-calcium batteries sourced locally, factory-authorized service personnel are not required.
These four eliminations alone represent $30K–$80K of removed installation scope on a mid-size commercial project — before the operating-cost differential compounds over the life of the building.
Code conformance vs. operations.
Only one architecture answers cleanly on both.
Four architectures, two questions. The first table answers the AHJ; the second answers the building owner who pays for service, replacement, and audit over the next 10–20 years.
| Integral | Inverter | Generator (no CB) | Sage CB | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALCRs / Life-Safety ATS | ⚠ Per-fixture ALCRs | ✗ Both required | ✗ Both required | ✓ Neither required |
| NEC 700.17 branch independence | ⚠ Per-fixture only | ⚠ Custom wiring | ⚠ Generator can't detect | ✓ LCM at panel — by design |
| NFPA 7.9.2.3 single-circuit failure | ⚠ Per-fixture sense | ⚠ Custom wiring | ✗ No detection | ✓ LCM by design |
| Self-testing standard | ⚠ Optional / varies | ⚠ Optional (paid) | ✗ None | ✓ Standard |
| Compliance audit trail | ⚠ Manual logbook | ⚠ Manual / proprietary | ⚠ Manual | ✓ Automatic, AHJ-ready |
| Monitored test categories | None | None | None | ✓ 4 / 28 days: BATTERY · CHARGER · LOAD · TRANSFER RELAY |
| Integral | Inverter | Generator (no CB) | Sage CB | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery count, 350 ksf project | ~290+ | 8–12 | N/A | 6–8 |
| Battery chemistry | Various | Proprietary | N/A | Standard lead-calcium |
| Service personnel | Anyone w/ ladder | Factory-authorized | Factory + mech. | Maintenance crew, shoulder-height cabinet |
| Footprint | Distributed 290+ | Refrigerator-sized | Gen + ATS + LS panel | Wall 24″×30″ |
| Per-fixture programmability | Fixed | Full output only | N/A | 5W–60W programmed at factory |
| Battery + labor replacement | 4–6 yr · 2-person rule | 4–6 yr · factory tech | Service contract | 4–7 yr · maintenance crew |
The architectural decision is coupling vs. decoupling. Integral, inverter, and generator all couple the EM layer to general lighting — to its fixtures, switching, or panelboards. Central battery decouples entirely. Across the life of the install, decoupling compounds — every design revision is local, every audit is automatic, every battery replacement is a building-team task.
$96,300 saved.
Line by line.
Three projects, three architectures, conservative assumptions. Numbers are inputs to the spec book, not afterthoughts.
Redesigned to 7 Sage cabinets (84 test points)
Sage CB w/ 6 standard lead-calcium batteries
Generator-only vs Sage CB + generator BOM math
Assumptions: battery replacement labor 15–40 min/fixture · utility power $0.115/kWh · monthly NFPA test 1–2 min/fixture · annual NFPA test 15 min/fixture · contractor labor $60/hr · battery cost $80/each (commercial grade) · 4-year battery service life across all configurations (conservative). Sage's engineering team will run a project-specific economics model alongside the AHJ pre-submittal package — ALCR / Life-Safety panelboard / ATS elimination savings, photometric labor savings, audit-trail simplification.
Browser-accessible.
Engineering tools, not marketing tools.
Available at sageem.co, no login required. Mid-project tools your team can use during a design-review meeting, a value-engineering pass, a contractor-substitution challenge, or an AHJ pre-submittal.
Stamped CSI Section 26 block — basis of design, performance criteria, monitoring, AHJ language. Paste into the spec book.
Branch-circuit voltage drop + load math pre-configured for Sage CB. Validates wire size, run length, fixture density.
Per-zone egress coverage from generic space inputs. Outputs fixture count, cabinet sizing, photometric expectations.
1,145 match entries against 7 competitor brands. Type a competitor part number → instant Sage equivalent.
Stamps engineer / firm logo and project name on every Sage spec sheet. Pre-stamped submittal packages.
Ceiling-height, space-type, and architecture filters → Sage product recommendation.
Basis of design. Approved equal. Engineering review.
The CSI Spec Writer at sageem.co/spec-writer generates this clause auto-customized to the project's product mix, with full performance criteria and acceptance language.
Every Sage project is reviewed by application engineering before bid release — Sage Relay module selection per fixture, AGI32 photometric point-by-point analysis, a wiring schedule with voltage-drop validation, the fixture schedule with relay-programming wattage, installation guidance with generator-interaction details where applicable, and an NFPA 101 / UL 924 acceptance narrative ready for AHJ submittal.
Lead time is typically 5–7 business days from receipt of reflected ceiling plan and luminaire schedule. Expedited review available on request.
Sage is comfortable being specified as basis of design, as approved equal, or as substitution-permitted with engineering review. Where an alternate is proposed during procurement, Sage delivers per-system comparison documentation to the spec writer at no charge — photometric equivalency analysis, code-compliance review, and AHJ-facing technical narratives.
K-12 specifications in Alyssa's Law states — named after Alyssa Alhadeff, killed at Parkland — require silent (non-audible) panic-alarm emergency notification. Sage's KEY (Keystone) and VOL (Volta) cabinets ship with the ASA (Active Shooter Alert) ordering option. When triggered from a wall switch or WiFi activation, every dedicated emergency fixture and exit sign in the building flashes. No additional sensors, fixtures, or wiring required — the system already there.
The default CSI Spec Writer covers the common-case office, retail, healthcare-general, and education profiles. Anything outside that envelope gets a custom write-up.
2-hour egress runtime; cabinet sizing programmable to 120-min full-burn standard.
UL 924 + IEC 60601 medical-device EMI separation; coordination with isolated-power systems on surgical suites.
Buy American Act + NEMA origin-of-manufacture certification; GSA, USACE, NAVFAC, VA-specific drafting.
Specific exit-sign letter heights, anti-tamper specs, smoke-evacuation interaction requirements.
Class I Div 1/2 hazardous-location ratings; saltwater-corrosive provisions; USCG / ABS compliance.
Class I Div 2 hazardous-locations; per-fixture exposure analysis; explosion-proof fixture pairing.
Generator + UPS interaction with Sage CB; cold-aisle / hot-aisle photometric studies; redundant feed coordination.
The spec is verifiable any time —
without a site visit.
Every Sage Central Battery system reports wirelessly to a web dashboard the facilities team uses for the life of the building. Per-fixture health, automated NFPA-compliance logbook ready for AHJ inspections, real-time fault notifications by email or webhook, battery and charger predictive replacement scheduling, and generator-interaction events when applicable — all in one timeline.
For the engineer of record, the spec is verifiable any time without a site visit; non-conformance surfaces in real time rather than at the next annual inspection. For the facilities-management firm or building owner, the dashboard is a commissioning and maintenance asset for the life of the install.
Project pull-through. Specified at the engineering level.
Sage closes specs at the engineering / specifier level; resulting orders pull through the assigned distributor channel. Distributors receive specified projects, not bid-grade exposure — pricing aligned with the architectural-luminaire tier (above bid-grade emergency) and margin posture aligned with premium-spec lighting lines.
The SKU set is 29 V1 products: two central battery cabinet SKUs (Keystone 500W, Volta 1000W) plus the Olympus Local Circuit Monitor are the highest-value line; the six Sage Relay modules are the highest-velocity items; Sage CB Fixtures, Luminaires, and Exit/Emergency carry the volume. Current lead time on listed products is 4–6 weeks from order to ship; expedite requests honored on AHJ-driven or schedule-critical projects.
Have a project?
Send it.
For project-specific engineering review, photometric studies, custom CSI sections, or distribution channel questions, use the specifier toolkit at sageem.co as the first step. Direct contact welcomed once the project's foundational details — reflected ceiling plan, luminaire schedule, code applicability — are in hand.