Yes. Australia’s National Construction Code (NCC) is the governing regulatory framework for exit signage in buildings.

Under NCC 2025 Clause E4D8, Deemed-To-Satisfy exit signs must comply with one of 3 pathways:

1. Specification 25 for passive, unpowered photoluminescent (PL) exit signs, or
2. Technical Specification SA TS 5367:2021 with hybrid photoluminescent exit signs specifically recognised as a Deemed-To-Satisfy solution in NCC 2025) or
3. AS/NZS 2293 (for battery-backup exit signs)

Smarterlite’s PL Exit Signs are independently tested by NATA-recognised and USA-based laboratories in accordance with NCC requirements, meeting or exceeding visibility and performance requirements.

NCC 2025 further cements their place in Australia’s built environment, by expressly including hybrid PL exit signs, as a Deemed-To-Satisfy solutions.

PL exit signs must comply with the NCC, not with the entirety of AS 2293 which is written around the needs of traditional battery-powered exit signs.

Australian Standards are subservient to the NCC and cannot override it.

Yes. NCC 2025 is a landmark update for battery-free exit signage in Australia.

From NCC 2025, Hybrid Photoluminescent Exit Signs are specifically included in the National Construction Code as a Deemed-To-Satisfy solution for exit signage. This provides further regulatory clarity for building owners and specifiers choosing battery-free exit signs.

Although photoluminescent (PL) exit signs have been recognised in the NCC since 2014, NCC 2025 further cements the Deemed To Satisfy (DTS) status of Hybrid Photoluminescent Exit Signs by updating Clause E4D8 to clearly set out three DTS compliant pathways for exit signage.

The Australian Building Codes Board found even though Hybrid Photoluminescent Exit Signs meet all requirements of Specification 25, the DTS provisions didn’t address all aspects of their installation and performance and needed to be modernised.

The inclusion of the Technical Specification AS TS5367:2021 for Hybrid Photoluminescent Exit Signs therefore provides additional regulatory clarity and further streamlines the compliance pathway for building owners making the switch.

It builds on the Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) rationale for the inclusion of PL exit signs in the NCC from 2014. The ABCB included PL exit signs due to increasing international acceptance of PL exit sign coupled with a demand for low cost and energy efficient systems.

Photoluminescent (PL) exit signs absorb light and glow in darkness, clearly marking exits during emergencies. Smarterlite’s hybrid LED Hyperion model integrates a low-power LED to ensure consistent charging, drawing little power. Smarterlite’s passive Apollo model draws no power.

Both models are battery-free.

PL is a proven, well-established technology used globally in safety-critical applications, including aviation and maritime industries, and in buildings in Canada, Europe and USA.

Maintenance is minimal, requiring only a visual inspection by any competent person to ensure they’re clean, and not damaged or obstructed. In the case of hybrid photoluminescent exit signs the visual check also ensures that the integrated LEDs are also working.

Maintenance requirements for PL Exit Signs are provided in the Manufacturer’s Product Technical Statement (as per NCC Clause A5G3); Ministerial Building Standard MBS002 in South Australia, and the Fire and Rescue Advisory Note in the Northern Territory.

This is compared to battery-backup exit signs. As well as the above mentioned inspection and cleaning requirements, battery-backup exit signs have recurring 6-monthly 90-minute battery discharge testing which results in disruptions and additional costs.

No. As part of ‘business as usual’ building owners and managers are already required to invest capital in mandatory exit signage to meet regulatory obligations. Choosing photoluminescent exit signs does not introduce significant additional upfront capital expenditure for exit signs alone.

What changes is the financial outcome over the 16+ to 30+ year lifecycle, depending on the model. Reduced power consumption, using longer lasting exit signs, reducing monitoring infrastructure and ongoing battery-related maintenance and replacement cycles means photoluminescent exit signs significantly reduce lifecycle costs.

As a result, the return on investment is quick, ongoing operating costs are materially lower, and payback periods are exceptionally short, making them a commercially smart choice.

Yes. Experts on the topic point out that exit sign safety is about more than brightness.

This is why Australia’s National Construction Code was updated to reference visibility with Part E4 which defines requirements for exit signs, titled ‘Visibility in an emergency, exit signs and warning systems.’

The NCC has no requirement around brightness for any type of exit sign, instead the NCC requires “adequate visibility”. For Photoluminescent Exit Signs it is provided by a combination of their reliable light, contrast and size.

Renowned international emergency lighting and exit sign expert Michael Shulman of UL Solutions, found minimum luminance measurements are meaningless if they don’t also address the visibility-based criteria of contrast, uniformity and physical dimensions.

In May 2025, the Australian Building Codes Board noted that there is no evidence that differences in Deemed-To-Satisfy Provisions (i.e. for photoluminescent versus internally illuminated exit signs) have led to incidences of injury in emergent situations. It also said Australia’s provisions are comparable to other international standards.

Yes. Renowned international fire safety expert Geir Jensen also found that in smoky conditions, brightness leads to obscured visibility.

The National Construction Code was updated to focus on visibility in emergencies in Part E4 titled “Visibility in an emergency, exit signs and warning systems”.

Because of this, the NCC does not have a fixed universal minimum brightness value that every exit sign must meet.

Visibility considers much more than brightness – e.g. the size, shape, colours and environmental

conditions that affect visibility.

And just like bright full-beam headlights in fog cause glare affecting a driver’s visibility, the same

happens with bright emergency lights and bright exit signs in smoke.

Photoluminescence exit signs must meet the Specification requirements in the NCC, including being above 30md/m², to provide adequate visibility for escape. Smarterlite’s Battery-free PL Exit Signs exceed all these requirements.

Smarterlite’s Photoluminescent Exit Signs do not have batteries. They operate independently of battery power, relying instead on photoluminescent light when the power is cut.

If you are tired of replacing exit signs with failed batteries, then instruct your electrical contractor to switch to battery-free photoluminescent exit signs.

Smarterlite’s battery-free unpowered Apollo model does not require a power source such as electricity or batteries to be seen during darkness. They operate solely on photoluminescence, which means they charge when exposed to light in well-lit areas from existing building lighting and then release their ‘stored light’ when in darkness.

Smarterlite’s battery-free Hybrid LED Hyperion model includes an integrated LED as a light source in the exit sign to charge the photoluminescence, utilising minimal power. They can be used in poorly lit areas or where there’s energy-saving room lighting that frequently switches off. Examples are utility areas, meeting rooms, lecture theatres and cinemas. This ensures the photoluminescence is always fully charged if there is a power failure in an emergency. Then the PL kicks in.

No. Unlike older technologies like Tritium (which did involve radioactive components, but weren’t common in Australia), Smarterlite’s Photoluminescent Exit Signs do not use and have never used radioactive materials.

Yes. Smarterlite’s Photoluminescent Exit Signs are not only a better environmental choice, they’re also a commercially viable and cost-effective alternative. This is because they offer savings on energy consumption, ongoing maintenance and less frequent replacement.

With a 16-30+ year lifecycle and minimal operational costs (for hybrid Hyperion and passive Apollo models respectively), Smarterlite’s Photoluminescent Exit Signs offer a practical, commercially beneficial solution.

Some of Australia’s largest businesses and government departments are making the transition to Smarterlite’s Photoluminescent Exit Signs. You can read Case Studies and use our Financial Calculator to understand what your fleet of exit signs is really costing you and, how the switch could save you time, money, carbon and battery waste.

Smarterlite’s Photoluminescent Exit Signs have a service life of 16 to 30+ years, depending on the model.

This is compared to battery-backup exit sign batteries with 20–30% annual failure rates, and lifecycles of 3-5 years, as reported by clients and industry information.

Yes. By removing batteries, Smarterlite removes the most common failure point in battery-backup exit signs. This dramatically reduces maintenance and lifecycle costs for building owners over the extended 16-30+ year product lifecycles.

Our clients tell us they’re replacing failed battery-backup exit signs with our battery-free exit signs to avoid additional lifecycle costs. These lifecycle savings are linked with real-world deployments and show significant reductions in maintenance cost, energy use, carbon emissions, and e-waste.

Use our Financial Calculator to understand what you’re already paying and how much you could save.

Yes. Smarterlite’s Photoluminescent Exit Signs are compliant with Australian building regulations. All Smarterlite Photoluminescent Exit Signs adhere to established safety standards and codes, making them a reliable and lawful choice for building owners and managers.

Smarterlite’s PL Exit Signs are compliant with the NCC. Leading certifiers such as Philip Chun have verified their compliance.

Clause E4D8 in the NCC clearly includes the compliance pathways for PL exit signs. NCC 2025 provides 2 explicit compliance pathways for photoluminescent exit signs:

1. For passive, unpowered photoluminescent exit signs it is Specification 25 or
2. For Hybrid Photoluminescent Exit Signs it is Technical Standard SA TS 5367:2021

For States and Territories still using NCC 2022, Specification 25 continues to apply for passive and hybrid photoluminescent exit signs.

Like all products in our industry, compliant installations must always be adhered to. When properly installed, there is no risk of adopting this type of exit sign with clear pathways permitting this innovative technology as demonstrated by more major Australian corporates, building owners and government bodies making the shift.

For more information, download our Regulatory Update.

Smarterlite’s Photoluminescent Exit Sign range includes a zero watt Apollo model and as low as 0.74 watt hybrid LED Hyperion model.

These two models have lower wattages than all battery-backup exit signs in Australia, when power supply is included, as at 12 May 2026.

Smarterlite’s Photoluminescent Exit Signs reduce carbon emissions and deliver financial savings as well as other sustainability benefits.

Hybrid PL Exit Signs (0.74W model) are recognised under Australia’s oldest and continuing Energy Efficiency Scheme (Victoria’s Energy Upgrade Scheme). This model has a Responsible Product Value of 10 and are eligible Responsible Product Credits in the Green Building Council of Australia’s Green Star Programs.

If you are interested in participating in one of the schemes, please contact us to discuss your needs. Conditions apply in accordance with relevant State Government regulations.

Yes! Smarterlite Environmental Exit Signs are completely recyclable, contributing to eco-friendly practices by reducing waste and promoting responsible disposal. They also reduce eWaste and plastic waste by about 1kg per sign. Smarterlite’s hybrid exit signs are designed to be repairable. Smarterlite’s hybrid exit signs are designed to be repairable.

Smarterlite operates a takeback scheme, enabling people to return Smarterlite Environmental Exit Signs to us for repair, refurbishment or disassembly as appropriate.

Yes. Smarterlite operates a Reuse and Take Back Scheme for Smarterlite’s Photoluminescent Exit Signs.

Whenever possible, we refurbish and reuse components of our exit signs to be integrated into refurbished or repaired Battery-Free Photoluminescent Exit Signs or other products, minimising electronic waste and extending product lifecycles.

Yes. Smarterlite was one of the first 100 Australian signatories to Suppliers Declare.

Suppliers Declare is a global sustainability movement created to bring greater attention to the need for sustainable practices in supplying and in manufacturing industries.

Suppliers Declare is both a public declaration of our planet’s environmental crises and a commitment to take positive action in response to climate breakdown and biodiversity collapse.

Smarterlite is a member of the Green Building Council of Australia, Australian Council of Recycling, Sustainability Tracker, Photoluminescent Lighting Council, National Electrical and Communications Association and ICN Gateway.