Placement of photocell in lighting circuit

[Papa-Gus]

Situation: I have two outdoor fluorescent luminary fixtures, each with a self-contained photocell, installed under a patio cover.

Problem: The lamps energize needlessly on cloudy days, often cycling on and off as lighting conditions change; not a desirable condition for compact fluorescent lamps.

Objective: I plan to install one single photocell in an ideal location so the lamps energize from dusk to dawn as intended.

Dilemma: Concerning the NEC (or any other considerations), does it matter if I install this new photocell upstream of the wall switch that is used to control the outdoor fixtures or must the wall switch see uninterrupted power directly from the circuit breaker?

[HayZee518]

The photocell has three wires. A red for the load - a black for uninterrupted power - and a white for both incoming power and the load. If you wish to switch the load a wire must be connected to the red and the load. 120 volt power must be available to the eye continuously, otherwise the photocell will always go through a self test each time the power is switched on-off to the cell.

[Papa-Gus]

Thanks for the reply HayZee518; but my communication skills must be lacking substance.

I understand the wiring and how to make the physical connections. What I’m unclear about is whether or not the photocell is permitted to be placed between the circuit breaker and wall switches. This configuration would make my job much simpler because it would allow me to activate several outdoor fixtures, that are switched separately, from one photocell; but I can’t determine if it is permitted by code.

[HayZee518]

The photocell is listed as "utilization equipment" as per the code. Therefore where you place it is your decision. If I get your drift, the black wire from the breaker goes to the black on the photocell, the neutral to the white. The red will feed to the switch(es) input. The load white is common. Total load to the photoswitch can't be more than 600 watts combined load.

[Papa-Gus]

Thanks again. That was the information I was looking for, specifically whether the photocell was considered utilization equipment or a controlling device (like a wall switch).