Patent ID: 6906476

Claim:
A power control system for controlling the power supplied to a lighting system and limiting power during time of peak demands and the like wherein the lighting system includes a power source and a lighting load connected to the power source, said control system comprising: (a) a main transformer having a first winding and a second winding, said first winding being connected between said power source and said lighting load; (b) a solid-state switching circuit connected between said power source and said second winding of said main transformer which includes: (i) a toroidal transformer connected to said power source having a plurality of electrical transformer taps wherein each tap has a prescribed voltage value, and (ii) a plurality of solid-state tap switches connected to said transformer taps and to said second winding of said main transformer to apply one of said prescribed voltage values across said main transformer; and (c) a controller having an input for receiving a voltage change signal representing a selected load voltage to be applied to said lighting load, and said controller being connected to said tap switches for selectively closing one of said tap switches to produce said prescribed voltage value across said second winding of said main transformer whereby said selected load voltage is output across said first winding of said main transformer and applied to said lighting load without interruption of the lighting.