The electronics revolution has resulted in dramatic improvements in ballast performance. The electronic ballast, based on an entirely different technology than the electromagnetic ballast, starts and regulates fluorescent lamps with electronic components rather than the traditional Core & Coil assembly.
Present day electromagnetic ballasts operate at a voltage frequency of 60 Hertz (Hz), 60 cycles per second, which is the standard AC frequency provided in the United States. Most electronic ballasts, on the other hand, convert this 60 Hz input to operate at frequencies of between 20 and 60 kilohertz (kHz), 20,000-60,000 cycles per second, depending on the specific model.
Because electronic ballasts function at high frequency, the fluorescent lighting systems they operate can convert power to light more efficiently than systems run by standard electromagnetic ballasts. For example, electronic ballasts can produce about 10 percent more light from standard fluorescent lamps using the same power as electromagnetic ballasts.
However, the lighting industry considers the amount of light already produced by today's electromagnetic ballast-driven lighting systems to be consistent with generally accepted lighting levels. Therefore, most electronic ballasts are designed to produce the same amount of light from standard fluorescent lamps as conventional electromagnetic ballasts - but using significantly less power - thereby cutting energy costs. For example, an electronic ballast operating two, four-foot energy-saving rapid start lamps requires input power of 60 watts to deliver the equivalent light output of a standard electromagnetic ballast that requires input power of 82 watts. This represents a 27 percent energy savings.
