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Lighting Insights Blog

Practical advice on commercial lighting from LED retrofits to lighting design.

Scroll down for our latest posts.

What is a ballast?

Posted by Terri Duncan on Dec 6, 2019 10:00:00 AM
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If you outfit your buildings with fluorescent, HID, or plug-and-play linear LED lighting, you depend on a device called a ballast.

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0 Comments Click here to read/write comments

Topics: Lighting 101, FAQs, Ballasts, Fluorescent Lighting

What is a ballast factor and how does it affect fluorescent tubes?

Posted by Dan McClosky on Oct 29, 2019 9:45:00 AM
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Lighting products are full of specifications. Some of them impact the overall performance of the lighting system, and some of them make a significant impact on light levels, color, or energy consumption.

When it comes to ballasts, do you know what to look for? Ballast factor is one of those often overlooked or misunderstood specs that can make a big difference in your linear fluorescent lighting system.

In this article, we’re answering three key questions related to ballast factor. You can click on the questions to jump ahead to the section.

  1. What is ballast factor?
  2. How should I choose a ballast factor?
  3. How does ballast factor effect energy usage?
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4 Comments Click here to read/write comments

Topics: Energy Efficiency, Ballasts, Fluorescent Lighting

Which light bulbs need a ballast?

Posted by Terri Duncan on Sep 24, 2019 3:44:00 PM
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If you're new to commercial lighting, the concept of a ballast can be an odd one. You’re probably used to just screwing light bulbs into sockets and flipping switches. The transition to ballast-dependent lighting technology can be frustrating and confusing.

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11 Comments Click here to read/write comments

Topics: Lighting 101, Ballasts

What are the different types of ballasts?

Posted by Terri Duncan on Sep 12, 2019 11:15:00 AM
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Have you ever heard a light bulb buzz? 

Technically, no. The buzzing you hear is coming from the ballast, not the bulb itself.

Nerdy lighting technicalities, I know. Ballasts, light bulbs – it's all the same, isn't it?

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3 Comments Click here to read/write comments

Topics: Lighting 101, Ballasts, Fluorescent Lighting

What to do if your T12 magnetic ballast goes bad

Posted by Francine Pitassi on Jul 19, 2019 10:00:00 AM
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This article has been updated with new information and new products. It was originally published in 2017.

If you still have T12s in your building and they run on magnetic ballasts, you may soon face a problem: what do you do when your ballasts die?

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0 Comments Click here to read/write comments

Topics: LED, Parking, T12, Ballasts, Fluorescent Lighting, Commercial Office

Does bypassing the ballast with an LED tube void the UL rating on a fixture?

Posted by Tad Mehringer on Jul 17, 2019 3:00:00 PM
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Unlike fluorescents, some linear LEDs do not need a ballast to power up and produce light. So, a lot of our customers have been asking us about the safety of just bypassing the ballast and direct-wiring their LED tubes.

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0 Comments Click here to read/write comments

Topics: Ballasts, Lighting Retrofits, Commercial Office

Answering your fluorescent lighting questions [Ask the expert series]

Posted by Aletheia Cyr on Mar 6, 2018 10:35:00 AM
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Although LED lighting is the most popular and one of the most efficient lighting options right now, our team still faces a lot of questions on fluorescent lighting. Aletheia Cyr, our training and development specialist, helps walk through some of the most common questions we receive on fluorescent lighting. 

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7 Comments Click here to read/write comments

Topics: LED, Ballasts, Fluorescent Lighting, Part Numbers, CFLs

How does ballast factor affect energy savings calculations in lighting?

Posted by Jeff Spedding on Sep 1, 2016 3:05:00 PM
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We’ve written separately on the blog about energy savings calculations and ballast factors with ballast-dependent lighting, but how do these two topics come together? This can be a really tricky topic in lighting if you’re new to ballast factors. 

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6 Comments Click here to read/write comments

Topics: LED, Energy Efficiency, Energy Savings, Ballasts, Fluorescent Lighting

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