Digital Ballasts vs. Magnetic Ballasts?



Traditional ballasts, while reliable, produce a lot of heat that can be problematic. The heat produced is indicative of a less efficient process in converting the power coming in to power that is suitable for maintaining an arc in MH (metal halide) and HPS (high pressure sodium) lighting. This means that you are getting less light for every watt consumed, with more heat and bigger power bills versus high quality next generation digital/electronic HID lighting systems.

So where dal qualities, making them “smarter” over mechanical technologies such as core and coil ballasts.

Because digital ballasts are using smart technologies to help generate optimal lighting frequencies rather than mechanical ones o these differences in efficiency originate from when comparing digital ballasts versus core and coil ballasts? Primarily it’s in the fact that the digital units are using circuits and micro-processors to regulate wattages and electricas with core and coil, they offer some savings in the amount of electricity consumed. However, they do an even better job of converting the amount of electricity consumed into optimal frequencies for maintaining an arc in the lamps used for lighting. For example, no device is 100 per cent efficient. Power Factor (PF) is a relative measurement of the efficiency of electrical devices, basically stating how much power is being lost and unavailable for “work” compared to the amount of power being consumed.

Most core and coil ballasts have a PF rating of about 0.85, meaning that 85 per cent of the electricity being consumed is being translated into use for “work,” in this instance maintaining the arc in the lamp. The 15 per cent that is lost emanates as heat, which is a form of waste, helping to explain why core and coil ballasts tend to run so hot.

High quality next generation digital ballasts have PF ratings of 99 per cent and higher. This means that the majority of electricity being consumed is being translated into usable electricity for lamps, due to the smart processing of the electricity by modern day circuits. Most growers who have adopted the digital age of lighting and made the switch find they are saving about five to 10 per cent on average in electrical usage, and in some instances much higher. Although growers get excited about less electrical draw, because it allows them to safely run more ballasts on the same circuit and because of the reduction in power costs, the real joy is in the increase in lumen output from their lamps

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Colin & Romek