Types of Lights

Fluorescent Light

Many buildings use fluorescent tubes or bulbs that vary in length from four to eight feet. About one of every five light sockets in the United States (about 1.3 billion sockets total) uses a four-foot fluorescent tube.
Learn how fluorescent lamps and ballasts work at howstuffworks.com .

Older Fluorescent Lighting

• The diameter of older fluorescent tubes are bigger than newer styles.
• T-12 lamps with magnetic ballasts have existed for decades.
• Their flickering "cool white" appearance created fluorescent lighting’s negative reputation. Older fluorescents can create a strobing effect on computer screens and TVs.

New Fluorescent Lighting

Fluorescents with electronic ballasts are a vast improvement over older technology. Electronic ballasts operate at much higher frequencies and eliminate flicker, produce high-quality light and are energy efficient.

• T-8 lamps with electronic ballasts have been the standard fluorescent light for more than a decade;
• T-5 lamps are more energy efficient than T-8s; and
• High-performing T-8s offer even higher levels of efficacy, color quality and longevity. High-performing T-8s currently give more lumens per Watt than any other light source.

High-Performing T-8

"High-performing T-8" is a term to distinguish an evolving family of new high-efficiency T-8 lamps and ballasts that significantly out-perform conventional T-8 systems. These lamps:

• produce 3,100 or more initial lumens and maintains 2,915 or more mean lumens;
• achieve at least 95% lumen maintenance at 8,000 hours;
• provide a color rendering index (CRI) of 82 or higher;
• achieve a rated life of 24,000 hours or more at three hours per start on a rapid-start or programmed-start ballast; and
• will start at 0° F on an instant-start ballast rated for 0° F starting.

High-performing T-8 ballasts have efficiencies in the low 90s as compared to commodity T-8 ballasts in the mid 80s and T-12 magnetic ballasts in the low 80s.

For assistance in selecting high-performing T-8 products, contact Utilities.

More Lighting Options

Information on Compact Fluorescent Lighting (CFL)