Ballasts for discharging bulbs with higher power are used mainly for lighting inindustrial buildings and warehouses, street lighting, illuminating of sportsfacilities and industrial greenhouses. Up to now these bulbs are electrically driven with conventional magnetic ballasts primarily, which allow only one operating condition with a high own consumption of energy. Thus the used energy is about 120% of the nominal power from the used bulb.

With an high-frequency electronic ballast it is possible to drive a bulb more efficient and the lightoutput can be varied +/- 20%. The energyconsumption of a lamp fixture with the same light output is nearby 105% ofthe nominal output of the bulb, so 15% of the energy is saved. The gentle operation of the bulb – in particular until ignition - extends the averagedurability and the preservation of the luminous flux. This usually reducesthe maintenance effort by 50%.

The use of modern semiconductors reduces the weight of a lamp ballast by 80-90%, and effects long-term a saving of natural resources. The installation of lighting fixtures will be much easier and the structure of buildings can bedesigned for less bearing load.