Ballast or control gear for lamps
According to BRE’s The essential guide to retail lighting:
Ballast or control gear, is ‘Part of the control equipment of fluorescent or discharge lamps, used to stabilise the current. The older, traditional main-frequency ballast can consume up to 20-25% of the total lamp current. A modern electronic ballast working at high frequency consumes about 30% less current, and can be used to regulate or dim the lamp output.’
[edit] Find out more
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
- Colour appearance.
- Daylight benefits in healthcare buildings.
- Daylight factor.
- Daylight lighting systems.
- Dichroic reflector.
- Discharge lamp.
- Extra-low voltage lamps.
- General lighting v task lighting.
- Illuminance.
- Lamps.
- Lamp efficacy.
- Light pollution.
- Lighting.
- Lighting energy numeric indicator LENI.
- Lighting of construction sites.
- Luminaire efficacy.
- Rights to light.
Featured articles
Check out some of the best features and news from Designing Buildings as well as key stories from around the web.
The Building Safety Regulator announces a call for evidence.
Government approach could undermine delivery and regeneration.
World's first mass timber data centre.
The overlooked environmental aspect of data centre development.
Introduction to radon awareness
New technical information sheet published by CIOB.
Updated supplier guide can help electrical contractors engage with NHP.
CIAT confirm the winners of the 2026 architectural technology awards.
Government launches a one stop shop for flood preparedness.
Sir Edwin Lutyens: Britain's greatest architect? Book review.
CIOB publishes free template to help assess and manage risks.
ECA's reflections on Party Conference season
Burnham wants to be confident of winning before asking for a fresh mandate.
New Chief Construction and Scientific Adviser
Sergio Cavalaro, Professor of Infrastructure Systems at Loughborough University.
Building safety levy for England
CIAT publish estimator tool for members.