HID Lamps

High-intensity gas discharge (HID) lamps are one of the most efficient artificial light sources; they have a very long life and provide superior light quality. For these reasons, each and everyday hundreds of millions of HID lamps and ballasts are used worldwide to illuminate our streets, highways, and parking garages. At least 6% of the electricity generated by our power plants is required to keep these lamps lit.

HID lamps can be divided into two major groups: high-pressure sodium (HPS) and metal halide (MH). HPS lamps generate yellowish-colored light and are primarily used to illuminate streets and highways. The following is a brief comparison between an HPS and an incandescent light source:

Metal halide lamps generate bluish-white light and are used primarily in high bay and parking lot fixtures.

Ceramic metal halide (CMH) lamps, one of the newer additions
to the metal halide family, produce dazzling and vibrant light.
Compared to halogen bulbs, CMH lamps are 3 to 6 times more
energy efficient and last 5 to 10 times as long. Due to these
attractive features, combined with newly available miniature
electronic ballasts, CMH lamps are beginning to appear in
applications in many supermarkets and department stores
as replacements for halogen lamps. Lower wattage MH electronic
ballast sales for this segment of the industry are projected to
reach tens of millions of units per year within the coming decade.

HID Ballasts

Magnetic Ballast vs. Electronic Ballasts

HID lamps were introduced almost a century ago. Since that time, they continue to be operated by inefficient magnetic ballasts, which waste at least 2% of the world’s total electricity production. In contrast, electronic ballasts, which are new in the market, can operate HID lamps by providing as much as 50% energy savings and also by extending the lamps’ useful lives up to two years.

Disadvantages of HID Magnetic Ballasts:

• Waste energy
  
• Reduce lamp life
  
• Reduce light output by as much as 50% as the lamp ages
  
• Cause lights to flicker
  
• Create a humming noise
  
• Weigh a lot
  
  

Advantages of ECT’s HID Electronic Ballasts:

• Can provide over 50% energy savings
  
• Extend lamp life by one third
  
• Improve quality of light and lumen maintenance
  
• Weigh a fraction of magnetic ballasts
  
• Can dim lamps
  
• Fit into existing luminaires
  

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