With the development of new illumination technology, fluorescent lighting is one of the best ways to get a lot of light output with relatively low energy usage. Engineers kept pushing the limit on this concept, and have produced a new standard fluorescent bulb; The Sylvania Octron T8 fluorescent light bulb. It operates off an electronic ballast which is much more energy efficient than the old magnetic ballast technology.  Electronic ballasts have solid state circuitry which makes them very reliable and energy efficient throughout the life of the system.

As with all fluorescent bulbs, they rely on ballasts inside of the fixtures in order to make them work. Electronic ballasts for our T8 lamps are available from Osram Sylvania, Magnetek, among others. Almost all fixtures for T8 bulbs come with electronic ballasts already mounted and wired. The ballast is important because it is specific for each type of lamp.  You can't change from one type of fluorescent to another without changing the ballast in most cases.  The good news is that many of the T8 lamps are interchangeable making them a great choice for reducing the number of ballast types in a building or new construction project.  Most of the time, you can operate an FO32T8, FO25T8 or FO17T8 off the same ballast.  If you're a building manager or an industrial facility, think about how this can simplify your life.

With the advent of higher electrical costs, many businesses are looking for ways to save energy with lighting.  There are many choices in this area right now and one of the most popular type of lamps are the T8 fluorescent lights with matching electronic ballasts. This combination has been a standard for saving energy and many times has electric utility rebates associated with it.  What makes them such a natural is that the sockets used for less efficient T12 lamps are exactly the same making it an easy retrofit. The ballast also has the same physical footprint as older magnetic ballasts, so they fit right into current fixtures. The very latest enhancement to Sylvania Octron T8 bulbs is the eco-friendly design. According to Sylvania, "Ecologic is a comprehensive program focused on addressing environmental issues at all stages of lamp life." They go on to say that bulbs in this category "are designed to meet the Federal Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) criteria for classification as non-hazardous waste in most states." If you are sensitive to the impact of hazardous material in the environment we live in, then energy saving T8 bulbs from the Ecologic line are for you. If saving energy while delivering minimum impact on our environment is your choice, then these fluorescent bulbs with electronic ballasts are the right choice for you.

One of the nicest features of the Sylvania electronic ballasts is that we provide them in a universal voltage.  That means that you buy one ballast for both 120 or 277 volt and the ballast has special technology which recognizes the voltage and operates accordingly.  Now there won't be a time when you wonder if you got the right voltage, you have it in one ballast!  We also have 347 volt ballasts for our Canadian friends who sometimes have a hard time finding these from US companies.  In either case, we make it easier for you by providing the correct one, without having to keep multiple voltages on the shelf.

Remember that there are many types of electronic ballasts, we describe some of the most common used in commercial lighting today.  Whatever type you choose or have, you will be saving energy while getting the most light you can for your money.  We have a large inventory of ballasts for nearly every type of light fixture in the field.  If you need help identifying yours, our customer service representatives can help you determine what you have.