For commercial and industrial use, fluorescent lighting has long been the standard because it burns cooler, uses much less power, and throws of a fuller spectrum of light than incandescent bulbs, which is much easier on the eyes because it is closest to the natural spectrum of the sun. But for all their efficiencies, fluorescent light bulbs do require extra equipment to regulate the flow of energy through the bulb that causes it to illuminate. A fluorescent light ballast regulates energy flow to individual bulbs to a specific frequency. But within with the spectrum of ballast products, there are two types – one that employs older electromagnetic technology and another that uses solid state circuitry to convey and regulate electric current.

Older electromagnetic ballasts were the norm for early applications of fluorescent lighting in all environments – commercial, industrial, institutional, and residential. These employ electromagnetic induction to to provide starting and operational voltages necessary to power the gas light bulbs that emit fluorescent light. While electromagnetic ballasts are inexpensive, because they can only limit voltage and not frequency, their output results in the subtle flicker that many users of fluorescent lights are both familiar with and annoyed by. In a word, because they have no mechanism by which to regulate frequency, output occurs on the half-cycle of the power source, causing the bulbs to subtly flicker – a phenomenon that can cause migraines for some.

Newer electronic technology solves this problem of the older fluorescent light ballast. These ballasts employ solid state circuitry that provides a mechanism for not only regulating voltage, but also for regulating frequency. The result is a higher frequency output of voltage that can reduce or eliminate the flicker that so many fluorescent bulb users complain about and  And because they use circuitry instead of coils, electronic ballasts also run cooler and are more energy efficient. Of course, these improvements also come with a slightly higher price tag, but most users find the difference in cost well worth with the improvement in quality and efficiency. That’s why nowadays it is more or less the norm to employ electronic ballasts when older electromagnetic ballasts need replacing.

But electronic ballasts for fluorescent bulbs aren’t right for every application. For instance, in high-voltage applications where the goal is create either heat or a lot of light, an electronic ballast is not the right choice because circuitry to handle high voltage applications is either unfeasible or impractical. In most cases, however, an electronic ballast is a “solid” choice, so to speak.