DOE has authority to set minimum efficiency standards for lamp ballasts as well as a variety of other residential and commercial appliances and equipment, and residential ballasts will be studied in the future as funding allows. Adoption of the efficiency standards is expected to save between 1.2 and 2.3 quadrillion BTUs of energy over a 30-year period. That's enough energy to supply 7 million to 15 million homes in the U.S. for one year. The agreement is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 11 million to 19 million metric tons and nitrous oxide emissions by 34,000 tons to 60,000 tons over a 20-year period. That's the same as eliminating the emissions of 9 to 15 million cars in a single year.
Electronic ballasts are major components in fluorescent light fixtures.
They increase the frequency of the electricity to higher levels which improves the efficiency of the fluorescent tube. The efficiency of the ballasts has a direct impact on energy consumption. Electronic ballasts are far more efficient than older, magnetic ballasts. Under the proposal, new efficiency standards for electronic ballasts will go into effect on April 1, 2005. After that time, all fluorescent lamp ballasts produced by lighting manufacturers for the commercial and industrial new construction or renovation market must be energy efficient electronic ballasts that meet the new standards, rather than the older less-efficient magnetic ballasts.