As noted in Eley et al. (1993),
When electronic high-frequency ballasts were first introduced in the early 1980s, some models generated relatively high line harmonics. Nevertheless, at that time, harmonic currents produced by lighting equipment and other electronic systems were not, as yet, a utility issue. However, by the mid-1980s, utilities and power engineers were becoming increasingly more concerned about power equipment that generated line harmonics.
The harmonics issue first surfaced as a concern to the professional lighting community when a major utility announced that electronic ballasts were required to have total harmonic distortion (THD) of less than 20% of the fundamental in order to qualify for their rebate program. Electronic ballast manufacturers responded to the utility's requirement by employing passive filtering that met the 20% limit at a slightly higher cost to the end user.
The laboratory lighting designer certainly should be aware of reports of harmonic distortion and electrical equipment interference from electronic ballasts. However, we know of no documented instances of severe electrical problems occurring in any laboratory environments due to Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) problems caused by the installation of electronic ballasts.
The installation of electronic ballasts will generally reduce the overall load on a circuit by reducing energy demand. All of the major ballast manufacturers produce products that are <0.20 THD, and <0.10 THD ballasts are available for a premium cost. The standard magnetic ballasts that have been replaced by electronic ballasts usually have a THD of 0.25 or greater. These magnetic ballasts also consume on the average 2-6 watts more energy that their electronic replacements.
Radio frequency interference, while rare, is possible when electronic ballasts are installed in areas where equipment operates on the same frequency as the ballast. If problems involve masking of signals rather than actual damage to the equipment, there is a very simple solution: replace the electronic ballast with a hybrid ballast. This product is almost as efficient as the electronic ballast but does not operate at the same high frequency and will not cause interference with sensitive equipment.
