More dimmable ballast products are now meeting CEE specifications. For the past year, CEE members and the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) have been collaborating on specifications and a label for premium label ballasts that meet high performance standards. Thanks to this joint initiative, lighting manufacturers can now look forward to faster market acceptance of new technology, while building owners and facilities managers get a wider selection of high efficiency lighting products to choose from, including T8 lamps, ballasts, and now, dimmable ballasts. This makes it possible for manufacturers to promote their qualifying products through the NEMA branding campaign.

In this way, CEE serves a vital role as an open, objective, intermediary “middle ground” where industries, marketers, and consumers meet for a valuable, free market exchange of ideas and a helpful discussions of specifications—and an indispensable information resource that manufacturers can turn to when developing new products to help building owners save money through more efficient lighting.

The significance of adding dimmable ballasts to the list of products meeting the CEE specification is the energy savings. One yardstick often mentioned is the potential for an additional 20 to 40 percent savings in lighting energy, compared to current technology, gained simply by switching to dimmable ballasts.

Shedding Light On Recent Developments
For the past few years, dimmable electronic ballasts have regularly been cited on CEE surveys as a “next technology” product of great interest to members. CEE first developed a high performance qualifying products list in September 2005. Earlier, in November 2004, the CEE Board of Directors adopted the HP 32W T8 specification for lighting systems. By 2007, an additional specification for reduced wattage (25 and 28 watt) lamps and ballasts was approved. And, in July 2007, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between CEE and NEMA that established the terms of using a NEMA Premium^® label for ballasts meeting CEE high performance T8 lighting specification. By June 2008, the list of qualifying products had increased by 74 lamps and 288 ballasts, showing that a growing number of manufacturers are adding these new technology items to their product lines. And, in July 2008, the CEE Commercial Lighting Committee decided to list dimmable ballasts meeting the current high performance T8 lighting spec at full light output. Per the MOU, any extension of the NEMA Premium concept must be agreed upon mutually by CEE and NEMA. Accordingly, NEMA has agreed to include dimmable ballasts that meet the CEE specification in the NEMA Premium program.

A full listing of products that meet the CEE HP T8 spec can be found online. For more information, you may also contact Kate Baldacci.

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