The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) announced that ANSI Accredited Standards Committee (ASC) C82 revised ANSI C82.6 American National Standard for Lamp Ballasts—Ballasts for High-Intensity Discharge Lamps—Methods of Measurement. This standard is now updated to provide industry-wide consistency for products that have the technological advantages of electronic ballasts and can be paired with existing low frequency lamps.

ANSI C82.6 describes the procedures to be followed and the precautions to be taken in measuring performance of low-frequency ballasts (electromagnetic and electronic ballasts that operate at less than 400 Hz) for high-intensity discharge (HID) lamps.
Last published in 2005, this revision includes methods of measurement for low-frequency square wave electronic ballasts that operate metal halide lamps.

“The changes to this measurement standard for the new electronic ballasts were significant because until just a few years ago, all HID ballasts were magnetic in design,” said Tom Harding, chair of ASC C82 Working Group 2. “Once these more efficient electronic ballasts came into the market and improved the performance of metal halide lamps, new standards and methods of measurement were needed to assure that these systems could be repeated.”

ANSI C82.6-2015 American National Standard for Lamp Ballasts—Ballasts for High-Intensity Discharge Lamps—Methods of Measurement may be downloaded or purchased in hard copy for $261 on the NEMA website.

NEMA’s Lighting Systems Division, as secretariat of ANSI’s ASC C82 for Electric Ballasts, is looking for industry experts in the User and General Interest categories to participate in standards development activities. Contact NEMA at nemalighting@nema.org if you are interested. Please indicate your interest category and your area of expertise.