Dimmable ballasts?

boilingoil said:

There's pro and con to both types but I wonder why all the commercial lighting companies are switching to digital ballast in all their professional lights.

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EFFICIENCY! I do get tired of repeating the obvious.

This is gold, keep posting.

Bigozgood said:

This is gold, keep posting.

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Lighting options, conveniently arranged in order from least efficient to most efficient;

Campfire
Candles
Incandescent lights
Tungsten/halogen lights
Low wattage HID (250-400W HPS, etc)
'Blurple' LED
High wattage non HPS HID, and any HID on a magnetic ballast (MH, 860W CDM)
CFL
High Output T5
High wattage HID on digital ballast (HPS, DE HPS)
COB LED driven hard; 80-100% of nominal)
COB LED driven softly (around 50%)
COB LED driven very softly (around or less than 25%)

These aren't hard n fast classifications; an older COB driven at its nominal output may generate light slightly less efficiently than a brand new DE HPS setup... for a month or so, until the lamp's depreciation curve catches up with it.

COB LED sits firmly atop the efficiency ratings. Better lights are those that deliver more PPfd for less watts. PERIOD. Assuming CRI is at least acceptable, efficiency is KING.

My plan is to unscrew my last HID in favor of COB LED this upcoming year and walk away from the tech for good.