ERC 2x26W Emergency Ballast for Compact Fluorescent Lamps

The ERC electronic emergency ballast is a power inverter that transforms a standard fluorescent fixture into an emergency light, ensuring that emergency exit routes are automatically illuminated in the event of a power outage. It is the most widely used technical solution in Italy for bringing existing lighting systems into compliance with fire safety and workplace safety regulations.

How Emergency Lighting Works

Under normal operating conditions, the device monitors the mains voltage at 220–240 V and keeps the internal rechargeable battery charged. When it detects a loss of power—such as a blackout, a system failure, or the activation of a fire suppression system—it instantly switches the fluorescent lamp to the emergency circuit, powering the tube with the energy stored in the battery. The switching time is less than 0.5 seconds, which meets the regulatory requirement for safety lighting.

Compliance with UNI EN 60598-2-22

The UNI EN 60598-2-22 standard establishes the technical and performance requirements for emergency lighting fixtures. The ERC ballast is designed and certified in accordance with this standard, ensuring: a minimum runtime of one hour at full light output, a full recharge time of no more than 24 hours, an automatic self-test function for periodic verification of proper operation, and an LED status indicator that signals charging status, battery failure, or circuit malfunctions.

Applications in Public Buildings and Workplaces

Its primary use is in buildings open to the public where safety lighting is required by law: offices, schools, hospitals, nursing homes, hotels, restaurants, shopping centers, multi-story parking garages, conference rooms, movie theaters, theaters, and public entertainment venues. The ERC ballast is particularly popular in renovation and code compliance projects because it can be installed inside existing light fixtures without the need to completely replace the lighting fixture.

Warehouses, Industrial Facilities, and Residential Buildings

It is also widely used in warehouses, storage facilities, and industrial settings—where a sudden power outage can create hazardous conditions for workers involved in material handling—as well as in residential apartment buildings for emergency lighting in stairwells, underground parking garages, utility rooms, and basements. Fire safety regulations explicitly require emergency lighting along evacuation routes in apartment buildings taller than 24 meters.

Compatibility with compact fluorescent lamps

The ERC ballast is compatible with the most widely used 2x26W compact fluorescent lamps of the PL-C and PL-T types with a G24q-3 base, manufactured by Osram, Philips, Sylvania, GE, and other brands. This broad compatibility offers maximum flexibility in choosing the luminaire and lamp supplier, avoiding technological lock-in.