Whats the difference between fluorescent fixtures, then?
Fluorescent fixtures are named by the diameter of the lamp. For example, a T12 is a 1 ½” lamp, a T8 is a 1″ lamp, and a T5 is a 5/8″ lamp. The trick is to divide the number by 8 to determine the diameter in inches. Besides lamp diameter, fluorescents are sometimes further categorized by their lumen output-standard or high output (HO). Size isn’t everything Switching from basic T8s to high- lumen T8s results in the same proportion of savings as switching from old T12s to basic T8s. Likewise, switching from magnetic ballast to electronic ones provides this same proportion of savings.
