This tube can safely and easily replace a fluorescent tube of 40w and bring an energy-savings of 22w. Thus, a lower utility bill for you every month. This tube will work without a ballast, hence the existing ballast must be bypassed and directly wired to the line source for the tube fixture to work. These tubes are housed in rugged die-cast aluminum for efficient heat dissipation. For the standard ceiling height, these tubes having a beam angle of greater emit enough bright light, have a long lifespan, and have a shatterproof coating unlike the fluorescent tubes that were of inferior light quality, typically low lifespan and usually with no shatter proofing.