Capacitive load

Electronic ballasts (EBs) for fluorescent lamps and LED ballasts but also LED retrofit lamps show a capacitive behavior. A small DC voltage is required to operate an LED. This is generated from the 230V mains voltage by integrated electronics or an LED driver. The LED drivers contain capacitors that must first be charged when switched on.

This charging current causes a high inrush current of the lamp of up to 100 times the nominal current for milliseconds.  When operating several LED lamps, the inrush currents add up. For the circuit breakers used in the household, the inrush current is normally not a problem. The manufacturers of LED drivers usually specify the inrush current or the maximum number of LED drivers to be operated on a circuit breaker in their data sheets.