That type of lighting requires minimum distance, due to heat issues. Heat energy can accumulate over very short time periods, and contribute towards increased risk of flash combustion over time as materials loose their heat resistant benefits. Even the wire is touching the lamp. Studio ceiling panels can be some of the biggest fire dangers within a home - They can flash out in under 1 minute in fire conditions, and act as fire accelerates.
The presence of that light indicates the ballast may be faulty, and further shows that some hack job may have redirected the electrical path with an extension cord.
The light bulbs don't look burnt out. So if the transformer is still good, why is there substitute lighting? Indeed Greg, looks like a grow light. Problem is that it may be demanding excessive amps for the circuit in a way that could heat up materials or wire insulation. If you suspect grow lighting, or similar high energy use lighting, you should call for professional recommendation. According to my research with qualified electricians on matters like this, one may not be able to count on the circuit breaker tripping properly prior to damages, if this type of variable amperage draw occurs. To state it simply, this one device could potentially burn the house down. A professional electrician would call that "easy money".
You should have told that guy to move it to the garage permanently, and do it while you were there at the house, for his own good. I can't tell you how many times I've been in homes where hack electrical jobs go unnoticed by everyone except me. Call for the inspection, the picture in this example, should have came with a repair requirement, or been excluded all together because you had the guy cure the situation on the spot. You should have taken an additional picture from under that panel as well if you left it the way it was.
Sometimes I think appraisers are too worried about the lender and liability. This homeowner would have been best served with a heads up that he's in danger of burning his house down. He probably would have cured it on the spot.
Environmental Addenda allows for the simple reporting of potentially deficient ballast, while not alarming the lender in an uninformed manner.
