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BriteSwitch: How the DLC V6.0 Transition Could Affect Your Lighting Rebates

William Attardi on October 14, 2026

When you’re quoting a commercial lighting project, the last thing you want is a surprise when it’s time to collect the rebate. On December 15, 2026, the DesignLights Consortium (DLC) will remove products that haven’t transitioned to its new SSL V6.0 requirements. As of October 12, more than 248,000 products were still listed under V5.1. With approximately 65% of commercial lighting rebate offerings requiring DLC-qualified products, this transition could have an major impact on projects extending into 2027. But losing DLC qualification doesn’t necessarily mean losing rebate eligibility. Some utilities will require V6.0 starting January 1, while others are allowing older products to remain eligible for a period of time. We took a closer look at how specific rebate programs are handling the transition and how you can avoid costly mistakes. How the DLC V6.0 Transition Could Affect Your Lighting Rebates

BriteSwitch: Federal EV and EV Charger Tax Credits Have Ended. What Incentives Are Left?

William Attardi on September 23, 2026

The federal tax credits for EVs and EV chargers have now ended, but that doesn’t mean incentive opportunities have disappeared. There are still hundreds of programs available from states, utilities, municipalities, and other organizations. In fact, we’re currently tracking 141 open nonfederal EV incentive programs and 501 open nonfederal EV charger programs across the country. We took a closer look at what incentives are still available, where they’re coming from, and what companies should be watching as the market continues to change. With hundreds of programs across the country and frequent changes throughout the year, keeping up with EV and EV charger incentives can be difficult. BriteSwitch’s RebatePro tools make it easy to stay on top of all those changes. Federal EV and EV Charger Tax Credits Have Ended. What Incentives Are Left?

BriteSwitch: Commercial Lighting Rebates Are Still Widely Available

William Attardi on June 18, 2026

As energy demand continues to rise, driven in part by new data centers built to support the growth of artificial intelligence, both homes and businesses are feeling the pressure of higher utility bills. For commercial customers, those increases are bringing renewed attention to energy-saving projects. One of the most familiar options, lighting upgrades, is once again becoming a way for businesses to help offset rising operating costs. Support for commercial lighting rebates remains strong and help make an even stronger case for lighting upgrades. Currently, 75% of the U.S.has access to an active commercial lighting rebate program. Rising Electric Rates Make Lighting Upgrades Worth Another Look

The Hassle of Approved Product Lists for EV Charger Rebates

William Attardi on May 14, 2026

EV charger rebates remain very strong heading into 2026, but finding an incentive is only the first step. Qualifying for it can be much harder. One of the biggest challenges is the continued use of Approved Product Lists, or APLs. These lists determine which chargers or networks are eligible for certain rebate programs.  24% of incentive programs across North America currently have an Approved Product List. That may sound modest, but many of these programs cover major markets where missing from the list can have a significant impact. Getting on these lists can take a lot of work, and not every manufacturer prioritizes the process. So we looked at which charger brands and networks appear most often on approved lists across North America. According to BriteSwitch’s RebatePro for EV Chargers, a record 85% of the US is currently covered by rebates, incentives, grants, or tax credits for installing EV charging equipment. The Hassle of Approved Product Lists for EV Charger Rebates

BriteSwitch – Commercial Lighting Controls: A Growing Rebate Opportunity

William Attardi on April 22, 2026

Traditional controls fit well within prescriptive rebate programs because they are relatively easy to define, verify, and explain. For decades, programs have offered incentives for adding components such as fixture-mounted occupancy sensors, and these incentives are not going away. In fact, incentives for traditional lighting controls increased by 12–20% this year, depending on the measure. In addition to traditional controls, more advanced lighting control systems have gained prominence in recent years. These systems are typically more intelligent, allowing devices to communicate and respond dynamically to changing conditions. Rebates for advanced systems like NLC and LLLC have historically been more complex. While most programs provide incentives for these systems, the structure varies widely. Some offer incentives through custom programs based on projected kWh savings. Others provide per-fixture adders or separate line items based on control type. RebatePro for Lighting by BriteSwitch is designed to help contractors and distributors identify the best rebate opportunities, estimate incentives for specific projects, and stay current as programs continue to evolve across the US and Canada. Commercial Lighting Controls: A Growing Rebate Opportunity

EV Charger Rebate Trends for 2026 by BriteSwitch

William Attardi on March 11, 2026

2025 was a complicated year for the EV industry. EV sales fell sharply in Q4, and for those in the charging business, the headlines may have felt unsettling. But vehicle sales and the charging business are telling two very different stories. The US added 17% more charging ports, and utilization continues to climb. Electrek reported 141 million charging sessions in 2025, a 30% increase over the previous year. There are more EVs on the road than ever, and drivers are using public charging stations more frequently. Rebates still play a crucial role in building up the EV charging infrastructure in North America, and they’re as strong as ever. We break down the five biggest EV charger rebate trends shaping 2026:

BriteSwitch: Commercial Lighting Rebate Trends for 2026

William Attardi on February 12, 2026

Electricity costs continue to climb, and commercial customers are once again taking a closer look at energy efficiency. In 2025 alone, average commercial electricity rates increased by roughly 7%, with some regions seeing increases as high as 29%. As operating costs rise, lighting rebates remain one of the most effective tools for improving project economics. So what does the commercial lighting rebate landscape actually look like in 2026, and what’s different this year? Most programs are still available this year, incentive amounts are up, and rebate structures are continuing to evolve. The following trends are shaping the commercial lighting rebate landscape in 2026.

Commercial Lighting Rebate Trends for 2026

BriteSwitch: Rebates Bloom as Horticulture Lighting Market Heats Up

William Attardi on November 12, 2025

Once limited to research labs and specialized grow rooms, horticulture lighting has become one of the fastest-growing segments in the lighting industry. As technology costs drop and efficiency improves, these systems are now used in greenhouses, vertical farms, floriculture, and even in facilities producing plant-based vaccines. The global market is expanding at roughly 12% per year and is projected to reach $22 billion by 2033, making it one of the brightest opportunities for both lighting manufacturers and rebate-driven projects. Like they did with traditional lighting, LEDs have revolutionized grow lights. With 20 to 45% less energy usage than conventional HID grow lights, they provide a huge opportunity to cut operating costs for growers. The reduced wattage also means less waste heat, which is hugely beneficial to indoor growing operations. In October 2019, the DesignLights Consortium (DLC) created a new standard and Qualified Products List (QPL) specifically for horticulture lighting. Over the years, the DLC has become the de facto standard utilities use to ensure customers install high-quality lighting when applying for incentives.  In 2025, the DLC released version 4.0 of its technical requirements.  55% of the US is covered by an active horticulture lighting rebate; 53% are calculated on a per-fixture basis.  BriteSwitch Can Help You Find and Capture the Rebates:

Rebates Bloom as Horticulture Lighting Market Heats Up

Fluorescent Tube Bans and the Effect on Lighting Rebates by BriteSwitch

William Attardi on July 23, 2025

Fluorescent tubes have long been a staple in the American lighting landscape, illuminating warehouses, offices, and public buildings across the nation for decades. However, recent legislative actions in several states signal a significant shift in lighting technologies. Twelvestates have passed legislation that will prohibit the sale of fluorescent tubes in the next few years. Most of these states also restrict integrated compact fluorescent lamps (CFL-i), pin-based CFL-ni lamps, and high-CRI linear fluorescent, although they may go into effect at different times.  In states with no legislation affecting the sale of fluorescent lamps, rebate availability will likely remain the same.  Fluorescent Tube Bans and the Effect on Lighting Rebates

BriteSwitch: LED-to-LED Upgrades and Rebates

William Attardi on May 2, 2025

Early adopters who first transitioned from fluorescent and HID to LED lighting a decade ago are discovering that it’s time to replace their early-generation fixtures. Traditionally, rebate programs haven’t supported LED-to-LED upgrades, but that’s starting to change. As LED technology has evolved, both light quality and efficacy have significantly improved. One effective way to measure these advancements is by examining the Design Lights Consortium’s (DLC)technical requirements. Increased efficacy basically means that new LED fixtures have to use fewer watts to get the same light output, providing an opportunity to realize additional energy savings.  RebatePro makes it easy to sort through all the commercial lighting rebates in the US and Canada. LED-to-LED Upgrades and Rebates

Here’s a little-known fact about the MLB World Series

First, let me congratulate the Milwaukee Brewers on their first World Series Championship. Well played the entire 2026 season, 103 wins was the best.… My new team in the NL!

The 1903 World Series was the first modern World Series, and the Boston Americans (now the Red Sox) defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates 5 games to 3. Do you believe it………….a team from Boston actually won the first World Series…….  The surprising twist: The World Series wasn’t played at all in 1904! The NY Giants refused to participate because their owner, John T. Brush, considered the championship unnecessary. The Series returned in 1905, when those NY Giants won. So, baseball’s biggest annual event actually skipped its second year! The team from Boston (Americans, then Red Sox) have a World Series record of 9 wins and 4 losses in championship appearances, for a 69.2% championship success rate. Their nine championships came in 1903, 1912, 1915, 1916, 1918, 2004, 2007, 2013 and 2018. Sad fact: The team from Bean Town waited 86 years between championships, from 1918 until its dramatic victory in 2004 over the St. Louis Cardinals (4-0), when the Red Sox ended the famous Curse of the Bambino……just sayin!