Learners Live

Did you Know?
Menu

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

Wanted: Energy Savings: 2026 Lighting Rebate Outlook by Craig DiLouie

William Attardi on May 15, 2026

The commercial lighting rebate outlook for 2026 remains strong, with rebates available in about 75% of the United States and covering all popular LED and lighting control categories. About 7% of rebate programs started the year with bonuses already in place, according to rebate fulfillment firm BriteSwitch, Kingston, N.J., but many are taking a more strategic approach by aggressively promoting LED options most likely to produce high energy savings. Average rebates for LED products rose 17%, with larger increases—exceeding 30%—for products replacing HID luminaires. Meanwhile, the number of rebate programs incentivizing LED-to-LED upgrades increased by 22%. While still accounting for less than 10% of the total number of rebate programs, this is a trend worth watching. In 2026, 6% of programs shifted from basing incentives on a per-unit-installed basis to other metrics such as power or energy savings. This combines the flexibility and innovation of custom rebates with the relatively straightforward prescriptive rebates, promoting thoughtful design and product selection that maximize energy savings. Wanted: Energy Savings: 2026 lighting rebate outlook | Craig DiLouie – Electrical Contractor Magazine

2026 Commercial Lighting Rebate Outlook by Craig DiLouie

William Attardi on April 17, 2026

The commercial lighting rebate outlook is strong for 2026, with widely available rebates covering all popular categories of LED lighting and lighting controls, including networked lighting controls. Overall, 2026 marks a year of evolution for programs as they adapt to declining lighting energy savings due to LED market saturation. Average rebate amounts per LED product significantly increased, particularly for higher-energy-saving products. Some programs are shifting from incentivizing products to energy savings. More programs recognizing LED-to-LED upgrades were introduced. On the lighting controls side, average rebate dollars per installed solution generally increased in 2026. As AI infrastructure/data centers and meta projects continue to come online, rising demand for electric power is leading to cost increases. This article evaluates the 2026 commercial lighting rebate outlook based on data provided by BriteSwitch’s RebatePro for Lighting North America database, examines opportunities for LED lighting and lighting controls, and offers insights into how rebate programs are evolving as LED adoption increases. 2026 Commercial Lighting Rebate Outlook

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

Energy-Efficient Lighting Can Still Provide Opportunities for Energy Savings, DNV Study Finds

William Attardi on April 18, 2025

The study was undertaken in partnership with 11 organizations across the U.S. and Canada The study identified six separate “next generation” commercial lighting opportunities that are most likely to produce significant program savings or are gaining traction in the market. It graded these opportunities according to the potential size of the market, potential to deliver meaningful program savings, and ease of delivery. Three opportunities—higher efficacy LEDs, advanced lighting controls, and redesign LED-to-LED retrofit—are considered mass market opportunities and have the ability to fit into established energy management programs or have the ability to scale. The other three opportunities—demand management, germicidal UV, and tunable lighting—are niche market opportunities that apply to specific conditions and customers, and, while have the ability to provide energy savings, are not suited to broad adoption.  Energy-efficient lighting can still provide opportunities for energy savings, DNV study finds

Interesting: The Three Pillars of Independence of an Organization

The 3 Pillars of Independence most commonly refers to a framework from the UK voluntary sector (specifically promoted by organizations like Bond and the Directory of Social Change). It is a toolkit for assessing and maintaining the independence of charities, NGOs, or civil society organizations.

The Three Pillars are:

  1. Independent of Party Politics – The organization (or regulator) must remain free from bias or influence by any political party or the government of the day. Decisions should be impartial, not favoring one political side.
  2. Independent of Populism – It should not be swayed by popular public opinion, media-driven campaigns, or transient public pressure, especially on controversial or unpopular causes.
  3. Independent of the Press – Freedom from media influence or pressure, ensuring decisions are based on evidence and law rather than headlines or public narratives.

This toolkit was created to monitor potential political encroachment on charitable regulation and to ensure charities can operate without undue external interference.

 

Check out the learning sessions we posted…

August Blog: Learning to Get Better by Bill Attardi

WE ARE NOW LIVE ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@BillAttardi