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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

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

The Creator of Baby Ruth Actually Sued Babe Ruth –The Baby Ruth candy bar was created by the Curtiss Candy Company in 1920 — the same year that baseball legend Babe Ruth hit a then-record 54 home runs. But the Great Bambino was irked that the company was selling a candy bar with such a similar name to his own without offering him any royalties. Rather than take the Curtiss Candy Company to court, the Sultan of Swat decided to make his own candy bar, and in 1926 he debuted Ruth’s Home Run bar. The Curtiss Candy Company responded by turning the tables and taking Ruth to court. They accused the slugger of trying to steal their trademark and capitalize on the success of their brand. In a 1931 deposition, Curtiss founder Otto Schnering insisted the candy was named after “Baby Ruth” Cleveland — the daughter of President Grover Cleveland.  He also attested that the company came up with the name in 1919 before the baseball player had become a household name and that the name was merely coincidental. While the validity of those claims is disputed to this day, the court nonetheless ruled in favor of the candy company, forcing Ruth to end his foray into the world of candy.