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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

Memo: Clarifications to the NLC 2020 Report – 2025 update

William Attardi on February 22, 2025

 “Energy Savings from Networked Lighting Control (NLC) Systems With and Without LLLC”  Key updates include refined clarification of the definition of luminaire-level lighting controls (LLLC) used in the report, elaborated explanations on several important aspects of the control savings factors (CSFs), and distinguishing the calculation methodology between high-end trim savings and other control strategies (occupancy sensing and daylight harvesting). The memo emphasizes that the documented CSFs reflect average savings across a diverse set of projects, where optimal programming varied, and highlights considerations for small sample bias in evaluations. Building-specific CSFs and their limitations are explained, and the memo differentiates findings from a related redesign study to avoid misinterpretation. Lastly, an updated executive summary and errata sheet correct clerical errors, reaffirming that NLC systems with LLLC offer higher energy savings potential but encouraging ongoing updates as technology and datasets evolve.

The Statue of Liberty was made with copper but due to oxidation, it turned green.

When the “Lady in the Harbor” first arrived in New York in 1886, she didn’t look like the mint-green icon we know today. In fact, for the first twenty years of her life, she stood as a towering, metallic beacon of reddish-gold. Designed by French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and engineered by Alexandre Gustave Eiffel, the statue was a gift from France to America. To build her, Bartholdi chose copper for three practical reasons:

  • Malleability:It could be hammered into elaborate, thin sheets.
  • Weight:Copper is lighter than stone or bronze, making it easier to ship 350 individual pieces across the Atlantic.
  • Durability:It was strong enough to survive a 27-day ocean voyage and the harsh winds of the harbor.

When she was unveiled on October 28, 1886, her skin—made of 300 copper sheets roughly the thickness of two pennies—shone with a bright, metallic brown luster. The transformation from “penny-colored” to “patina-green” wasn’t planned. Bartholdi actually expected the statue to age into a deeper, darker red. However, the unique environment of New York Harbor—a mix of salt air, moisture, and industrial pollution—triggered a process called oxidation.

The Timeline of Change:

  1. 1886–1900:The bright copper dulled into a dark, muddy brown.
  2. 1903:The first hints of a light green crust, or “patina,” began to appear.
  3. 1906:The color change was so controversial that Congress nearly stepped in. They appropriated $62,000 to paint the statue back to its original color, but the public protested, calling the idea “sacrilege.”
  4. 1910–1920:The statue was a patchy mix of brown and green until 1920, when the oxidation was complete, leaving her entirely teal.

While we now view the green color as iconic, it actually serves a vital structural purpose. The layer of verdigris (the green patina) acts as a protective shield. It seals the copper underneath, preventing the metal from further corrosion and weathering.  By the time the color fully changed, a new generation of immigrants had arrived in America seeing a green statue.