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BriteSwitch: Rebates Bloom as Horticulture Lighting Market Heats Up

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

LED-to-LED Upgrades: Emerging Well of Opportunity?

As the market for replacing traditional light sources with LED becomes more challenging, a new market is developing around upgrade of early-generation LED installations. This presents an opportunity to achieve greater energy savings, enhance lighting quality, and integrate advanced lighting controls. Supported by a small number of new commercial lighting rebates that are likely to expand in availability, this trend appears certain to grow. LED-to-LED Upgrades: Emerging Well of Opportunity?

ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR Magazine Published Articles on Lighting

Lighting is a top money-maker for electrical contractors, and ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR Magazine has you covered with news and monthly articles on lighting innovations and technology, LEDs, lighting design, lighting control, indoor and outdoor lamps and luminaires, new products and more. Recent articles on lighting are available online:

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Commercial Lighting Rebate Trends for 2025 by BriteSwitch

Despite concerns of LEDs reaching market saturation and legislation restricting fluorescent lamp sales passed in 15 states, commercial lighting rebates are still as strong as ever. Programs may have evolved to adapt to current market conditions, but overall, these incentives remain widely available across North America and continue to be an important tool for improving the payback of lighting upgrades. Now that most programs have been updated for 2025, we take a look at the biggest trends, how rebate programs are evolving, and how to take advantage of them.

Commercial Lighting Rebate Trends for 2025

Deals on Leases Drive EV Market by Christopher Otts

Toyota Motor’s only electric vehicle widely on sale in the U.S. starts at about $37,000. But practically nobody plunks down that much for the mid size SUV, named bZ4X. “Almost everyone leases the car,” Toyota U.S. sales chief David Christ said in a re cent interview. “You’d be a fool not to.” The Japanese-made SUV, which qualifies for a $7,500 federal subsidy only if it is leased, illustrates a broader shift in the way car companies are marketing electric cars to consumers, with more-afford able monthly payments and no long-term commitment. People who leased the Toyota in 2024 paid $445 a month on average, compared with $717 for those who financed the car through a purchase loan, according to credit bureau Experian. WQWLtBjXe8K8Ki1Y3MfL-WSJNewsPaper-1-13-2025.pdf

The Genesis of the U.S. Space Force – On December 20, 2019, President Donald Trump signed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2020, officially creating the United States Space Force, a new and independent branch of the U.S. military. The establishment of the Space Force marked a historic shift in how the U.S. views and manages its military operations in space, reflecting the growing importance of space as both a domain of strategic competition and national security. The Space Force is tasked with ensuring the U.S. maintains its superiority in space, focusing on both the defense of space assets and the development of offensive capabilities. Its mission includes:

  1. Space Operations: Overseeing space-based systems, such as satellites, that provide essential services to the U.S. military, including communication, reconnaissance, and missile defense.
  2. Space Security: Protecting U.S. space infrastructure from threats, including anti-satellite weapons, cyberattacks, and other potential forms of disruption by adversarial nations.
  3. Space Research and Development: Developing and deploying cutting-edge space technologies, including space-based defense systems, that ensure the U.S. maintains an edge in space exploration and military operations.
  4. Supporting National Defense: Integrating space capabilities into broader national defense strategies, ensuring that U.S. forces can operate effectively in space as part of a multi-domain approach to warfare.

The Space Force is designed to streamline and strengthen the U.S. military’s space operations, which were previously under the purview of the U.S. Air Force. By separating space operations into a distinct branch, the government hoped to increase focus on space as a critical area of national defense and enhance the U.S. military’s ability to respond to emerging threats. Source: Day in History