BriteSwitch, a utility rebate management company, just published this interesting infographic on the value of the average outdoor lighting rebate by fixture type and light source. The infographic, embedded below, lists the average dollar value for rebates on pole lighting, wall packs, canopy lighting and bollard lighting fixtures based on BriteSwitch's North American Rebate and Incentive Database.  It's interesting to see that LED lighting is the clear winner in terms of rebate dollars offered.  If you would like to find out what rebates might be available in your state, … Continue reading

There are certain lighting professionals within the lighting industry with a level of knowledge, experience and drive that put them in rarefied air. Even longtime lighting industry veterans would do well to take a page out of the books of these illumination experts who have their finger on the pulse of what’s relevant in today’s marketplace. The people listed here are bloggers and publishers with a passion for lighting. They write about a variety of topics such as lighting design, energy-efficient lighting, news for contractors and the construction industry, as well a … Continue reading

While replacing existing lighting fixtures with energy efficient fixtures such as T5s and T8s will certainly help reduce your electricity bill, several of Florida’s electric companies offer Florida Lighting Rebates/Incentives.  The Florida Lighting Rebates will help reduce the cost of purchasing new lighting fixtures. Florida Power & Light  (FPL) Lighting Rebates As of May 2012, FPL through its Interior Building program provides between 65 cents to $3 for each linear fluorescent lamp as a lighting rebate.   For more information on FPL’s lighting rebates, please go … Continue reading

I'm sure you've realized by now that in order to calculate the return on investment for a new lighting system, you're going to have to know how much energy your new fixtures will save you. In order to know that, you're going to have to have an idea of total wattage the existing fixtures you have are consuming. You could dismantle a sample of the fixture and read the specs for the ballast and lamps you have, but that can be tedious and very time consuming. Another option is to use a standardized system wattage table that provides a very good rough estimate on the total sy … Continue reading

President Obama is proposing new efforts to improve energy efficiency in commercial buildings across the country. Last year, commercial buildings consumed roughly 20 percent of all energy in the U.S. economy. Improving energy efficiency in our buildings can create jobs, save money, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and make our air cleaner. The President’s Better Buildings Initiative will make commercial buildings 20 percent more energy efficient over the next decade by catalyzing private sector investment through a series of incentives to upgrade offices, stores, sc … Continue reading

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced support for energy-saving commercial building projects as part of an ongoing effort by DOE to improve the energy efficiency of buildings in the United States. With money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, DOE's national laboratories will select and fund technical experts to provide technical guidance to commercial building owners and operators. The goal of this Commercial Building Partnerships (CBP) initiative is to increase the energy efficiency of selected new and existing buildings. DOE's CB … Continue reading