Lighting Rebates - The Year in Review

2009 has been an incredibly good year for businesses looking to take advantage of valuable rebates for upgrading their lighting systems. Even in light of a struggling economy, utilities and governments across the country continued to invest money into conservation programs. At the beginning of the year, organizations in 36 states had a rebate program available for energy efficiency programs. Over the course of the year, another 10 states have enacted programs. Now, rebates for energy efficient lighting in non-residential applications cover over 60% of the zip codes in the US.

Click here to learn more and see a map displaying the rebate climate in the US.

Don't Miss Out On Rebates For Upgrading Your T12s

Are you still using T12 fixtures in your facilities? They are all too common in commercial lighting applications in the US. In fact, according to NEMA, 115 million 4' T12 lamps were still sold in the US last year. These systems are very inefficient; needlessly forcing customers to waste money on their utility bills.

In an effort to lower the energy demand in the US, the Energy Policy Act of 2005 requires manufacturers stop producing magnetic ballasts for most T12 fixtures after June 30, 2010. While these dates might seem far off, you should look to upgrade dated facilities now in order to take advantage of sizeable rebates.

Click here to find out why you should to upgrade your T12 lighting now.

It's Not Too Late To Get Your EPAct Tax Deduction for 2009

Were you involved in a large lighting project in 2009? If so, that project may still qualify for a significant tax deduction thanks to the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Any lighting upgrade job that was completed in the last year potentially qualifies for the deduction. Because the EPAct certification does not need to happen at installation, any project put into service in 2009 can still qualify for the deduction.

Click here to see how EPAct can help you.

Rebate Programs Getting Ready for LEDs

With long life and high energy efficiency, LED is the new buzzword when customers are looking to upgrade to efficient lighting. While not a viable option in the past, the efficiency and cost of LED fixtures are now reaching more acceptable levels.

From wall washers to accent lighting in stores and restaurants, LEDs are making their way into mainstream applications. Utilities and government agencies have noticed this trend and they are starting to provide rebates for LED products.

Click here to find out how energy efficiency programs are dealing with LEDs.

Don't Miss Out On Bonus Programs

Many utilities create energy efficiency programs to help reduce electrical demand on the grid and to meet goals set by local, state, and federal governments. To meet these goals, organizations sometimes offer bonus programs to increase participation. By increasing the rebate amounts on certain products for a limited time, they're hoping to increase utilization of their programs and decrease energy usage.

Click here to learn more about bonus programs and how they can help you.

Energy Efficiency Programs Have A Bright Future

In light of the soft economy, many people wonder if the incentive programs that we've seen over the past few years will continue. Since funding varies per region and organization, it's hard to give an all-encompassing answer, but all indications point out that the programs will continue, if not increase.

Click here to learn more.

ASHRAE 90.1-2004 is New National Standard

Earlier this year, the Department of Energy announced that ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2004 is the new national reference code. That means all states must certify that their commercial building codes are at least as stringent as 90.1-2004.

How does this help you? If built to ASHRAE 90.1-2004, certain facilities may be good candidates for an EPAct tax deduction. Click here for the list

You can also use BriteSwitch's new EPAct Estimator to see the approximate deduction for which your project can qualify. Click here to use.

Spotlight on Idaho

Did you ever wonder how many people are actually taking advantage of energy efficiency programs? Even with a very low energy rate of about $0.05 per kWh, the state of Idaho provides a great example of how many people are using these programs. In fact, one utility in the state reported that in the first 10 weeks of 2009, they have already received 200 preliminary applications.

Click here to learn more.

How you may qualify for an EPAct Tax Deduction

End users aren't the only ones who can benefit from EPAct tax deductions. When lighting jobs are done in government buildings, the IRS allows the party responsible for specifying or designing the efficient lighting system to claim the deduction.

Click here to learn more.

Spotlight on Massachusetts

Massachusetts is one of the states in the country where rebates really thrive. In fact, 88% of the state is covered by incentives that apply to commercial lighting. Most rebates in Massachusetts are very attractive for customers looking to upgrade to energy efficient lighting solutions.

Click here to learn more.

The ability to find lighting rebates anywhere in the US!

Is the location that you're working on eligible for lighting rebates? That's a frequently asked question that is not answered very often. While there are numerous resources available out there that list rebates, it's still hard to identify what specific rebates are available for a location and how to take advantage of them. BriteSwitch's new and proprietary database can identify virtually all lighting rebates available in the US. It's one of the only databases in existence with the power to find lighting rebates for customers quickly and easily. Click here to learn more.

Spotlight on Minnesota

When people think of states with lighting rebates, the first states that usually come to mind are states that are always in the media for energy efficiency, like California and Massachusetts, but there are many other states where significant rebates are available. In each edition of BriteSwitch's News, we'll focus on a state and learn about rebate opportunities in that area. This edition, we'll look at Minnesota, one of the states at the forefront of lighting rebates. Follow the link to learn how one customer could save over $35,000 in Minnesota. Click here to learn more.

EPAct 2005 extended until 2013

Want to join the mailing list for this publication? Click here to sign up for BriteSwitch's newsletter.