2012 Rebate Programs Have Started

Many electric utilities and government organizations across the nation have been busy updating their rebate programs for 2012. A majority have already released their new programs, with others to have them by the end of the month. While every program is different, some of the most common changes we have seen are different rebate amounts, additional restrictions on which lighting systems may qualify for rebates, and more programs adding incentives for LED lighting solutions.

Click here to see a map showing how rebates have changed in the US

LED Prescriptive Programs Increase 39%

LED lamps and fixtures have quickly been adopted by commercial lighting incentive programs across the US. A few years ago, there were virtually no prescriptive programs for LED solutions. Today over 800 programs are available to commercial customers; an increase of 39% from June 2011!

While the growth in programs could have been expected, it maybe be surprising to learn that the average rebate amount has decreased over the same time period.

Click here to find out the types of rebates available for LEDs.

It's not too late to get your EPAct deduction for 2011

Have you worked on a large lighting project in 2011? If so, that project may still qualify for a significant tax deduction thanks to the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Because the EPAct certification does not need to happen at installation, any lighting project put into service in 2011 can still qualify for the deduction. That means you can save money when filing your taxes for 2011. However, you have to act now or you will lose the opportunity.

Click here to see how EPAct can help you.

Rebates For Equipment Affected By Legislation

In 2009, Congress passed legislation that established efficiency standards for general lighting. While the law did not specifically outlaw any technologies, it set efficiency standards that essentially phases out older technologies in use at many businesses today such as T12 fixtures and incandescent/halogen reflector lamps.

Rebates currently exist for many of the possible upgrades from the older products and can help lower the cost of the project. It is possible that due to the legislation, the incentive levels for the replacement products may fall or stop completely once the old technologies are phased out.

If you have old, inefficient technologies in your facilities, consider upgrading sooner than mandated so you won't miss out on any of the valuable rebates.

Click here to see the rebates available for replacement products

Rebate Funds Go Quicker Than Ever

A lot of rebate and incentive programs have a fixed budget and timeframe for their initiatives. Some operate on a calendar year basis, others operate on a fiscal year basis. As customers take advantage of these programs, funds dwindle and occasionally, the programs run out of money before the year is over.

This year, a record number of organizations have run out of funds before the program's end date. Some of these organizations ran out of money more than 6 months before the deadline! These programs have left many customers who were planning upgrades in the next few months confused and frustrated.

Click here to learn more about rebate incentive levels

High Rebates for High-Bay Fixtures

Rebates for lighting in commercial buildings are available for a variety of products and solutions in the marketplace. They cover everything from standard A19 incandescent replacements, to linear fluorescents and metal halide fixtures. A category which has particularly strong incentives is high-bay fixtures.

Whether replacing antiquated T12HO systems or inefficient HID systems, installing fluorescent, pulse start metal halide or induction high-bay fixtures can save on energy costs, provide better light levels, and also bring in high rebates.

Click here to the types of rebates available for high-bay fixtures.

How Long Does It Take To Get A Rebate Check?

One question that we frequently hear from our customers is, "How long does it take to get a rebate check?" To answer the question, we looked at several thousand projects that took place across the nation last year and created a graph to illustrate how long it took to receive the final rebate check after the installation of the equipment.

Click here to see the graph and learn how long it takes to get a rebate check.

T12 Rebates May Be Gone Before You Know It

Are you still using T12 fluorescent 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 required manufacturers to stop producing magnetic ballasts for most T12 fixtures after June 30, 2010. Most T12 bulbs will no longer be manufactured in July 2012. While these dates might seem far off, you should look to upgrade inefficient T12 lighting now while rebates are still available.

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

Maximize Your Rebate Dollars

When it comes to rebates and incentives for energy efficiency projects, it takes careful attention and planning to get the most money possible. Planning a project to get the most money involves optimizing timing, paying attention to bonus programs and negotiating rebates. The whole process is a daunting task for many businesses, but by doing it correctly, you can get a lot more money for your projects.

Click here to see how one customer maximized their rebates to achieve an additional $66,100 in rebates.

EPAct Reduces Payback To 1 Year

The Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPACT) allows commercial buildings to claim a tax deduction for upgrading to energy efficiency equipment. While many types of buildings can qualify for EPAct, warehouses and distribution centers have a huge opportunity with EPAct because of their large area and ability to install very efficiency lighting systems. One retailer took advantage of this tax deduction for $66,332 in one of their large distribution centers.

Click here see how the EPAct tax deduction reduced the

payback period to 1 year.

Program Goes Through $6.5 Million In Four Days!

Rebate programs are wildly popular with businesses trying to reduce the cost of their energy efficiency projects. Often there's a frenzy to get the money when it becomes available. In fact, one program is so popular it just can't seem to keep its funds. This year, a program offered by the State of Virginia offered $6.5 million for energy efficiency projects. Customers could take advantage of the funds starting on March 22nd. Four days later, the program stopped accepting new applications and had a wait list of 3,200 applications!

Click here to see how you can make sure you're not missing out on programs like this.

Rebate Programs are Projected to Grow Dramatically

Energy efficiency programs have increased rapidly the past few years, expanding in both funding levels and geography. In 2009, US utilities increased their spending on energy efficiency programs by 43% according to the Consortium for Energy Efficiency.

Geographically, rebates for commercial lighting are spreading out to more parts of the US, and are growing more popular in the Southeast and South Central US.

Click here to see the projections for rebate funding in the future and to learn how many states currently have rebates for commercial lighting projects.

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.

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.

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.

EPAct 2005 extended until 2013

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