Financial Incentives and Support
Financial incentives — ranging from utility rebates to federal tax deductions — are commonly available for lighting renovation projects. But those programs have specific requirements that facility managers should be aware of.
For example, for T8 upgrades, Consortium for Energy Efficiency specifications for High Performance T8 and Supersaver T8 lamp and ballast systems using high-efficiency ballasts serve as a baseline by many utilities for establishing rebate programs. Go to www.CEE1.org for more information.
Rebates for LED luminaires are given by many utilities for Design Lights Consortium-qualified luminaires. Go to www.DesignLights.org for more information.
To find incentives, the first place to look is the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Energy (DSIRE) at www.dsireusa.org.
"EPAct 2005 tax incentives are also still available through the end of 2013," notes Cheryl Ford, marketing manager at OSRAM SYLVANIA. "Both utility rebates and EPAct 2005 tax incentives lower the initial cost to install and provide higher ROI." For more about EPAct, check out Energy Efficient Commercial Buildings Deduction at www.lightingtaxdeduction.org.
Other Lighting Upgrade Resources:
- General Lighting Product and Application Information: NEMA's enLIGHTen America, www.nemasavesenergy.org
- Lighting Service Companies: Nalmco, www.nalmco.org
- Energy Services Companies (ESCOs): National Association of Energy Service Companies (NAESCO), www.naesco.org
- Electrical Contractors: National Electrical Contractors Association, www.necanet.org
- Lighting Resources and News, The National Lighting Bureau (NLB), www.nlb.org
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