LED Lighting Upgrades for Commercial Properties and Businesses: A Guide to Energy Efficiency and Savings

LED lighting upgrades can revolutionize the energy efficiency and cost savings potential of businesses. In this blog post, we will explore why LED lighting is an excellent choice for commercial properties, discuss various types of LED lights available in the market, highlight some benefits of upgrading to LEDs, and examine rebates that are currently offered in New Brunswick for such upgrades.

Why Choose LED Lighting?

LED (Light Emitting Diode) lighting has become increasingly popular due to its numerous advantages over traditional incandescent bulbs or even fluorescents. Here’s why:

  1. Energy Efficiency: LED lights are highly energy-efficient, using only a fraction of the electricity that other types of lighting use. They convert most of their consumed power into visible light with very little electricity wasted as heat, unlike other types of lighting (especially filament types like incandescent or halogen). This results in significant cost savings over time for businesses.
  2. Long Lifespan: LED lights have an exceptionally long lifespan, often lasting up to 50,000 hours or more compared to incandescent bulbs which typically last around 1,000-2,000 hours. This means less frequent replacement and maintenance costs for businesses.
  3. Durability: LED lights are very durable and resistant to shock, vibration, extreme temperatures, and humidity. They can withstand harsh environments that might be challenging for other types of lighting.
  4. Instant On: Unlike fluorescents which take time to warm up before emitting full brightness, LED lights turn on instantly, providing immediate illumination when needed. This is particularly beneficial in commercial settings where quick lighting response can be crucial. The best example of this is in cold-weather outdoor applications where other lamp types can take more than a minute to reach operating brightness.
  5. Environmentally Friendly: LEDs are free from harmful chemicals like mercury found in fluorescents and they are fully recyclable at the end of their lifespan, making them a more environmentally friendly choice for businesses looking to reduce their carbon footprint. Since they also last longer, they don’t need to replaced (and discarded) as often.

Types of LED Lights Available

There is an extensive range of LED lights available on the market today, each designed for specific purposes and environments:

  1. General Purpose: These are your standard LED bulbs that can be used in any fixture or lamp. They come in a variety of wattages to replace incandescent bulbs with similar brightness levels.
  2. Industrial Grade: Designed for high-use areas, these lights have an even longer lifespan and are more resistant to shocks and vibrations than standard LED bulbs. They are often used in factories or warehouses where lighting is needed around the clock.
  3. High Bay: These are designed for high ceilings, typically found in large commercial spaces like big box stores, gymnasiums, or industrial facilities. High bays provide a wide beam angle and can cover larger areas with fewer fixtures.
  4. Linear LED Lights: Ideally suited for lighting in retail stores, these lights are designed to be installed along the length of a surface such as under-cabinet lighting in kitchens or above shelves in display cases. They provide even illumination and can help highlight products or displays.
  5. Outdoor LED Lights: These are specifically designed for outdoor use, often with features like waterproof casings and reflective materials to maximize visibility. They are commonly used for parking lot lighting, security lighting, and building facade illumination.

Benefits of Upgrading to LED Lighting

Upgrading your commercial property or business to LED lighting can bring numerous benefits:

  1. Cost Savings: As mentioned earlier, LED lights are highly energy-efficient, which means they use less electricity than traditional bulbs and result in lower utility bills over time. The exact savings will depend on the specific type of LED used but can be substantial.
  2. Maintenance Savings: With their long lifespan, LED lights require much less frequent replacement compared to other types of lighting. This reduces maintenance costs for businesses over time.
  3. Improved Safety: LED lights emit a bright, clear light that can improve visibility and safety in commercial settings. For example, well-lit parking lots or hallways can help prevent accidents or crimes.
  4. Environmental Benefits: As mentioned earlier, LEDs are more environmentally friendly than traditional bulbs due to their lack of harmful chemicals and recyclable nature at the end of their lifespan. This is a great selling point for businesses looking to improve their sustainability image or meet environmental regulations.
  5. Customizable Lighting: LED lights come in various color temperatures, allowing you to choose the perfect light for your specific needs. For example, cooler white tones can provide a bright, energizing atmosphere while warmer tones create a more relaxed ambiance. Certain newer LED lamps and fixtures use RGB (red, green, and blue) diodes, similar to a TV or computer monitor, to produce a wide range of colours that can be selected with the press of a button.

Rebates Available in New Brunswick for LED Lighting Upgrades

Many utility companies across Canada offer their own rebate programs for energy-efficient equipment, including LED lights.

NB Power Business Rebate Program

NB Power’s Business Rebate Program provides financial support to help businesses in New Brunswick offset the costs of energy-efficient products at their facility. The program is available to customers who are classified under the Small Industrial, General Service 1, or General Service 2 Rate Schedule or equivalent, and who have authorization to approve installation of equipment at the eligible project site.

If approved, businesses get 25% of eligible project costs, up to a lifetime cap of $250,000 per eligible project site. Eligible costs include external project management, purchase and installation of approved equipment, disposal and decommission of replaced equipment, and fees for consultants.

In order to participate you first start by applying online; you then develop scope, get pre-approval, implement your project, request payment, and finally receive your incentive payment. Be aware that pre-approval for projects is mandatory and costs incurred prior to project pre-approval are not eligible.

NB Power Commercial Buildings Retrofit Program

NB Power also has a Commercial Building Retrofit Program which provides financial incentives to assist Commercial Buildings to identify projects and to offset the capital cost of the implementation of the eligible upgrades. These incentives are:

  1. Up to $8,000 towards an audit to determine the potential for energy efficiency upgrades in a commercial building; and,
  2. Currently up to $1.25 million towards the implementation of the energy efficiency upgrades chosen. The implementation funding is per gigajoule of electricity saved and based on project costs reducing non-electric fuels.

Next Steps

J&D Electric’s technicians can help navigate both of these programs, from performing an initial assessment to sales and installation of retrofit fixtures. If you would like more information, simply fill out the contact form below and we will reach out to you to schedule an initial consultation.

The J&D Electric Difference

We offer reliable scheduling and are always accessible when you need us. Our flexibility allows us to work with your budget, and our specialized team of experts means we can take on any electrical project from the initial planning through the final clean up and walk through inspection. We are locally owned and our goal is to provide quality work that will last, excellent customer service and communication throughout your entire electrical repair project, and finish on time and within budget. At J & D Electric Ltd, our estimates are always upfront with no undisclosed fees. Customers appreciate that we describe every detail to ensure a seamless process during the entire project.

How can we help?

New Construction Electrical
Residential Electrical
Remodelling Electrical
Lighting Installation
Electrical Repair
Standby Generator Sales & Installation

J&D Electric Ltd.

46 Woodlawn Ave, Moncton, NB E1E 2J9

Phone

(506) 858-7070

Fax

(506) 859-6893

Hours of Operation

Monday to Friday
8:00 am to 4:30 pm

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