How much lighting retrofit services can save you

LED lighting has set a new standard for quality lighting in the workplace. Fortunately, the Ontario government is helping many companies make the switch with its Save on Energy retrofit incentive program. We are also here to help as a lead light retrofitting contractor in the Niagara region. In this article, you will find our easy-to-use lighting retrofit calculator spreadsheet. You can use it to estimate the cost of a retrofit and how much energy you could save per year.

What is the difference between fluorescent and LED lighting?

There is a significant difference between fluorescent and LED power consumption. Here are some general stats:

Powering a single 2-tube light fixture during average workday hours costs about $132.76 annually.

An equivalent LED fixture might cost about $77.44 for the year. In a building with 75 fixtures, that’s about $4,148.64 saved per year! Remember, LED lighting does not diminish over time and is replaced up to five times less frequently, which means more savings for you as well.

Check out our lighting retrofit calculator spreadsheet to get an idea of the cost of a retrofit job and the savings you could have.

Alternatives to a fixture replacement

A common alternative to replacing fluorescent fixtures is purchasing “plug-and-play" LED bulbs that function in a fluorescent fixture. In the short term, they are more affordable than a complete fixture retrofit; however, it is not that simple.

For one, the Ontario Government’s Save on Energy cashback program does not apply to just buying bulbs. If your fixtures are older, simply swapping the bulbs can be a significant improvement in cost and light quality, but a full retrofitting may still be needed. In the long term though (e.g., 5+ years), greater savings are found in a full fixture replacement.

How does the light retrofitting process work?

We have retrofitted lights in many buildings, businesses, and organizations. These include schools, churches, office buildings, pharmacies, small shops, and factories. Here’s how the process usually works.

After receiving a call for a free retrofitting quote, we send an experienced licensed electrician to your business. The electrician finds the types and numbers of fixtures at your site and shares that information with a supplier. During this time, you can connect with the Save on Energy program to get your incentive process started.

You will receive a quote for the job, which includes the cost and labour involved and an estimate of your retrofit incentive. If you are happy with the quote, we will complete the work and remove all old fixtures and materials for proper recycling. To finish off, you receive your receipt for completed work and submit that to Save On Energy for your reimbursement.