Save on LED lighting upgrades with BC Hydro incentives
Time-sensitive: BC Hydro is adding a 30% bonus on top of its regular lighting incentives. To qualify, your project must be submitted by February 11, 2027 and completed by March 14, 2028. If your building is thinking about a lighting upgrade, now is the time to start.
What the BC Hydro Alliance is
The BC Hydro Alliance of Energy Professionals is BC Hydro's network of registered energy-management trade professionals. Your building can only claim BC Hydro incentives when the work is done by a registered Alliance member, using that member's Alliance ID. Membership is free, and it is the key that unlocks the incentives. Reisinger Electric is a member of the Alliance.
What lighting qualifies
BC Hydro incentives cover lighting retrofits that replace older technology with energy-efficient LED. That includes swapping fluorescent, metal halide, and high-pressure sodium fixtures for LED, in common areas and commercial spaces. Two programs cover lighting upgrades. BESI is for buildings using under 500 MWh a year, for straightforward one-for-one fixture swaps. SIP is for buildings using over 500 MWh a year, which starts with a vendor assessment of the building.
How the process works
We handle the survey, the product selection, the application, and the install. The steps:
1. We survey your building and identify the fixtures that qualify.
2. We select the replacement products and prepare the application.
3. BC Hydro reviews and approves the project before any products are bought.
4. We install the new lighting.
5. You pay us for the work. BC Hydro pays the incentive by cheque to the building after the work is complete.
Important: BC Hydro must approve the project before any products are bought. Products purchased before pre-approval are disqualified from the incentive.
What it can save
A 26-storey strata tower in Vancouver upgraded its common-area lighting and now saves over 192,000 kWh a year, about $36,000 a year, with an incentive of over $51,000.
Rebates vary by program. BESI rebates average about 40% of upfront costs, up to 75%. SIP rebates average about 25%, with some projects receiving over 50%. On top of that, projects submitted by February 11, 2027 and completed by March 14, 2028 receive an extra 30% bonus.
Strata common areas
Strata common areas qualify under BC Hydro's multi-unit residential building (MURB) program: hallways, parkades, stairwells, and amenities. Individual suites do not qualify. The program covers the building's shared spaces. Whole-building retrofits are handled as custom projects.
Beyond lighting
Lighting is only the start. Alliance members can also help your building with HVAC upgrades, heat pumps, EV charging infrastructure, and solar and battery systems. EV charger rebates for multi-unit residential buildings go up to $137,000 per complex.
Talk to our office
Talk to our office about your building's lighting upgrade. We will walk you through the incentives, the timeline, and what your building could save.