Many organizations are planning their next phase of energy-efficiency upgrades, but one area that often gets overlooked is advanced lighting controls. While LED retrofits continue to deliver strong savings, controls like daylight harvesting, dimming, and occupancy sensing can unlock an entirely new layer of efficiency. What many facility owners don’t realize is that there are generous lighting control rebates and daylight harvesting rebates available right now to help reduce project costs.

With ongoing updates to lighting standards, sustainability goals, and rising energy prices, daylighting and lighting controls offer one of the most cost-effective strategies for reducing consumption while improving the comfort of building occupants. These systems automatically optimize light levels, adjusting based on available sunlight or space usage. For facilities with long operating hours, offices, retail, warehouses, schools, and municipal buildings, these technologies quickly pay for themselves. When paired with utility incentives, that payback becomes even faster.

Across the country, utilities are rewarding organizations that adopt control-driven solutions. These programs help businesses reduce demand on the grid while lowering operational costs. Below are two examples demonstrating how beneficial today’s incentives can be.

City of Columbia

Commercial Daylight Harvesting Incentive Program

The City of Columbia offers one of the most attractive daylight harvesting rebates available for commercial customers. Through its Commercial Daylight Harvesting Incentive Program, organizations can receive $500 per kilowatt reduced by installing daylight harvesting controlled equipment. This incentive helps offset the cost of integrating daylight sensors, dimming systems, and automated control strategies that adjust artificial lighting based on natural sunlight levels throughout the day.

The program allows rebates up to a $25,000 maximum, making it a strong option for larger facilities such as schools, manufacturing spaces, corporate offices, and municipal buildings. Since daylight harvesting often delivers significant energy reductions, especially in buildings with wide window lines or skylights, eligible customers can yield substantial savings both upfront and year-after-year. For facilities planning LED upgrades, combining those improvements with daylighting controls can capture even more value under the program’s structure.

Santee Cooper

Commercial Lighting Controls Incentives

Santee Cooper provides a comprehensive set of lighting control rebates that support a range of sensor-based solutions. Rather than offering incentives based on kilowatt reductions, the program pays per installed sensor, making it ideal for projects of any size.

Available incentives include:
• $45 per sensor for daylighting controls
• $45 per sensor for dimming controls
• $10 per sensor for fixture-mounted occupancy sensors
• $10 per sensor for wall-mounted occupancy sensors
• $50 per sensor for ceiling-mounted occupancy sensors
• $45 per sensor for bi-level occupancy sensors

This structure makes lighting control upgrades extremely flexible and cost-effective. Whether a business is adding a small number of occupancy sensors or deploying a full integrated controls system across a large facility, these rebates help reduce upfront costs while supporting modern, energy-saving technology.

Why Act Now?

Daylighting and lighting controls are becoming essential for achieving deeper energy savings, meeting updated code requirements, and enhancing occupant comfort. With the availability of strong lighting control rebates and daylight harvesting rebates, now is the ideal time for organizations to explore these upgrades.

If you’re considering lighting improvements for 2026, starting the rebate evaluation process early is critical. Funding pools can change, requirements may shift, and pre-approval is often required. Exploring your options now ensures your project is positioned to capture the maximum incentives available.

If you’d like help navigating programs like those from the City of Columbia, Santee Cooper, or others nationwide, reach out to us. We can guide you through eligibility, application details, and project planning so you’re ready to move forward with confidence.