Retrofit Lighting, Get Tax Deduction Up to $0.60 Per Sq. Ft.

Lighting can represent a substantial percentage of a plant’s electricity bill. Some estimate that percentage to be as high as 30.

As GE author Joseph Howley stated in “5 things manufacturers should know about new lighting standards: What’s being eliminated, and what’s replacing them?” in the January/February issue of Green Manufacturer, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will allow qualifying buildings that improve their lighting energy efficiency by at least 25 to 40 percent below the watts-per-square-foot requirements in the 2001 ASHRAE/IESNA 90.1 building energy code to earn an accelerated tax deduction of $0.30 to $0.60 per square foot on this capital investment. Both deductions are available through 2013 for building efficiency projects.

Starting July 14, T12-diameter general service fluorescent lamps/tubes (GSFCs) no longer can be manufactured for distribution (but their sale is not explicitly prohibited). The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)’ deemed that the T12 GSFCs were too inefficient to meet the new efficiency standards.