Walk into a grocery store, hospital hallway, or research lab, and one of the first things you’ll notice is the lighting. Bright, uniform light supports food presentation, patient safety, or laboratory precision and shapes how people experience the space. But in many facilities, lighting may also consume unnecessary energy, raising maintenance costs and falling short of modern standards.

Lighting rarely tops capital improvement lists. But consider this: it may represent about 15–20% of an average commercial building’s energy bill^[1]. That share can be even higher in facilities operating around the clock. Beyond energy use, lighting affects safety, employee comfort, and even perception of the owner or tenant’s brand.

Forward-looking facility teams are asking new questions: What if lighting could do more than illuminate? What if it could actively support safety, sustainability, and operational goals?

Why lighting may be a hidden opportunity, and a pain point

Facilities teams often face pressure to control operating costs while supporting tenant satisfaction, employee productivity, and sustainability goals. Yet lighting systems are frequently overlooked.

Even so, outdated lighting may lead to:

• Excess energy use: older technologies like fluorescents and HID fixtures often waste energy by lighting empty spaces or producing light inefficiently.
• Higher maintenance costs: bulbs burning out sooner, driving up unscheduled labor and replacement costs.
• Safety and brand concerns: dim parking lots or uneven lighting can affect occupant confidence and brand consistency.
• The “people” factor: Poor lighting can negatively impact employee morale and safety, especially in areas like warehouses, manufacturing lines, and exterior walkways. Well-designed systems can improve visibility, enhance comfort, and support overall workplace wellbeing.

These challenges are often amplified when organizations delay upgrades past key moments—such as when incentive programs are available or systems are reaching the end of their useful life.

How to approach and assess opportunities in lighting

The best place to start is with a lighting assessment conducted by an experienced consultant. An expert will examine facilities’ current conditions and reveal where upgrades will deliver the most value. In practice, they will look at:

• Reviewing existing systems, fixture types, and control strategies
• Measuring light levels and comparing them to recommended standards for the facility type
• Identifying safety risks and areas of poor visibility
• Evaluating occupancy patterns and daylight availability to determine where controls add value
• Mapping out incentive and rebate eligibility windows by location

The results create a clear picture of where upgrades will have the greatest impact and how to sequence them for efficiency and budget alignment.

Lighting assessments are particularly valuable in sectors where performance directly impacts outcomes: hospitals aiming to improve patient safety, R&D labs requiring precise visibility, or universities seeking better campus efficiency. At the University of Hartford, a campus-wide lighting modernization reduced energy costs and created brighter, more welcoming spaces for students, showing how strategic upgrades can simultaneously support sustainability and the student experience.

This process also accounts for the fact that lighting isn’t one-size-fits-all. A manufacturing plant, medical facility, and corporate headquarters will each require different system designs, color temperatures, and controls strategies.

Data and controls: making lighting smarter, not just brighter

Modern LED retrofits alone can reduce lighting-related energy consumption by up to 75%, depending on facility type and baseline conditions. Adding layered controls can unlock further savings and flexibility.

Options include occupancy sensors, daylight harvesting, scheduling tools, and integration with Building Management Systems (BMS).

Case in point: A top 5 dollar store chain reduced operating costs and improved customer experience by upgrading lighting across hundreds of retail locations, unlocking savings and a more consistent in-store environment.

The right mix depends on your building’s use case, hours of operation, and occupant patterns, making assessment findings crucial in deciding what to implement where.

Outcomes: what the right strategy can deliver

Rather than focusing solely on kilowatt-hours saved, leading organizations consider success across multiple dimensions:

• Financial outcomes: reduced annual energy spend, lower maintenance, and potential incentive dollars.
• Operational outcomes: improved visibility, fewer outages, and easier system management.
• Sustainability outcomes: measurable carbon footprint reduction supporting ESG goals.
• Human outcomes: better employee comfort and productivity, aligned with modern lighting standards and color temperatures.
  • At Trinity Health of New England, upgrading systems with modern controls improved both operational efficiency and patient safety while lowering long-term costs.

Defining these key performance indicators (KPIs) early may help teams secure stakeholder buy-in and align projects to broader business priorities (learn how to plan and fund high-ROI projects).

Why strategic guidance can matter

Managing complex facilities or multi-site portfolios brings unique challenges. An experienced energy services partner can help identify which sites or systems offer the highest return on investment, time upgrades to align with incentive windows, and design solutions that go beyond the lowest first cost to deliver lasting performance.

Strategic partners also help navigate utility incentive programs (which may cover 30–60% of project costs), incorporate layered controls, and integrate lighting upgrades with other asset management or decarbonization initiatives.

From awareness to action: lighting as the first step in a bigger strategy

Modern lighting is more than LEDs: it’s about aligning energy, safety, and occupant comfort into a cohesive strategy. Facilities teams may find that lighting upgrades open the door to broader modernization, from integrated controls to predictive maintenance and improved capital planning.

When outdated systems start failing, incentive opportunities are available, or spaces are being repurposed, it’s the right time to assess.

Explore our LED Lighting Guide, or contact Mantis to start uncovering your best opportunities. Stay tuned for the next post in this series, where we’ll dive into diagnosing lighting pain points and designing the right solution.

Stay tuned for the next post in this series, where we’ll dive into diagnosing lighting pain points and designing the right solution.