Commercial lighting consumes 20 to 40 percent of a typical site's electrical load and runs every operating hour. The economics of replacing T8 fluorescents, halogens or metal-halide high-bays with LED have been compelling for years; what's changed is the maturity of digital controls (DALI-2, Casambi, BLE mesh) and the consistent availability of Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) rebates, which can offset a meaningful share of the install cost depending on the upgrade and current program settings. Millar Electrics designs and delivers commercial LED retrofits across Melbourne with end-to-end scope: audit, proposal, install, controls and rebate paperwork.
How a commercial site assessment works
We attend site outside or during operating hours, log every existing fitting (location, wattage, hours of operation), measure the existing load with a clamp meter, and photograph wherever the brief is unclear. From that we model per-fitting energy use, propose a replacement specification (lumen output, CCT, CRI, driver type, dimming protocol), and produce a written ROI showing the payback period before and after the VEU rebate. The proposal is detailed enough to take through internal capex sign-off without follow-up questions.
Controls and integration
For tenancies under 200 sqm we typically recommend simple LED-compatible switching with PIR sensors in low-occupancy zones such as toilets and store rooms. For larger sites we specify DALI-2 or Casambi BLE mesh, allowing per-fitting addressing, daylight harvesting at perimeter zones, time scheduling, and reporting via the building's BMS where present. For warehouses and carparks, motion-zoned LED with after-hours dim-down is the standard approach and frequently doubles the energy savings of the LED swap alone.
Rebates, warranty and after-hours install
VEU rebates are lodged via accredited providers and offset directly against the invoice, with no separate paperwork on your end. We source from Australian distributors whose luminaires carry a manufacturer warranty, and provide a three-year workmanship warranty on the install. Cheap-driver LED is the most common cause of premature flicker, colour shift and driver burn-out on commercial sites, so we don't quote the cheapest light; we quote the one that survives the warranty period without callbacks. Install scheduling is after-hours by default to avoid trading disruption, with zone-by-zone staging on larger sites.