Commercial lighting consumes 20–40% 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 that often cover 30–60% of the install cost. Millar Electrics designs and delivers commercial LED retrofits across the eastern suburbs 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 (toilets, 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 play 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 — no separate paperwork on your end. We source from Australian distributors with five-year manufacturer warranty on luminaires and three-year workmanship warranty on the install. Cheap-driver LED is the most common cause of premature flicker, colour shift, or driver burn-out on commercial sites — 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.