Canada has taken a bold step in advancing energy efficiency and environmental sustainability by instituting bans on certain types of fluorescent and mercury-containing lighting. These regulations aim to phase out inefficient lighting technologies in favor of greener alternatives like LEDs. For businesses, this presents both a challenge and an opportunity to rethink their lighting strategies. In this blog, we’ll unpack the details of the ban, including key timelines, affected technologies, and opportunities to create value by upgrading your lighting systems.
Which Fluorescent Lamps Are Affected—and When?
Starting January 1, 2026, Canada will prohibit the import or manufacture of the following lighting types:
- Screw-based compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs)
- Pin-based CFLs
- Straight fluorescent lamps
- Non-linear fluorescent lamps
Starting January 1, 2030, Canada will prohibit the sale of the following fluorescent lamps:
- Pin-based CFL’s
- Straight Fluorescent lamps
- Non-linear fluorescent lamps
Additional restrictions
Starting January 1, 2029, Canada will also prohibit the import or manufacture of high-pressure sodium vapor lamps and metal halide lamps.
At this point, replacement lamps are allowed and no end date has been set for the sale or purchase of replacement lamps.
Exempted products
The regulations will continue to have limited exemptions for essential products, such as:
- Encapsulated dental amalgam;
- Analytical reagent for use in a laboratory; and
- Fluorescent lamps used for growing plants, water treatment or air disinfection
Penalties for Non-Compliance Are Unclear
Adhering to the new regulations will be critical for businesses operating in Canada. While the government has outlined clear restrictions, questions remain about the penalties for non-compliance. Businesses should be proactive in understanding these regulations to avoid disruptions or fines.
Additional information:
- Factsheet: Information on the Products Containing Mercury Regulations (canada.ca)
- Canada Fluorescent Ban to Start in 2026 (Inside lighting)
- Canada Gazette, Part I, Volume 156, Number 52: Regulations Amending the Products Containing Mercury Regulations (Canada Gazette)
Looking Ahead: Turning a Mandate Into an Opportunity
Regulatory changes often drive innovation. By transitioning to LED lighting now, businesses can do more than simply comply with the law—they can unlock immense value.
Upgraded lighting has been proven to improve the safety, productivity, and morale of employees, while reducing long-term energy and maintenance costs.
At Pacific Energy Concepts (PEC), we specialize in helping businesses navigate transitions like this, ensuring compliance while maximizing the benefits of modern, efficient lighting systems. We bring your business expertise of over 8,000 LED retrofit projects completed — designing and deploying custom LED systems that maximize energy efficiency, while transforming working environments.
Navigating A Transition to LED
In our 15 years of executing LED retrofits, we have found that we can deliver the most value possible to our clients by taking an approach of strategic partnership throughout the entire project — supporting each stage of the process to ensure it’s handled with meticulous care and white-glove service.
Our Approach to Extracting Value With LED Retrofits
Energy Audit: Our complimentary first step. During an energy audit, a PEC Sales Engineer will come on-site and perform a comprehensive assessment of your facility — gathering detailed data on your lighting technology, current light levels, the facility layout (walls, racking, equipment, etc.), and record the activities happening throughout the space.
Solution Development: We place a huge emphasis on sliding on our client’s side of the table to understand goals, budgets, and how facilities are used. We work closely with key stakeholders to understand how the system can best address current and future needs in order to deliver a solution that drives maximum value for your business.
Solution Design: Data collected during your energy audit is used to re-create your facility and lighting system in a digital environment. With your top goals in mind, we will craft a photometric design of your new LED system with advanced software — ensuring you maximize efficiency and deliver optimal, OSHA-compliant light throughout your space.
Project Managment: Once you press go, a PMP-certified Project Manager will begin overseeing your entire installation. PEC Project Managers play a huge role in the seamless execution of your installation, handling a wide range of items and obstacles that come with installation logistics, installer scheduling, and material procurement — providing close communication to your team every step of the way.
Incentives & Rebates: Energy incentives can drastically reduce the cost of your project — but maximizing your rebate amount can be a confusing and time-intensive process. PEC proudly offers a best-in-class team of incentive specialists — offering dedicated expertise for understanding incentive requirements, timelines, design implications, and the documentation and verification process.
Financing: LED lighting upgrades are excellent investments because they pay for themselves by reducing energy spending and maintenance demands — typically providing a payback period of 2-5 years. And with funding programs like PEC Capital, you can structure a cashflow-positive payback plan that gives your facility a state-of-the-art lighting system using $0 in capital.
Portfolio Rollout Strategy (Multi-site clients): We have helped some of the world’s largest businesses deploy portfolio-wide LED retrofits across the continent. We will help you craft a strategic deployment plan to prioritize your highest-impact sites, collect incentives, and deploy a nationwide network of vetted contractors to execute installations.
See some of our success stories!
