A fully funded program to upgrade K–12 school lighting across Manitoba. Efficiency Manitoba covers up to 100% of eligible costs — LED equipment, lighting controls, and installation labour. Your school division pays nothing.
The Manitoba Schools Lighting Initiative is one of the most comprehensive energy efficiency programs in the province. Unlike the standard Business Lighting Program where incentives are per-fixture, this initiative can fund the entire project — materials, controls, and labour.
Schools are important community facilities that operate for many hours each day and rely heavily on lighting year-round. This initiative recognizes that — and eliminates cost as a barrier to modern, energy-efficient lighting.
The initiative is designed to be inclusive — covering school divisions, independent schools, and colony schools across every region of Manitoba.
This isn't a partial rebate — it's designed to fund the entire lighting retrofit. From the LED fixtures themselves to the smart controls that maximize savings to the licensed electricians who install everything.
LED fixtures, retrofit kits, linear tubes, panel lights, high-bay fixtures — all the hardware needed to modernize your school's lighting.
Occupancy sensors, daylight harvesting, scheduling systems, and dimming controls that maximize energy savings and meet code requirements.
Licensed electrician labour costs are covered. Logic Lighting's Red Seal certified team handles the entire installation — no cost to the school.
On January 1, 2024, the MECB became enforceable province-wide. Based on the 2020 National Energy Code of Canada for Buildings (NECB 2020), it sets new, stricter lighting power density (LPD) limits that affect every commercial and institutional building — including schools.
Schools built before 2024 may have lighting systems that no longer comply with current energy code. Aging fluorescent fixtures, missing occupancy sensors, and outdated controls can push a school well above the allowable watt-per-square-meter limits.
Maximum allowable lighting power densities dropped significantly. Corridors saw a 38% reduction. Enclosed offices dropped 20%. Multi-purpose rooms, stairways, and common areas all got stricter limits.
Many Manitoba schools operate on lighting systems installed decades ago. T8 and T12 fluorescent fixtures with magnetic ballasts are common — and they consume far more watts per square meter than MECB allows. Corridors and gyms are particularly problematic.
The Schools Lighting Initiative provides a fully funded path from non-compliant legacy lighting to modern, MECB-compliant LED systems. Better light quality, lower energy bills, code compliance — all at zero cost to the school division.
| Space Type | Previous (W/m²) | MECB 2020 (W/m²) | Reduction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corridor (<2.4m) | 7.1 | 4.4 | -38% |
| Multi-Purpose / Gym | 11.5 | 10.5 | -9% |
| Office — Enclosed | 10.0 | 8.0 | -20% |
| Stairway | 6.2 | 5.3 | -15% |
| Lobby | 7.3 | 7.0 | -4% |
Source: NECB 2020 (Space-by-Space Method). Manitoba adopts Tier 1 baseline via MECB regulation M.R. 79/2023.
Efficiency Manitoba designed this initiative to ensure geographic and infrastructure differences don't create barriers. Whether your school is in downtown Winnipeg, a northern community, or a First Nations reserve — the initiative accounts for your unique situation.
Winnipeg, Brandon, and other Manitoba cities. Large and small buildings, aging infrastructure, high student populations.
Smaller communities throughout Manitoba. The initiative accounts for logistical challenges and building variations unique to rural settings.
Remote and northern schools face unique challenges — higher logistics costs, harder-to-service buildings, extreme climate. The initiative is designed to account for all of it.
Interested in the Manitoba Schools Lighting Initiative? Logic Lighting can help your school division understand eligibility, assess your current lighting, and prepare your expression of interest submission.
For questions about the initiative, Efficiency Manitoba can be reached directly at lighting@efficiencyMB.ca. To discuss your school's specific needs with our team, reach out below.