HomeIncentives by StateIllinois
ComEd and Ameren Illinois pay for networked lighting controls.
Both list them in their 2026 business programs, paid on the watts the system controls. We design the system, ship it set up and labeled, and test it.
Programs as of October 2026. We confirm what your utility pays before you buy. Sources
Who pays in Illinois.
ComEd, in northern Illinois, pays for networked controls indoors and out, based on the watts the system controls, and pays more on new LED fixtures that go in with it. The system has to be on the DesignLights Consortium's networked list and run at least two control strategies, such as occupancy and daylight. Larger projects reserve the rebate before work starts.
Ameren Illinois, in central and southern Illinois, pays on the same per-watt basis, and more when every fixture has its own sensor. Garages go through Ameren's custom path instead.
One Illinois rule to know: on utility-funded projects above a set size, the electrician needs the Illinois Commerce Commission's energy efficiency installer certification. Ask about it when you pick your electrician.
In the Quad Cities, MidAmerican Energy discounts high-bay fixtures that come with networked controls built in.
The Keilton system we use is on the DesignLights Consortium list. Programs as of October 2026; amounts change every year, and your assessment has the current one for your building.
Upgrading lighting anyway?
Illinois is on the 2024 IECC, with ASHRAE 90.1-2022 as the other path, since November 30, 2025. It calls for lights that shut off when a room empties, dimming down to 10% in offices and meeting rooms, daylight dimming near the windows and, in garages, lights that step down when nobody's there. Changing the lighting or controls in a space brings that space under these rules, and the controls get tested before final inspection. We hand the test records to your engineer.
Chicago writes its own code. Permits applied for through November 30, 2026 use the 2022 Chicago Energy Transformation Code, based on the 2021 IECC. From December 1, 2026, Chicago moves to the 2026 Chicago Energy Transformation Code, based on the 2024 IECC, with the same lighting control rules as the rest of the state. Other towns can adopt stricter codes, and Evanston has adopted the state's stretch code.
A sensor in every fixture is the simplest way we know to meet those rules.
See how a project runs- GaragesStep down when a zone sits empty, and dim near open sides in daylightCovered
- DaylightDim near the windows, all the way to 15%Covered
- DimmingOffices and meeting rooms dim down to 10%Covered
Chicago and Evanston.
Chicago buildings of 50,000 sq ft and up report their energy use every year and post a star rating at the entrance. Evanston goes further: buildings over 20,000 sq ft report every year and face performance targets starting in 2030. Neither sets lighting rules. Lighting controls cut electricity use, which helps on both.
Your building can be anywhere in the US.
We design remotely and ship the kit set up and labeled by room. A local electrician installs it, and we test on site or remotely.
Questions owners ask.
Do Illinois utilities pay for networked lighting controls?
Yes. ComEd and Ameren Illinois both pay for them in their 2026 business programs, and MidAmerican Energy discounts high-bay fixtures with networked controls built in. Amounts change every year, so your assessment has the current one. As of October 2026.
Does my electrician need a certification?
On utility-funded work above a set size, yes. ComEd and Ameren Illinois check that the installer holds the Illinois Commerce Commission's energy efficiency installer certification, which is renewed every June. Work your own staff installs is exempt.
Which code applies in Chicago?
The date the permit application goes in decides it. Through November 30, 2026, it's the 2022 Chicago Energy Transformation Code, based on the 2021 IECC. From December 1, 2026, it's the 2026 Chicago Energy Transformation Code, based on the 2024 IECC.
What about garages?
Ameren Illinois handles garages through its custom path. For new garages, ComEd has a separate program that pays for going beyond the code, lighting controls included. Send an address and we'll check which fits.
Does the code call for networked controls?
It calls for shutoff, dimming, daylight and garage controls, and for testing them. A controller on every fixture is the practical way to meet all of that.
Tell us about your building.
An address is enough. Your free Lighting Controls Assessment comes back within 48 hours.
Networked lighting controls, start to finish.