Canadian Market: Dark Sky, Mercury Ban, and DLC Requirements

Canada’s commercial lighting market is entering a period of renewed retrofit activity as aging LED installations, evolving qualification requirements, and local environmental rules reshape purchasing decisions. Three priorities for contractors, distributors and specifiers in Canada include: replacing early-generation LEDs, phase out of mercury lamps, outdoor light pollution regulatory compliance with provincial and municipal requirements.

LED-to-LED Upgrades Gain Momentum

LED-to-LED replacement is a growing opportunity. Installations dating from 2010 to 2016 may now face driver failures, declining light output and rising maintenance costs. For facility owners, having already converted from fluorescent or HID lighting does not eliminate the potential value of another upgrade.

The DesignLights Consortium’s SSL V6.0 transition adds urgency to product qualification reviews. The relevant delisting date precedes 2027: SSL V5.1 and LUNA V1.0 products not submitted for updating by October 9, 2026, are scheduled for delisting on December 15, 2026. The updated requirements raise efficacy thresholds and expand reporting on controls, adjustable features and other product characteristics.

For the supply chain, the implication is to review exact model listings rather than assume that previously qualified inventory will retain its status. DLC qualification is required for utility incentives by 75% of utilities, making rebate eligibility an important consideration alongside fixture performance, installation costs and maintenance savings.

Outdoor Lighting Faces Closer Scrutiny

There is growing regulations on glare, light trespass and skyglow. Requirements for 3000K or below, together with shielding and carefully selected optics are becoming the norm in many provinces.

For parking lots, building perimeters and pathways, specifications increasingly need to address light distribution as deliberately as wattage and lumen output. Backlight, Uplight and Glare ratings, photometric documentation and appropriate shielding become important tools for demonstrating that a proposed installation meets project requirements.

These trends should not be interpreted as a single nationwide prohibition on higher color temperatures. Rather there is a patchwork of local and provincial requirements, making jurisdiction-specific review essential before products are ordered or installed.

Provincial Priorities Differ

British Columbia is a market shaped by building energy performance and local environmental considerations. However, the province’s Zero Carbon Step Code specifically targets operational emissions in new buildings, principally through heating-related measures; and outdoor lighting restrictions require separate local verification.

In Alberta, durable, low-maintenance luminaires suited to harsh winter conditions and industrial applications are typical. Ontario’s balances energy efficiency with required illumination levels. For Quebec, building energy reporting and protections around Mont-Mégantic as factors influencing owners’ attention to lighting performance and environmental impacts.

• British Columbia – Zero Carbon Step Code & Building Code Alignment. BC properties face strict carbon emission and energy performance steps. Parking lot and pathway updates must feature zero-uplight to align with municipal environmental rules.
• Alberta – Infrastructure Protection & Efficiency Overhauls. Harsh winters demand durability. Alberta commercial clients are prioritizing low-maintenance, industrial-grade LED upgrades that significantly cut peak demand charges.
• Ontario – OBC Section 3.2.7 and SB-10 Standards. Ontario property managers must balance structural energy codes with strict illumination safety minimums (e.g., maintaining 50 lux in public corridors), mandating high-efficacy architectural fixtures.
• Quebec – Mandatory Energy Reporting (Bill 19) & Mont-Mégantic Protections. Starting June 30, 2027, commercial, municipal, and institutional buildings over 5,000m² (as well as residential complexes with 50+ units) must legally report their energy consumption. Furthermore, strict dark-sky laws surrounding the Mont-Mégantic region continue to set the bar for lighting constraints across QC.

Implications for Manufacturers and Distributors

Product flexibility and documentation are becoming stronger competitive differentiators. Suppliers should prioritize qualified, high-efficacy fixtures, warmer outdoor CCTs, and shielding accessories, supported by lighting layouts.

For industry professionals, the opportunity extends beyond selling replacement luminaires. Successful projects will depend on coordinating product qualification, incentive eligibility, photometric performance and applicable local rules early, reducing the risk of unsuitable products, redesigns and approval delays.

More information is available here.

Top image courtesy of Pixabay.com.

David Shiller

David Shiller is the Publisher of LightNOW, and Senior Business Development Consultant at Capacity Consulting, a North American consulting firm providing business development services to advanced lighting manufacturers. The ALA awarded David the Pillar of the Industry Award. David has been co-chair of the ALA’s Engineering Committee since 2010. David established MaxLite’s OEM component sales into a multi-million dollar division. He invented GU24 lamps while leading ENERGY STAR lighting programs for the US EPA. David has been published in leading lighting publications, including LD+A, enLIGHTenment Magazine, LEDs Magazine, and more.

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