Then the contractor is probably insane. That is not how the world works.

It seems like that's how the people here work.

Contractors will do whatever people pay them to. It's a business, not a hobby and not an agenda. If you pay them to put up a 500 watt incandescent fixture they'd be happy to do it. Or a metal halide. Or an LED. They're not haters of conventional lights. The don't have their own agenda to push. They're not going to offer a discount on labor for one fixture type or another unless one type is easier to install. They aren't installing many non-LED lights because people aside from us don't want them anymore.

Not exactly the case. For one, many of the contractors here are also selling the gear itself, and they push quite a bit to sell LEDs. Second, not everyone asks for a specific thing to be installed as any customers dont know anything in lighting, they just let the contractor choose what he (specialist) thinks is right for their place, then the contractors usually choose LED for those customers

Not exactly the case. For one, many of the contractors here are also selling the gear itself, and they push quite a bit to sell LEDs. Second, not everyone asks for a specific thing to be installed as any customers dont know anything in lighting, they just let the contractor choose what he (specialist) thinks is right for their place, then the contractors usually choose LED for those customers

Wait, so contractors are essentially an LED shop?

At that stage, it's kinda highway robbery.

Interestingly enough, most new buildings here use T8s or T5s inside and use PSMH parking lot lighting. Then I see the lights changed to LED six months to a year later. My guess was that the PSMH and fluorescent lighting was cheaper for the contractor to buy so he was able to give a lower bid to the customer thus was awarded the job. LEDs will make the job more expensive since LEDs cost more so the contractors bid would be higher. And as we all know, in the construction industry the lowest bid generally wins the contract.

Oh, and the Whole Foods parking lot uses gigantic and decorative LED lights, with no diffusion!

Interestingly enough, most new buildings here use T8s or T5s inside and use PSMH parking lot lighting. Then I see the lights changed to LED six months to a year later. My guess was that the PSMH and fluorescent lighting was cheaper for the contractor to buy so he was able to give a lower bid to the customer thus was awarded the job. LEDs will make the job more expensive since LEDs cost more so the contractors bid would be higher. And as we all know, in the construction industry the lowest bid generally wins the contract.

The last time I saw an installation like that was in 2013 when a new ALDI store was built here. LEDs in the freezers and refridgerators, t8 striplights for indoor, 175w PSMH decorative wallpacks outside and 250w PSMH parking lot lights. All of it is working like the day it was installed, and I just wish I would see more installations like this. Now they use LITERALLY NOTHING BUT LED for new buildings here, and despite massive failures they continue to use them even though there are better options for the long run.

It's all LED here, too.

Most parking lots here are still MH or PSMH (not new installations, but existing ones) and most interior lighting is still T8 (with some T5s; they never really caught on here). A few homes are LED (I gotta admit, mine included) but most are CFL or still incandescent/halogen.

Most parking lots here are still MH or PSMH (not new installations, but existing ones) and most interior lighting is still T8 (with some T5s; they never really caught on here). A few homes are LED (I gotta admit, mine included) but most are CFL or still incandescent/halogen.

Most parking lots here are MH and HPS.

I'm assuming contractors are pushing LEDs because you pay more up front in exchange for increased efficiency and no need to relamp. They can charge a markup on the expensive fixtures. If you buy HID there's no guarantee you'd hire them to change the bulbs when it's time; you might hire their competitor or do it yourself.

It depends on the contractor and customer. If the contractor makes good impression in the 1st time, and the customer is one who is choosing by personal experience - and not beancounters blindly choosing the lowest bidder, then chances are that the customer will call this same contractor for everything in the future

Customer might choose to relamp himself too, but there are many factors that might make him choose to hire the contracotr for that, starting with lack of insurance for work at height or lack of high enough ladder in posession

They also know that LED is "green".