Lighting

Lighting Services

By the numbers

• 4 Lighting Technicians
• 70,000+ Lights Supported
• 1,200+ Buildings and Facilities Served
• ~200 Open Work Orders per Technician

From classrooms, offices and laboratories to walkways, parking structures and emergency lighting systems, our Lighting Shop helps keep the UC Davis campus illuminated indoors and out.

Lighting issues may seem simple on the surface, but maintaining lighting across a campus the size of a small city requires specialized expertise, careful prioritization and compliance with California's evolving regulations. 

With just four lighting technicians supporting more than 70,000 lights across 1,200+ campus buildings, each technician manages roughly 200 open work orders at any given time. This mighty team balances the demands of aging infrastructure, changing regulations and a growing campus.

At current staffing  levels, our lighting technicians prioritize work that has the greatest impact on safety, compliance and campus operations. By focusing resources where they matter most, the team helps ensure that the university's learning, research and public spaces remain safe, functional and welcoming.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Why can lighting repairs take so long?

• Lighting repairs across a university campus are often far more complex than simply replacing a bulb. UC Davis maintains tens of thousands of interior and exterior lights across classrooms, labs, offices, streets, parking structures and research facilities with a limited number of specialized lighting technicians responsible for maintaining them all. In addition, California regulations and energy standards have significantly changed how lighting systems can be repaired or replaced. 

  Please know that our technicians are balancing hundreds of active work orders while prioritizing outages tied to safety, accessibility and critical operations. If you have questions or concerns about how a work order is being prioritized, please reach out to our Customer Experience Center.

• Why can’t Facilities just replace my fluorescent light?

• California has adopted increasingly strict energy-efficiency and environmental regulations that are phasing out many fluorescent lighting products in favor of newer LED technologies.

  Beginning January 1, 2024, California prohibited the sale and distribution of many compact fluorescent lamps. A second phase of the law took effect January 1, 2025, expanding the prohibition to include pin-base compact fluorescent lamps and most linear fluorescent lamps commonly used in commercial and institutional buildings.

  These changes are part of broader state efforts to reduce hazardous waste and improve energy efficiency. Fluorescent lamps contain mercury, a toxic heavy metal that can pose risks to human health and the environment if bulbs break or are improperly disposed of. With mercury-free LED alternatives now widely available, California is transitioning away from older fluorescent technologies toward lighting systems that are safer, more energy efficient and more sustainable over the long term.

  In addition, California’s Building Energy Efficiency Standards (Title 24) require certain lighting repairs and replacements to meet updated energy-efficiency and control requirements. In some cases, a failed fixture cannot simply be replaced “like for like.” Instead, the repair may trigger additional upgrade requirements involving:

  • • new fixtures or retrofit kits,
    • updated wiring or controls,
    • occupancy sensors or smart lighting systems,
    • electrical modifications,
    • and additional compliance review.

  
  As a result:

  • • Entire fixtures may need to be retrofitted or upgraded instead of simply repaired.
    • Replacement parts for older systems are increasingly difficult to source.
    • Material costs and labor requirements have increased substantially.
    • Repairs often take longer due to permitting, code compliance and compatibility issues with aging infrastructure.
     

  While LED systems reduce long-term energy use and maintenance costs, the transition from older fluorescent systems is more complex, labor-intensive and expensive than a traditional bulb replacement.

• Why are LED replacements more expensive?

• While LED lighting is more energy efficient and lasts longer over time, the upfront cost of converting older campus buildings can be significant.

  In many cases, transitioning to LED systems involves more than changing a bulb. It may require:

  • • New fixtures or retrofit kits
    • Updated wiring or controls
    • Compatibility testing with older electrical systems
    • Occupancy sensors or smart control integration required by California energy codes
    • Specialized equipment and labor to install safely

  
  LED products themselves are also generally more expensive than older fluorescent technologies, particularly for specialized fixtures used in laboratories, research facilities, exterior pathways or high-ceiling spaces.

  Although LEDs reduce long-term energy use and maintenance costs, the initial investment and labor required to modernize aging infrastructure can slow the pace of repairs and upgrades — especially during periods of staffing and budget constraints.

• Why are lighting upgrades and LED conversions taking so long?

• Lighting upgrades across a university campus are often far more complex than simply replacing a bulb or fixture. Many campus buildings contain aging electrical systems that were not designed for modern LED technology and current energy-efficiency requirements.

  In many cases, lighting upgrades require:

  • • electrical infrastructure improvements,
    • fixture replacement or retrofit work,
    • compatibility testing with older systems,
    • occupancy sensors and smart lighting controls,
    • emergency backup integration,
  • • compliance with California energy regulations, including Title 24 requirements.

  
  Some projects may also require hazardous materials review, including asbestos testing or abatement, before work can begin in older buildings. In laboratories, animal facilities and specialized research environments, lighting systems may also need to meet strict operational, safety or regulatory requirements that add complexity to the work.

  In addition, California and federal regulations are phasing out many older fluorescent lighting products, making replacement parts harder to source and often requiring full system upgrades rather than simple repairs.

  Because these projects can be expensive, labor-intensive and disruptive to building operations, lighting upgrades and LED conversions are typically completed in phases based on available funding, staffing, safety priorities and operational needs.

• Why do some lights stay out even when they’ve been reported?

• Facilities prioritizes lighting repairs based on risk and safety. For example:

  • • Pathways, parking lots, stairwells and emergency egress lighting receive higher priority
    • Classroom or research disruptions may elevate urgency
  • • Single-bulb outages in low-risk office areas may take longer
     

  At APPA Level 4 service, non-critical lighting issues may remain unresolved longer due to staffing and budget limitations.