Nutrien Ag Solutions, a global ag retail provider, partnered with PEC to modernize lighting across 11 West Region warehouse sites. Facing challenges like capital limitations, looming fluorescent bans, and growing maintenance demands, Nutrien needed a scalable, trusted partner. PEC stepped in with a turnkey, incentive-backed solution that improved safety, cut energy use by 69%, and saved over $337,000 annually.
Breaking Free from Constant Lighting Repairs
Frequent lighting failures were pulling Nutrien’s maintenance teams into a constant cycle of burnouts and repairs. In California, where electricity costs are more than twice the national average; inefficient lighting isn’t just a maintenance issue, it’s a major operating expense. This reality creates a much stronger business case for investing in energy efficiency as a cost-reduction strategy, particularly for large industrial facilities.
By upgrading to LED lighting, Nutrien significantly reduced maintenance needs and energy waste, freeing up both time and operating dollars. Instead of continually replacing lamps and ballasts, maintenance teams could focus on higher-value projects that support overall facility performance and reliability.
We were spending way too much time dealing with lighting failures. Once the LEDs went in, that problem basically went away.”
Matthew Jantzen
Operations Efficiency Manager at Nutrien Ag Solutions
Getting Ahead of Fluorescent Lighting Bans
With fluorescent lamps no longer allowed to be replaced under California regulations, facilities face increasing risk of non-compliance, degraded light levels, and potential safety concerns. As fixtures fail over time, maintenance teams are left with two poor options: replace fixtures one by one without a plan, or leave burned-out fixtures unserviced…making it harder for employees to do their jobs safely and effectively.
Nutrien took a proactive approach by upgrading to LED lighting now. By addressing compliance in a single, planned project, they eliminated future regulatory risk and avoided years of disruption caused by reactive, piecemeal replacements.
The ban changes everything. You either deal with it now in a planned way, or you deal with it later as a headache.”
Matthew Jantzen
Operations Efficiency Manager at Nutrien Ag Solutions
Using On-Bill Financing to Pay for Projects with Energy Savings
One of the biggest challenges with lighting upgrades is access to capital. As Matthew explained, “Getting capital for lights is pretty hard to do…”.
On-Bill Financing allowed Nutrien to complete these lighting upgrades with zero upfront capital. Project costs are fully covered by the energy savings generated by the new LED system and are repaid directly through the utility bill, without third-party loans and, in most cases, without interest.
This structure enabled Nutrien to modernize its facilities immediately while preserving capital for other operational priorities.
Getting all new lighting and essentially having the same bill…it was kind of a no-brainer.”
Matthew Jantzen
Operations Efficiency Manager at Nutrien Ag Solutions
Creating Safer, More Productive Work Environments
The upgraded lighting dramatically improved visibility, consistency, and overall light quality across Nutrien’s facilities. Brighter, more uniform illumination creates safer working conditions, reduces eye strain, and supports employee productivity.
For teams on the floor, the improvement was immediate; making facilities easier and more comfortable places to work.
Partnering with PEC for Consistent Results at Scale
By partnering with Pacific Energy Concepts, Nutrien avoided the complexity of managing multiple contractors and inconsistent outcomes. PEC provided a standardized, scalable approach, handling incentives, design, and implementation, so projects could be rolled out efficiently with minimal burden on internal teams.
With PEC as a dedicated partner, Nutrien gained confidence that each project would deliver consistent, high-quality results across every location.
The results of the project speak volumes:
- kWh Savings (annual): 1,037,971
- Energy Use Reduced: 69%
- Energy Savings (annual): $312,860
- Maintenance Savings (annual): $24,247
- Total Annual Savings: $337,107
- Incentives Secured: $28,108
- Payback Period: 5.76 years
Most importantly, the lighting upgrades delivered real benefits to front-line workers: safer, brighter work environments and fewer disruptions. “I’ve talked to multiple branches and they’ve said nothing but good things; even about the folks doing the install,” Jantzen shared.
Today, PEC is positioned as Nutrien’s trusted lighting partner, ready to support future branch upgrades as needs continue to grow.
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