Commercial & Industrial Lighting Contractors in Wisconsin.
Efficient, sustainable lighting designed, installed, retrofitted, and maintained by in-house crews.
WIL-Surge Electric is a commercial lighting contractor for commercial, industrial, sports, and municipal properties across Wisconsin. We design-build and install efficient, sustainable lighting for new construction and existing facilities, including interior, exterior, site, parking, and street lighting, with in-house crews. For athletic fields, stadiums, and aquatic facilities, see our sports lighting services.
Interior Commercial Lighting
Good interior lighting shapes how a building works and how much it costs to run. We design-build and install interior lighting for offices, retail spaces, public buildings, and institutional facilities, coordinated with the rest of the electrical scope so fixtures, circuits, and controls land where the design intends.
Industrial High-Bay Lighting
Mills, plants, and warehouses need bright, even light across tall open floors. We install high-bay lighting for industrial and production facilities, including LED high-bay retrofits and controls that cut energy costs, with power for the fixtures planned by the same team.
Exterior & Site Lighting
Exterior and site lighting keeps buildings safe, visible, and welcoming after dark. We install building-mounted fixtures, walkway and site lighting, and the poles, bases, and wiring that feed them.
Well-planned exterior lighting puts light where people walk and drive without spilling it into windows, neighboring properties, or the night sky. Fixture selection and aiming control glare, and consistent light levels along paths and entrances help cameras and people see clearly.
Parking Lot & Sign Lighting
Parking lot lighting is often the first thing visitors and employees see at night. We install pole-mounted parking lot lighting that covers the lot evenly, along with sign lighting that keeps your building and entrances easy to find.
Even coverage matters more than raw brightness. Pole spacing, mounting height, and fixture distribution are planned together so the lot has no dark pockets between poles. Underground feeders and pole bases are laid out around curbs, islands, and drive lanes, and replacing older lot fixtures with LED often improves visibility while using less energy.
Municipal & Street Lighting
For cities, villages, and public facilities, we install municipal and street lighting for roadways and public spaces, including durable pole installation built to last through Wisconsin winters.
Public lighting is a long-term asset. Durable fixtures, sound foundations, and wiring protected from moisture and road salt reduce the maintenance a municipality has to budget for, and consistent fixture types across a system make repairs and replacement parts simpler to manage for years to come.
LED Retrofits & Lighting Controls
An LED retrofit replaces outdated fixtures with efficient LED lighting, and lighting controls make sure lights are only on when and where they are needed. Together they cut energy costs for Wisconsin facilities while improving light quality for the people who use the space.
Planning an LED Retrofit
A retrofit starts with a survey of what is already there: fixture types and counts, mounting heights, existing light levels, and how many hours each area is lit. That survey shows where the largest savings are and which spaces are underlit or overlit today, so the new layout fixes problems instead of copying them.
The next decision is whether to replace fixtures entirely or convert existing ones. Full replacement is often the better long-term choice when housings are aging or light distribution is poor, while conversions can make sense where fixtures are in good condition. Either way, circuits and controls are reviewed at the same time, since a retrofit is the easiest moment to add controls.
In facilities that stay open, work is phased area by area so production, classes, or business can continue. Old fluorescent lamps contain mercury and need proper handling and recycling rather than going out with the regular trash.
How Lighting Controls Work
Lighting controls match light to how a space is actually used. Occupancy and vacancy sensors turn lights off in rooms that sit empty, such as restrooms, storage areas, and conference rooms. Daylight sensors dim fixtures near windows and skylights when natural light is available, cutting energy use during the brightest hours of the day.
Time schedules keep exterior and parking lot lighting on only when it is needed, and dimming lets a single space serve different uses, from a bright work area to a presentation. Energy codes generally require automatic controls in new construction and major renovations, so controls are planned with the fixture layout rather than added as an afterthought.
Controls only save energy when they are set up correctly. Sensor placement, time delays, and daylight settings should be adjusted for each space and reviewed with the facility team, so occupants are not left in the dark and lights are not left on all night.
Lighting Maintenance
Lighting works best when it is kept up. Our crews handle relamping, repairs, and fixture replacement, so facility teams can keep interior, exterior, and site lighting working without chasing down separate contractors.
Lighting Projects
- Waukesha County Courthouse, efficient lighting through an ongoing occupied renovation
- Coggs Health & Human Services Center, energy-efficient lighting for Milwaukee County’s 60,000 ft² facility
- West Allis DPW Facility, high-efficiency lighting across a 310,000+ ft² municipal campus
- Pewaukee DPW Garage, efficient lighting for the garage, amenities, and fueling island
- Cream Puff Pavilion, skylight-tied lighting for the State Fair’s historic Dairy Building
See the full write-ups in our projects portfolio, explore our commercial electrical services, or request a quote for your lighting project.
Plan your lighting project.
Preconstruction support, budgeting, and design-build expertise, from a partner who self-performs the work.