LIGHTING TECHNOLOGY


Remanufactured systems saving energy, boosting sustainability


Remanufactured lighting is rapidly gaining traction as a cost-effective way for buildings to save energy and achieve multiple sustainability goals.


Richard Wharrad


Group Manager, Tamlite UK


www.tamlite.co.uk R


below), helping to prove end users’ sustainability claims.


The remanufacturing process The remanufacturing process has been made more efficient in recent years thanks to a campaign led by global lighting-industry consortium Zhaga to increase the use of standardised interfaces and components of for LED luminaire systems. Many leading light manufacturers now support the use of Zhaga componentry in their products. While Zhaga componentry supports


emanufacturing a lighting system can result in better- than-new energy efficiency performance for up to 40%


less cost than buying in a brand-new system. This helps to reduce the cost of retrofitting existing buildings to improve their energy performance and overall sustainability. Remanufacturing can be a strategic, value-adding solution for both energy managers and facilities to consider in response to ever-tightening energy efficiency regulations. But what exactly does


remanufacturing mean? What can remanufactured lighting offer to a building's energy efficiency and overall sustainability? And why is remanufacturing increasingly considered so crucial to a more circular, sustainable economy?


Operational carbon emissions According to the World Green Building Council (WGBC), 39% of global greenhouse gas emissions are attributable to buildings and construction; 28% of that total is attributable to operational emissions, from the energy needed to cool and power them. WGBC also says that around 80% of the buildings that will be occupied in 2050 have already been built. Reducing the operational carbon emissions of existing buildings must necessarily play a key role in meeting net zero targets. And the pressure to decarbonise building stock, and improve buildings’ overall sustainability credentials, is growing. If the UK and EU are to meet their


shared climate targets of carbon emissions 55% below 1990 levels by 2030, and net zero by 2050, greenhouse gas pollution levels must be cut three times more quickly than over the past decade (European Commission: ‘Delivering the Green Deal’). More broadly, both the UK and


Europe are committed to developing more circular models of economic


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remanufacturing, the detail of every remanufactured lighting system is case-specific though each broadly follows a similar process. The existing light fitting is disassembled, cleaned and the components assessed for their manufacturability. It is then refitted with the latest LED systems, with attention given to future repair and maintenance requirements. Quality remanufactured lighting


Quality remanufactured lighting products come with a full warranty equal to a brand new one


growth. In contrast to the ‘take-make- waste’ linear model, a circular economy is regenerative by design and aims to gradually decouple growth from the consumption of finite resources.


Sustainable solution Remanufacture has a specific definition and is distinct from recycling, reuse, and repair. According to the British Standards Institution (2019) remanufacture is: ‘The process of returning a used product to at least the original equipment manufacturer’s performance specifications from a customer perspective and giving the resultant product a warranty at least equal to that of a newly manufactured equivalent’. According to the Ellen MacArthur


Foundation, a charity committed to promoting circular economic principals, remanufacturing is a key strategy to achieving a more circular economy. This is because the process tends to add value to complex products – like lighting – that already possess significant embedded material, energy, and labour resources. Often, in the case of lighting, remanufacturing involves updating a traditional lighting system into one that exploits LED technology for significant energy efficiency gains. Remanufactured systems also create considerably less waste and reduce the need for recycling.


Multiple benefi ts In recent years, LED technology has revolutionised the energy efficiency of lighting systems,


helping to create more sustainable buildings. LED systems use up to 90% less energy and last up to 25 times longer than traditional incandescent bulbs, according to the Energy Saving Trust. However, while new build buildings in the UK are almost certain to incorporate LED systems, many existing buildings still use older and less efficient systems. Remanufactured lighting systems represent a cost-effective way to improve existing buildings’ sustainability because they tend to be cheaper than buying in a new system yet deliver ‘good as new’ performance. Moreover, a remanufactured system


results in less waste to landfill, and a product with a lower embodied carbon compared to new products, helping to reduce end-users’ carbon footprint. This supports the trend towards Whole Life Carbon (WLC) assessment for buildings, which considers all their products and systems, including lighting. Remanufactured lights also support multiple Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) goals and a reduction in environmental impacts across supply chains. They lead to better building energy efficiency while improving occupier wellbeing thanks to LEDs better quality, and more easily controlled illumination levels as compared to standard lighting systems. Furthermore, quality remanufactured lighting systems will be certified as circular products, for example through the TM66 Assured Product Verification Scheme (discussed in more detail


products come with a full warranty, equal to that of newly manufactured ones. The product should also be designed to align with the new British Standard BS 8887-220 Design for Manufacture, Assembly, Disassembly, and End-of-Life Processing (MADE). In addition, testing and validation processes will ensure UK Conformity Assessment (UKCA) marking and compliance with regulations. Remanufactured products should also carry certification of their circularity. For example, the TM66 Assured Product Verification Scheme is an initiative developed and fulfilled by the LIA (Lighting Industry Association) and endorsed by CIBSE. It allows lighting manufacturers to have their circularity claims independently verified.


The ‘right to repair’ In addition to promoting remanufactured lighting systems, leading lighting manufacturers such as Tamlite are committed to developing sustainable and energy efficient products that can readily be serviced, supporting a customer’s ‘right to repair’. For example, our award-wining CIRCA luminaire for the retail sector was specially designed for ease of maintenance. Remanufacturing is an area in which


we can expect to see considerable innovation, including an increased design focus on installation that supports future retrofit needs. By investing in this innovation, and constantly pushing for smarter and more sustainable solutions, lighting manufacturers can support the wider built environment to progress towards a more sustainable future. ■


EIBI | FEBRUARY 2024


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