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From the grave to the cradle - full circle for a luminaire
The concept of refurbishing and/or rebuilding old luminaires in order to save material and energy is a field that is rapidly growing. And sometimes, what an outdated fixture needs is some tender love and engineering skills to be able shine bright again. We have met with two of Fagerhult’s project managers, Johan Ericsson and Peter Eklund, that love a really tricky challenge. Preferably the ones that are absolutely impossible.
At Fagerhult there is a deeply rooted innovation culture that undoubtedly influences all aspects of the work. Possibly it springs from the founder Bertil Svensson’s mindset of solving problems with sometimes small means, but with a lot of curiosity and stubbornness. Even though sustainability was not a buzzword during Bertil’s days, durability and quality have always been cornerstones for the company. And the ongoing climate awareness has urged us all to challenge previous ways of thinking, and made us conscious of new fields possible for more long-lasting solutions.
For many years, BESPOKE LIGHTING SOLUTION (BLS), Fagerhult’s bespoke development department has developed unique luminaires and adapted solutions. They produce newly built luminaires, and refurbished and updated old fixtures - but has not previously had an outspoken sustainable agenda as motif from their clients. But the will and interest to refurbish and rebuild old luminaires is a sustainable trend that is increasing. A process in which yesterday’s design and technology are brought up to speed by todays advances, in order to meet the requirements of tomorrow.
"It is more frequent now, than previously, that our clients has an outspoken will to save materials and energy in their projects." Johan Ericsson, project manager
Rebuild, refurbish or repair?
Johan Ericsson and Peter Eklund are both project managers at BLS, where unusual questions and close to impossible solutions are a part of their everyday work. Together with their colleagues, they manage inquiries from all Fagerhult’s markets, regarding special developed lighting solutions for different projects. But what kind of projects choose to refurbish, instead of investing in a new luminaire – and why?
– There are many different reasons as to why a luminaire might need to be rebuilt or refurbished instead of just replaced, Johan Ericsson explains further. There are circumstances when the luminaire is a part of the aesthetics or the design of the premises and cannot be replaced or altered. In other cases the luminaire is a part of the construction, or is built in a way where it cannot be removed, just updated. In yet other cases, and that is more frequent now than previously, there is an outspoken will to save materials and energy – and make an environmental effort by updating the luminaires instead of buying newly produced ones.
– No matter what the background is, the main focus for us is – as always – to help the client to solve the problem at hand, says Peter Eklund. In order to do so we have different solutions for different situations. But all our solutions are carefully evaluated before suggested to the client, whether it is to refurbish, rebuild or develop a new luminaire. For us, the quality of the product and its outcome, is the most important part of the process. Apart from making our client satisfied, of course.
Safty first
No matter the project, safety and quality are the red thread combining all Fagerhult’s products. And the special projects are sure to be no exceptions. But to be able to guarantee a secure and comfortable lighting solution it needs to be tested. For refurbishment projects that could seem like a tricky part, but there are solutions even for this. Peter Eklund explains:
– A crucial issue is the CE-marking and testing in cases like these. The request from our Technical Centre is that we deliver a unit that is as close to a complete luminaire as possible. If we send loose parts that are assembled on site, we cannot guarantee the quality of the end product. But if the LED package is assembled and tested in our centre, as a unit, we can ensure that it works and keep up to standards even when it is inserted in the old luminaire body.
– In these cases, we have made calculations to ease the assembling part as much as we can, Johan Ericsson develops further. We produce the new light packages so that they fit into the old screw holes, to facilitate installation as much as possible.
"No matter what the background is, the main focus for us is – as always – to help the client to solve the problem at hand." Peter Eklund, project manager
Old and used or old and gold?
In a very environmental aware era, it is easy to get caught up in the will of doing something good, when the outcome might in fact be the very opposite. Not all old luminaires are meant to live forever, some of them are outdated and is better to be recycled instead of refurbished. Johan Ericsson explains:
– We have already pinpointed a few luminaires in our range where we know that it is more efficient to actually buy a new luminaire, than refurbish an old. This because in the process of updating it, we need to add as much new material as in a new luminaire. Then we also have the aspect of lighting comfort. Some of the old design and materials are just not as good as today’s modern techniques. And I don’t think you should forget the aesthetic aspect, since people do have these fixtures in their working environment in some cases. Even if a luminaire can be ledified, it may not be certain that it is nice and cheeky to have in your office today.
– No matter the reasons, we always calculate and balance the effort and gain by rebuilding, refurbish or updating an existing luminaire compared to buying, or developing, a new one, says Peter Eklund. Our primary goal is always that the client is equipped with the best lighting solution for the project, and we want it to be safe and secure – whether it might be a refurbished luminaire or a new one. We would never do a refurbish project if it is not the best solution for the client and the environment. Some products are suitable and others not, and we have the competence to make that decision.
TEXT MARIA VÅRENIUS
PHOTO PATRIK SVEDBERG

Read more about Re:Furbish
Re:Furbish is an initiative within Circular solutions – one of our four sustainability focus areas. By upgrading and improving existing luminaires, we can jointly create major benefits for the climate, the project’s economy, and future lighting comfort.
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The concept of rebuilding old luminaires to save material and energy is growing. Sometimes, all an outdated luminaire needs to shine bright again is some tender love and engineering skills. We met Emma Hallman, Mathilda Holl and Andreas Ekslätt, the team behind ReLight at Fagerhult, to discuss the challenges of finding solutions that will take old luminaires into the future. At Fagerhult, a deeply rooted innovation culture influences all aspects of work. Possibly, it springs from the founder Bertil Svensson's mindset of solving problems with sometimes small means – and curiosity and dedication. Unlike today, sustainability may not have been a buzzword back then. However, using our resources consciously and striving for high quality have always been cornerstones for Fagerhult. Today, a new focus on circularity has urged us to challenge our thinking and makes us conscious of finding long-lasting solutions. Fagerhult's Bespoke Lighting Solutions (BLS) department has developed unique luminaires and adapted solutions for many years. So, refurbishing and updating old luminaires is something familiar to us. However, the ambition to reuse and rebuild old luminaires to lower climate impact has increased over time. In this process, yesterday's design and technology are brought up to speed by today's advances to meet the requirements of tomorrow. Quote ReLight your old luminaires To the ReLight team at Fagerhult, there are no unusual questions or impossible solutions. Daily, they manage inquiries regarding specially developed lighting solutions for projects from Fagerhult's markets. It's a complex process, but over time, they have learnt that some projects are ideal for reusing old luminaires instead of investing in new ones. "To us, the luminaire's qualities in lighting comfort, safety and aesthetics are at the core of every ReLight project. When requested, we also calculate if – and how much – we can reduce the luminaire's total climate impact through its lifecycle." says Emma Hallman. Within ReLight, there is an outspoken will to save materials and energy – and make an environmental effort by updating the luminaires. However, not all old luminaires can live forever; some are outdated and better recycled than refurbished. Img "If the circumstances don't meet our requirements and it doesn't work to rebuild the luminaire, we will not take the project further. We would never compromise on light comfort, quality, safety or the expression of the luminaire if it does not result in a first-class end solution", says Emma Hallman. At Fagerhult, safety and quality are the red threads that combine all products. And ReLight is no exception. Throughout the process, CE-marking and testing are crucial factors. "To ensure the overall quality, the updated luminaire is CE-marked in full before delivery. We also want to make the installation on site both smooth and quick, and the new kit is as close to a complete luminaire as possible," says Andreas Ekslätt, Design Engineer.