Sustainable Design

At Stoane lighting we’ve always built to last. Many of our old, robustly engineered luminaires are testament to that - still going strong after many years of service and several lamp changes. Over the years there has been a shift away from luminaires using customer-replaceable ‘lamps’ to having integrated LEDs. LEDs saw a vast increase in efficiency and lifetime but in doing so, moved the light source from being in the domain of the end user to the manufacturer/maintainer.

The increase in lifespan of the light source was so great that it could feasibly exceed the warranty period of the actual luminaire housing it. This was quite a development, the idea of a light fitting where you didn’t need to change lamps!

Even back then, we all knew LEDs wouldn’t last for ever. The prevailing thinking was, with energy savings, reduced maintenance, and the fact that LEDs rarely fail catastrophically, that by the time end of life is reached the fitting will have ‘paid for itself’.

Well time flies and were now at a stage where we can observe LEDs in their twilight years. Here are some case studies to show what a past-it LED looks like. These have been on long term test, powered on more-or-less continually for nearly a decade. The accepted lifetime of these LEDs was taken as 50,000 hours, at which point the flux was predicted to drop below 70% of its initial output.

Iris Type S

After approx. 76,650 hours we’ve seen the flux drop to (just) under 70% of what it was initially. From this perspective, the fitting has exceeded what has been asked of it, however, as is shown in the other tests, one of the failure modes of LED’s is a warming of the colour temperature.

Iris

Mole Version 3

Tadpole Type 3

ADL CP Type M

Now after nearly ten years of continual service, we acknowledge that these fittings are functionally no longer fit for purpose. The light source has degraded, and the quality of light has fallen below acceptable standards. Had these been actual fittings, out in the field, the warranty would have long since expired, and the customer would have reaped the financial benefits of the LEDs efficiency. So what happens now? Throw them in the bin and buy new products, or…

Stoane Lighting now offer a ReNew service. We will take back your old fittings and upgrade them with the latest LED/driver/optical technology while retaining the robust mechanics. This may leave you with a light fitting deficit, so we may be able to offer a ‘float’ of luminaires to keep you going while we rework the old fittings. Or it might be best if we come to you with our mobile workshop and ReNew your fittings on site. The benefits of ReNewing, over replacing, are that it is cheaper to do so and less wasteful. The spec of your ReNewed fitting will be an improvement on the original spec in terms of efficacy, light quality and if appropriate, light output. What’s more, in ReNewing a fitting, the warranty is reset!

So, whether you are a venue operator/owner, Facilities Manager or a Lighting Designer wishing to learn more about how we might approach ReNewing your existing luminaire installation, we would be happy to discuss the best approach for your case.

We have applied the ReNew principal to the five test fittings detailed above. Obviously, the LEDs needed replaced. The optics were also replaced as in some cases the originals had discoloured and in others, newer optics were more appropriate with the new LEDs. We also inspected the o-rings and seals and found them to be sound. Silicone sealing of the glass lenses was found to be past its best, so that was replaced. Otherwise all the original components were given a good clean and were as good as the day they were first made.