Signify has published an independent analysis of circular lighting projects which shows clear commercial benefits relating to capital, maintenance and financing.
The study, conducted by the University of Oxford’s Circular Economy and Sustainability Lab and Academics for Circular Economy e.V., with support from Signify, examined 50 real-world lighting projects across 10 sectors. It found that 37 reported financial benefits from adopting circular approaches, challenging the assumption that upgrading lighting necessarily means replacing entire installations.
The findings suggest that the next phase of the energy transition needs to look beyond energy efficiency to consider the retention of resources, infrastructure and economic value.
Hospitals, airports, ports and transport infrastructure cannot easily suspend operations to accommodate lighting upgrades. In tunnels, for example, replacing every component can involve substantial costs and disruption extending well beyond the lighting installation itself.
Yet full replacement is often the default when lighting technology is upgraded. The study argues for a different approach: assess existing infrastructure, identify what needs improving and retain components that remain fit for purpose.
Across the 50 projects examined, circular approaches were associated with:
• Lower capital or maintenance costs in 37 projects
• Extended asset life in 31 projects
• Retention of assets or materials in 26 projects
• Avoidance of downtime or disruption in 23 projects
• Avoidance of full replacement in 20 projects.
• Energy savings were also reported in 36 projects, with a median reduction of 59.5%.
‘Innovation should not automatically mean replacement. The real measure of circularity is our ability to deliver better outcomes with fewer new resources,’ says Mario Giordano, Global Head of Public & Government Affairs at Signify.
“When poles, cables, housings and other infrastructure are still fit for purpose, the most sustainable upgrade is often to build on what is already there.”
The hidden costs of replacement
A lighting installation comprises considerably more than its light sources. Housings, drivers, optics, wiring, controls and mounting systems can all remain serviceable long after the technology they support has become outdated. Outdoor installations may also involve poles, cabinets and other infrastructure.
Replacing an entire system can therefore mean discarding functioning components while incurring additional construction, installation and disposal costs.
The study cites Dublin Port Tunnel as an example. The project upgraded approximately 1,800 light points while retaining the existing infrastructure. Signify estimates that this approach saved €3 million in capital costs compared with installing a completely new LED system.
Assessing whole-life value
Circularity does not mean retaining equipment indefinitely. Rather, it involves selecting the most appropriate intervention based on performance, cost and whole-life value. Depending on the circumstances, this might mean repair, retrofit, refurbishment, reuse or replacement.
‘This is not an argument against replacement. It is an argument against making replacement the starting point. The smarter question is: what do we need to improve, and what can we retain?’ says Priya Saikumar, doctoral researcher at the University of Oxford.
The researchers found that obstacles to circular lighting are often systemic rather than technical. Product design, limited access to spare parts and repair information, and shortcomings in financing, ownership arrangements, data and expertise can all prevent otherwise viable approaches from being adopted.
Procurement practices that prioritise upfront costs over whole-life value, together with limited reuse channels and reverse logistics, create further barriers.
The report calls for greater collaboration between industry and policymakers, alongside procurement frameworks that recognise whole-life value, upgradeability and the economic benefits of retaining existing infrastructure.
Signify says its response includes the development of Signify Circle, a framework intended to support circular lighting through services and solutions that extend product and asset lifetimes.
‘That’s why Signify created Signify Circle,’ says Giordano.
• Diary date: Circular Lighting Live 2027 takes place on Thursday 7 October 2027 in the City of London. It’s Recolight’s flagship event, comprising a two-track conference, exhibition and awards celebrating innovations in sustainable lighting.
