Parametric Remanufacturing Configurator for Lighting (PRCL)

Luminaire remanufacture retains metal and plastic components in "waste" luminaires while upgrading key electronic components to the latest technology. This unlocks step-change reductions of 15-30% in materials costs and 25-70% in embodied carbon compared to manufacturing all new products. This approach has the potential to radically reduce metal and plastic waste in the lighting industry, estimated at £165m/year recoverable value, thereby retaining value in the UK supply chain.

EGG is working to support the development of the UK lighting remanufacture sector, that will collect and remanufacture used commercial lighting to customer specifications, underpinned by digital manufacturing and digital passports. Our 2020 whitepaper with the University of Strathclyde offered the industry the core models and terminology needed and we are now taking a leading role in the drafting of a British Standard for luminaire remanufacturing.

This industrial research project aims to develop and test a Parametric Remanufacturing Configurator for Lighting (PRCL); a tool which will allow us to offer a remanufacturing model fit for the digital age. The PRCL will enable radically shorter lead times on customer orders, will significantly improve our efficiency and will therefore make possible the first credible remanufacturing service aimed at the mass-market for commercial luminaires.

This highly ambitious project presents a new vision for the way in which luminaires are made and remade, as well as for remanufacture itself -- it will disrupt the UK lighting market in favour of circular economy approaches and highly skilled UK operators, and will be a valuable case study for the broader remanufacturing sector.