Buil-in LED replacement: these are three words that are increasingly stirring the lighting sector.
It is very common, in fact, that customers ask if it is possible to replace the LED incorporated in the structure of lamps and ceiling lights, as it was possible with traditional light bulbs.
The answer that was mostly negative until yesterday.
Today, reality is finally changing: it is possible to satisfy the customer’s wishes and, at the same time, fulfill human responsibility towards the environment
Light, a mirror of the changing world
Starting with the incandescent light bulb by Edison and Swan, over the years lighting has been the protagonist of great metamorphoses, both in relation to the incessant pressure of new technologies, and to meet specific needs of society: to improve the diffusion of light by reducing energy consumption.
The answer to these needs were first the fluorescent bulbs and then the LEDs.
The light output and energy consumption of LEDs marked a real turning point, giving us a luminous efficiency that reaches 200 lm/W (Lumen Watt) compared to 60 lm/W for fluorescent lamps.
New requirements
Light has always to face new challenges: innovation is the keyword that has always accompanied this sector, today more than ever.
Investments in research and development are growing, in particular macro-themes are the protagonists such as digitization, the search for wellness and sustainability.
REGULATIONS FOR THE FUTURE
The European Ecodesign Directive 2019/2020 pushes the lighting sector to further redevelopment, regulating the sector in terms of environmentally friendly design.
The basic purpose of the regulations requires that the products are durable, thus guaranteeing the reparability and replacement of the light sources.
The requirement of “removability” has a great relevance, because it is the starting point for the replacement of the malfunctioning parts and for the repair of the lamp.
Furthermore, the “replaceability” is an opportunity for future implementations with more up-to-date components.
The crucial point of the Regulation was well summarized in the words of the President of the National Lighting Manufacturers Association, Aldo Bigatti: “[…] with the legislative evolution, companies are called to ever greater environmental sustainability and interoperability. The transition from a linear economy to a circular economy requires the development of a production and consumption system that decouples economic growth from the intensive use of resources and environmental impacts, creating more value, decreasing costs and minimizing the impact on the environment. It becomes essential for companies to develop more efficient production systems and apply eco-innovation and eco-design strategies. These are the challenges that companies in our sector are facing by keeping up with the evolution of the sector.”
Light in the circular economy
The new model of production and consumption that the European Parliament aspires to create contrasts with the linear one of the past which followed the pattern “extract, produce, consume, throw away”.
The new model requires a strong commitment to extending the life cycle of products.
This policy has a double effect:
- reduction of waste from malfunctioning products.
- reduction of waste through more responsible production, less quantity higher quality.
In parallel with the “right to repair“, Parliament discourages that approach which stimulates in consumers the need for a continuous and accelerated replacement of technological goods.
In the infographic we wanted to summarize the salient features of this new economic model.
“The Right to Repair” for the Decline of a Throwaway Society
The repair of electronic devices corresponds to a reduced use of resources, lower greenhouse gas emissions and a decrease in energy consumption.
The “right to repair” was born in response to the survey conducted by Eurobarometer, the result showed that 77% of the interviewees prefer to repair products rather than buying new ones. The lack of adequate assistance and the high costs of the repair procedure are often discouraging, as a result people often choose to thrown away the goods rather than repair them.
According to Eurostat data, the increase in urban waste in Europe is constantly and worryingly growing: in 2020, every European citizen produced, on average, 505 kg of waste, 4 more than the previous year. In 2021, Italy recorded a slight increase compared to the previous year with 2,713 tonnes of R5, waste from light sources.
Elesi Luce’s contribution: LED CHANGE SYSTEM
Starting from this green point of view Elesi Luce developed a project capable of bringing great benefits both to the users and to the environment: the LED Change System.
For a long lasting function the built-in LED has to work in the best conditions, it means that the structure has to grant an adequate heat dissipation. For this purpose the designing and testing stages are particularly important. The average life of a good quality built-in LED lamp is between 50,000 and 100,000 hours; this means that it is possible to benefit from it for about ten years and more, considering the real use during the day.
Although failures are quite rare, it is necessary to think of a solution for this eventuality.
So what to do if our built-in LED lamp malfunctions?
The traditional procedure
In the case of a malfunction or failure of the built-in LED, the repairing process was long and complex.
At first a technician has to disassemble the lamp and then the user has to take it to the dealer. The dealer must then pack it and send it to the manufacturing company which sometimes sends it to an external company.
After the repair, the process for return home starts. When the luminaire is back in the hands of the customer, he must contact the technician again for installation. The whole procedure can then take up to two weeks or more.
Undoubtedly the process that the customer has to go through offers little incentive to repair the lamp. People very often prefer to buy a new lamp so as not to be in the dark for such a long time, especially if the warranty period has ended. Besides a new lamp sometimes exceeds the cost of repair by a few euros.
Built-in LED replacing: simplicity and speed thanks to Elesi Luce
The discomfort for the customer due to the normal recovery process is now part of the past, or at least it is for Elesi Luce products.
Thanks to the LED Change System, an innovative system specifically designed to solve the problem, the replacement of the built-in LED is possible with a few simple steps.
In practice, there are only 2 actions to do:
- contact the Elesi Luce dealer (by phone or e-mail) for the kit sending
- call an electrician for immediate replacement
The revolution by Elesi Luce is precisely this: nothing to uninstall because the luminaire no longer has to travel far and wide for its repair.
The lamp will not move from where it is: the replacement kit will come to it.
A small envelope or box will arrive directly at the customer’s home where it will be possible to proceed with the replacement of the LED by an electrician or technician.
The designer Simone Bellicini describes the ease with which the repairman replace the faulty LED comparing the instructions contained in the kit to those of Lego.
A nice analogy which however does not distract us from the innovative contribution that Elesi Luce offers in two different directions:
- simplify the customer’s life
- contribute to the circular economy
A lamp is… forever
Elesi Luce is an Italian family-run company that combines precious artisan techniques with the Lean method, whose principles acquire value in industry 4.0.
In fact, the company takes part to many research and development activities for the innovation of production systems.
The innovative capacity of Elesi Luce involves the company at 360° and has led to the creation of the LED Change System: thanks to it, the life cycle of the products is potentially infinite thus reducing potential waste.
HOW IT’S MADE
A fundamental requirement for the introduction of the LED Change System in the light source is the accessibility of the LED.
For this reason, Matteo has joined the working group. Matteo is a mechanical designer who works alongside Maurizio Betteto, the true Archimede of the company. Matteo’s role consists precisely in an intelligent design of the luminaire, in which the LED is easily replaceable.
Thanks to this important figure it is therefore possible to optimize the work and offer a possible customization of the lamps.
The easy replacement of electronic components (LEDs and drivers) is not the only an added value that Elesi Luce offers in terms of environmental sustainability. The technical department chooses every material with great care, favoring durable and recyclable ones such as aluminum which, in addition to being reusable, allows the LED to function optimally: thanks to its high thermal conductivity, in fact, it allows heat dissipation.
THE VISUAL COMFORT OF THE DIMMABLE BUILT-IN LED
All the built-in LED decorative lighting collections are also dimmable.
Elesi Luce is aware of the subjectivity through which each individual lives the experience of light, for this reason it is possible to control the brightness of the lamps designed by Elesi Luce.
The balance of natural and artificial light contributes to the efficiency of visual comfort: the dimmer is therefore the ideal solution for supporting the different functions of light, as well as contributing to energy savings.
The LED Change System for the Compasso d’Oro
The commissions of the ADI Design Index, very sensitive to the issue of sustainability, noticed the LED Change System technology and selected Alba to compete for the prestigious Compasso d’Oro, the highest award for Italian design.
The themes of the 2022 selection are freedom, the system and quality, all in a context where sustainability assumes an increasingly importance.
Within this renowned selection of made in Italy industrial design, therefore, the new system by Elesi Luce could not miss This innovative system makes Alba a design object made to last over time.
The LED Change System represents that added value, the sustainability, which qualifies a high quality product.
Say goodbye to consumerist hedonism
In the past there was a culture of “repairing”, rebuilding to give new life to daily use objects. Consumerism has transformed society inducing it to throw away goods in order to buy new ones.
Buy less. Choose well. Make it last.
Vivienne Westwood
The LED Change System offers the possibility of returning to old habits through a technology that looks at the future and simplifies life.
Within the wide range of products designed by Elesi Luce, you can find many modern design lamps with lighting fixtures equipped with LED Change System: you can watch them in the dedicated page.
