Arup and Regen Initiative reuse lights at Manchester office

Arup has teamed up with luminaire remanufacturing business The Regen Initiative to reuse the lights in a refurbishment of its Manchester offices.

The fluorescent gear and lamps have been replaced with LED modules and drivers, and some additional luminaires were repurposed from a Category A fit-out office in Leeds, which would otherwise been disposed of.

The Regen Initiative undertook the design, prototyping and testing on-site of the retrofit solution to ensure that the optical performance could be maintained, along with a high quality of light and visual comfort. LED drivers with no visible flicker or strobe effects were also integrated.

The control system was changed from a wired architecture to a wireless platform. It harmonises the use of natural and artificial daylight through daylight linking, ensuring that artificial lighting is only illuminated when necessary.

The wireless controls also mean that personal lighting levels can be set if required to support neurodiversity or those with specific visual impairments.

The emergency lighting was upgraded with a system that allows detailed reporting and interrogation of the testing and operational status, which can be remotely monitored by the facilities management team.

A key project objective was to reduce embodied carbon by renovating or repurposing furniture and equipment and by using recycled construction materials. This meant the scheme could serve as an exemplar that Arup could show its clients as a proof of concept.

The project’s carbon consumption was reduced by over 47 per cent and energy use was cut by 72 per cent. The project also avoided 85 per cent of the material having to be sent to an approved Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment handler. Using the LEDs, the power density  was reduced to 5W/m2, compared to the fluorescent density at 13W/m2.

The Regen Initiative says it only selected high-quality, durable components not only to lower maintenance costs but also to extend the lifespan of the fixtures, reduce waste and contribute to long-term sustainability.

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