Recolight Revive gives existing luminaires a second life
Posted by: electime 20th October 2026
Recolight has launched Recolight Revive, a new remanufacturing service designed to keep existing luminaires in use for longer by upgrading them with LED technology and controls.
An alternative to replacing luminaires
The initiative offers developers, building owners and facilities managers an alternative to wholesale luminaire replacement. By retaining serviceable housings and components, Recolight Revive can help reduce waste, disruption, material consumption and embodied carbon, while cutting operational energy through more efficient light sources and controls.
The launch was announced at Circular Lighting Live 2026, where speaker after speaker showed that reuse and remanufacture are moving from the margins into mainstream lighting projects. Case studies presented at the event demonstrated how remanufacturing can work both at scale and in sensitive heritage settings.
Working with Recolight members
The service will work closely with Recolight producer members. Recolight Revive can act as a remanufacturing subcontractor for producers that do not have suitable UK facilities, and where it works directly with end users or building owners, Recolight will seek to involve its members in project delivery.
Nigel Harvey, Recolight CEO, said: “For too long, an upgrade to LED has too often meant removing a complete luminaire, even when the housing and optics remain perfectly serviceable. Recolight Revive enables building owners to retain the materials and embodied carbon already invested in their lighting, while benefiting from lower energy use. It is a practical way to keep lights in the ceiling and accelerate the transition to a lower carbon and circular lighting economy.”
Remanufacturing options
Revive supports fluorescent-to-LED conversion, LED-to-LED upgrades and the addition of wireless controls. Each project begins with a low-cost site survey and bench evaluation of a sample luminaire, followed by a detailed proposal and quotation.
Depending on the project, luminaires can be remanufactured on site, area by area, or at the Recolight Revive facility, helping buildings remain operational throughout the work. The service follows BS 8887-221:2024, the code of practice for luminaire remanufacture, and includes assessment, testing, documentation and recertification. Completed luminaires are backed by a five-year return-to-base warranty.
The right upgrade
Thomas Bray of Recolight Revive said: “We apply engineering discipline within a straightforward project process. We assess what is already installed, establish the most appropriate upgrade and then test and document the remanufactured luminaire. Customers gain an efficient, compliant product with a fresh warranty, without discarding valuable equipment that still has years of useful life.”
Simon Fisher of F Mark, who will provide design and engineering support to Recolight Revive said: “A credible remanufacturing route gives specifiers and clients the confidence to treat existing fittings as assets, not waste. Recolight Revive provides a welcome bridge between circular ambition and practical delivery on real projects.”
Reducing embodied carbon
Recolight says the initiative responds to demand for solutions that address embodied as well as operational carbon. As expectations around repairability and upgradeability increase, retaining products and materials for longer will become more important in responsible lighting specification.
Harvey added: “Recolight has long championed reuse and remanufacture alongside responsible recycling. Recolight Revive turns that ambition into a direct service. We look forward to working with our members to make remanufacture an option for lighting upgrades.”
