Rebuilding Lighting Fixtures
Replacing old light sources in luminaires with modern LED retrofit LED kits is an effective shortcut to improving energy efficiency, light quality, keeping a sustainable profile and reducing maintenance costs. Here are the necessary regulations and guidelines you need to follow to ensure a safe and legal retrofit.
Safety when retrofitting lighting fixtures
The manufacturer of a Retrofit LED kit must specify which luminaires the kit can be used for. The manufacturer is responsible for ensuring that the designated luminaires remain safe after the retrofit. This means that the retrofitted luminaires must meet the requirements of the Low Voltage Directive and the EMC Directive.
Usually, these requirements will be described in the applicable harmonized standards under the conditions specified by the manufacturer. It's not just the retrofit kit that needs to meet the requirements; the entire retrofitted luminaire must comply with the standards.
Clear guidance
The manufacturer of the retrofit kit must provide a detailed instruction manual describing how to perform the retrofit. This includes specifications on the included parts, conductor cross-sections if cabling to the retrofit kit is not included from the manufacturer, rating plate with information on rated voltage, consumption and any temperature limits for the internal connections.
The guide should include:
Information about mounting components.
Guidance for any drilling tasks or physical changes.
Information about wiring, especially if this affects temperature conditions or insulation distances.
Information about connecting to the electrical installation.
The retrofit kit must be labeled with the manufacturer's name, type, date of sale and other necessary specifications in accordance with the EU Declaration of Conformity.
Correct execution of the rebuild
The conversion must be carried out professionally and in accordance with the manufacturer's instruction manual. If an installation owner or user has the work done, the person performing the conversion is not considered a manufacturer.
Owner or user as manufacturer
The installation owner or user is considered the manufacturer of the rebuilt luminaire as they have initiated the task. The luminaire only becomes subject to the marketing part of the EMC and Low Voltage Directives when it is placed on the market.
According to the EMC Directive, the Low Voltage Directive and the EU Commission's Blue Guide, a product is marketed when it is sold or given away. The installation owner or user thus becomes the manufacturer when marketing the product.
If the product is destroyed, there is no producer according to the EMC Directive and the Low Voltage Directive. However, the owner of the installation is responsible for the safety of the installation and the connected products according to section 10 of the Electrical Safety Act.
Transfer of responsibility after rebuilding a lighting fixture
As a user of a building or street lighting, lighting and other electrical installations will fall under section 10 of the Electrical Safety Act, which includes the responsibility of you as the user of the electrical installations. This view is not changed by the conversion, but for the sake of the electrical installer and the manufacturer of the retrofit LED kit, we at Lumega have decided to prepare a Declaration of Conformity to protect the user.
This declaration is prepared in connection with D&V and is attached to the Dialux calculation and our third-party independent light measurements for the Retrofit LED kit. The complete documentation not only documents high quality, but will also protect you as a user or electrical installer.
Additional requirements for remodeling
CE marking
Retrofitting luminaires without placing them on the market does not necessarily require CE marking. However, the retrofitted luminaire may be subject to other CE marking directives, such as the RoHS directive. At Lumega, our Retrofit LED sets are CE marked.
Building regulations
Building regulations set requirements for electrical lighting. It is the responsibility of the building owner or user to ensure that the building has adequate lighting. Lumega provides documentation in the form of lighting calculations, energy savings calculations and electrical backup.
Examples of our AI retrofit kit
Lumega has developed a unique AI model where we can create an LED insert that fits perfectly in the older luminaire. We are the only one in the market to offer this unique solution with delivery within 2 weeks. Our LED inserts are by far the most energy efficient on the world market and typically deliver between 140 - 175 lm/W depending on the type. In addition, solutions with smart lighting can be offered. Thus, the older lighting installation can be transferred to a state-of-the-art lighting installation with 70% less energy consumption, change of color temperature from warm to cold (est. 19% increased work efficiency and well-being of employees) and adjustment of the artificial lighting in relation to daylight incidence (required by law).
Read more about our professional AI retrofit kit and see an actual example below.
Conclusion
As more and more fluorescent tubes disappear from the shelves in Europe, alternatives such as LED lighting will pave the way. The common LED tubes and LED compact fluorescent tubes are seen as similar to the above if the older luminaire is retrofitted. Such solutions may be sufficient for some areas, but in most larger lighting installations, a modern retrofit LED kit will be more energy efficient, offer longer lifetime and the quality of light will improve. No matter which solution is chosen, Lumega recommends an in-depth analysis of the existing luminaire.
Next comes the design, which ensures the user that the light level complies with Danish and European legislation and then there's safety. By following these guidelines and regulations, the safe and legal replacement of old luminaires with new LED retrofit kits will be a sustainable and reliable way to achieve significant electricity and CO savings.
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