Most lighting solutions today are designed for replacement.
We believe they should be designed to evolve indefinitely.
Perfectly functional luminaires become waste for the wrong reasons. Entire systems are replaced because spare parts no longer exist. Commercial spaces are renovated every few years while tons of perfectly usable hardware become hidden waste above the ceiling, or quietly disappear during refits.
The lighting industry has become strangely comfortable with this.
We are not.
At Rebel Light, we believe good lighting must survive its first tenant, its first fit-out and its first user cycle. That is why we developed our circular strategy:
Renew. Reuse. Rebel.
A practical response to a broken system.
“Lighting for the circular economy is a combination of design intent, renew & reuse capabilities and long-term service planning. You need people, tools, spare parts, design competence and system expertise. That is exactly where Rebel Light is positioned.”
– Rickard lundell, ceo
THE LIGHTING INDUSTRY ISSUE
Lighting is still treated as a disposable product category.
A project is completed. The luminaires are installed. The warranty expires. The project ends.
But the responsibility shouldn’t.
Years later, entire systems are replaced, not because the hardware failed, but because the ecosystem around it did.
Spare parts are unavailable. Documentation is missing. Control systems are obsolete. Products are sealed shut and impossible to repair.
Meanwhile, the luminaires themselves are often still in near-perfect condition.
In some cases, older architectural luminaires are mechanically better built than many new products sold today.
The problem is usually not the luminaire.
It is everything around it.
And that is exactly where Rebel Light operates.
“The future of lighting is not a single transaction. It is a long-term partnership where the system continues to evolve over years and decades, and where profitability is tied to customer success over time rather than the size of the initial investment.”
– Johan Sköld, COO
WHAT YOU ACTUALLY GET FROM OUR RENEW & REUSE SERVICES
Circularity is not about keeping old products alive.
It is about designing lighting systems that can evolve with architecture, technology and future users.
At Rebel Light, Renew & Reuse means extending the architectural, technical and commercial life of lighting systems through design, engineering, controls expertise, refurbishment and long-term responsibility.
Our projects may include:
- Refurbishment of existing luminaires
- Replacement of outdated electronics and drivers
- Upgraded LED engines and optics
- Adaptation of lighting design and user experience
- Integration with modern control systems
- Reprogramming and recommissioning
- Custom fabrication and mechanical adaptation
- Documentation and traceability
- Warranty extensions
- Long-term service planning
The result is not only lower climate impact.
It is better lighting. Better controls. Better user experience. Better energy performance.
And most importantly:
A lighting system designed to evolve instead of slowly fading into waste.
BREAK THE NORM WITHOUT COMPROMISE
Renew & Reuse should not mean compromise.
It should mean upgrade.
Architectural quality should remain intact — or improve. Lighting performance should improve. The system should become easier to maintain, service and evolve over time.
That requires something the industry increasingly lacks:
Relevant competence. Real experience.
After more than a decade of operating our own lighting and controls workshop in Stockholm, we understand where circular projects succeed — and where they fail.
We have worked with historic buildings, commercial offices, complex control systems, demanding timelines and large-scale installations across the Nordics.
Circularity is not a theory for us.
It is daily operations.
“Upgrading and maintaining lighting systems creates one of those rare true win-win situations. We optimize the customer’s investment while extending the life of products that still have enormous value.”
– Emil toft, Partner & kam
CASE: NORRA LATIN
At Stockholm International School in Norra Latin, the ambition was never simply to install lighting.
The ambition was to create a long-term solution that respected both the historical architecture and the future operational reality of the building.
Rather than treating lighting as a short-term fit-out component, the project focused on:
- 20+ years of complete system responsibility
- Long-term serviceability
- Future adaptability
- Reduced replacement cycles
- Architectural consistency
The result was a lighting solution designed not only for installation day but for decades of everyday use.
Because circularity can only become meaningful when the solution is desirable enough to survive.
CASE: LYSBOMBEN
Upgrading for the next tenant – before they even exist
In the Lysbomben project, the existing lighting infrastructure was evaluated for renewal and upgrade rather than replacement.
Because of the limited remaining lease period, a complete luminaire replacement was not economically viable. Instead, Rebel Light helped Axfast develop a technological upgrade strategy based on circular principles.
Existing CFL downlights were upgraded to LED technology and prepared for future DALI integration, improving energy performance, lighting quality and long-term serviceability.
Rebel Light delivered a turnkey solution including:
- On-site refurbishment of existing luminaires
- Integration of new LED technology
- Electrical installation and commissioning
- Improved optical and energy performance
- Extended operational lifetime
- Long-term service planning
What made the project especially interesting was the underlying infrastructure strategy.
The upgrade was built using components from Rebel Light’s renewable collection. By standardizing around reusable LED modules, heat sinks and drivers, the system was designed not only for the current tenant — but for the building’s next lifecycle.
When a future tenant eventually moves in, new luminaires can be built using the same technical platform already installed today.
The result is not a one-time lighting installation.
It is a circular lighting infrastructure.
The Lysbomben project demonstrates how even a short-term upgrade project can become part of a long-term circular strategy.
We always strive to have a plan for the next user.
