Sustainable Design: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow
Schréder engineers have been thinking about sustainability for a century. Long before the “circular economy” became a hot topic, and decades before it was enshrined in the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, we have been creating lighting solutions that comply with its aims. My colleagues have written about sourcing sustainable materials we use and how digital twins can save resources at every stage: today I want to explain how design drives sustainability.
I’ve worked in product design for a long time and it’s both an art and a science. We need to create luminaires which are functional, attractive and energy-efficient. Over the decades, we’ve made our lighting solutions more and more sustainable, even if that wasn’t the primary driver. For example, easy access for maintenance is popular with customers because they want to reduce the cost of maintaining their lighting network. But it’s also a sustainability win, because it extends the lifespan of the product and ultimately uses fewer resources. So let’s look at some of the ways sustainability has been incorporated into our designs.
Looking Good, Doing Good
The first stage of design is developing the shape, which usually comes from an architect with a refined eye for aesthetics. From this shape we do a mock up in wood or plastic, where we think about how the components fit inside, and how to manufacture that shape. Sustainable design means making conscious choices about which materials we use, and the quantities we need. All of our new products are designed to be a part of the circular economy and feature a double gasket system, for example, which enables tool-free access for easy maintenance and eliminates the need for glue.
We also think about making it easy to replace the individual components, so the luminaire can be repaired or upgraded, rather than replacing a whole unit. Obviously there needs to be power and the light source, but also increasingly a smart node for connectivity. Connected lighting solutions, where luminaires are connected to a CMS, can offer further energy savings on top of updating light sources.
We have taken this to the next level with the FLEXIA system, where we have developed a platform with the same internal components, inside a design that is endlessly customisable. The customer chooses the pole, bracket, or suspended system they want. At the same time, the LED unit, the driver, and other components can be upgraded, making the system futureproof.
Building Lighting that Lasts, For Decades
Schréder embraced many of the principles of the circular economy before the term was widely used. Back in 2008, before I joined the company, they launched the FURYO, which recognised that sustainable development was becoming a priority for those in charge of public infrastructure. The FURYO offered energy savings, great performance and used 30% less materials than existing luminaires. It was ahead of its time, with a separate thermal compartment to extend the life of the electronic ballast life, and tool-free easy access for maintenance.
In the same mindset, Schréder designed an "LED motor" to replace high-intensity discharge (HID) lamps with LED technology on site. This reduced energy consumption and simplified maintenance of the installed luminaire fleet, and has since evolved into the CIRCLE LED BASE.
Since then, LEDs have become increasingly efficient, and it is necessary to provide, from the design stage of the luminaire, a mechanical interface that allows critical components such as drivers, PCBA and lenses to be easily replaced. We call this the “gear compartment” unit, and it enables luminaires to benefit from the latest in performance throughout their working life.
Today, we need to adapt our luminaires to new opportunities in connectivity, services, and solar.
Setting the Standard for Circularity
We have always developed responsible lighting solutions to preserve and enhance landscapes. We’re great believers in industry standards, but there wasn’t one for the circular economy. So we made one ourselves: in 2019, we launched the Circle Light Label (CLL), which assesses our designs and checks if they are in line with circular economy principles. We’re continually reviewing, revisiting and updating our CLL principles to ensure they’re in line with best practice in the field: learn more about the label here.
Updating, Not Replacing
When it comes to LED technology, there are also energy efficiency gains to be made. The switch to LEDs was a quantum leap in terms of sustainability, but progress didn’t stop there, and new models offer even greater energy savings. As we have always designed our luminaires to be futureproof, customers can easily upgrade our luminaires with the latest generation LEDs by replacing only the gear compartment, not the entire luminaire.
We are also looking at power sources. Solar lighting is a great idea, but the missing piece of the jigsaw has long been battery technology: how to store the energy released by the sun during the day to use for lighting at night? We are making progress here, and continue to watch this space closely.
It all Adds up to Change
At Schréder, we have significantly reduced our own carbon footprint while helping our customers to slash theirs. When we design a product, we think about every stage of its existence, and how we can minimise waste and resource consumption. To read more about our overall strategy, download our 2023 Sustainability Report here.
With cities worldwide working hard to reduce their carbon emissions, we see customers increasingly talking about total cost of ownership. A system that is cheap to install can end up being very expensive in terms of energy consumption and dismantling at the end of its life. So our work on sustainability reflects our customers’ shift in mindset: they want to build a healthier planet, and we’re designing lighting systems that reflect that.
About the writer
Valerio is an experienced engineer who excels at leading new product development projects. He has a track record of successfully launching industrial products in various sectors such as automotive, power generation and cement.
He joined Schréder in 2018 to lead the product development of our urban and decorative luminaires with a focus on sustainable design practises. He's known for his strategic thinking, attention to long-term quality, and ability to effectively manage international projects, identifying and mitigating potential risks, controlling costs and project schedules while coordinating tasks with the operations team.
Connect with Valerio on LinkedIn.