LED retrofit, replacing conventional light sources with LED equivalents in the existing fitting, is often the fastest route to energy savings. But fast is not always wise. The trade-offs at a glance.
When retrofit is a perfectly good choice
- Budget or lead time is tight. Retrofit requires no changes to the installation and takes minutes per fitting.
- The luminaires are still in good condition. With recent fittings that have decent optics and reflectors, a good LED tube gets you 50% savings or more straight away.
- Temporary situations. Premises with a lease running out or a refurbishment on the horizon.
When new luminaires are the wiser choice
- Thermal management. LED in a fitting that was never designed for it runs hotter than intended, and that costs lifespan.
- CE marking. Modifying the fitting can invalidate the original CE marking; responsibility then shifts to the installer.
- Lighting plan requirements. New luminaires offer better light distribution, dimming options and sensor control. Retrofit is limited to what the old fitting allows.
- Total cost of ownership. Calculated over 10 years, a complete LED luminaire wins on maintenance and consumption almost every time.
Our advice
Run the numbers on both scenarios for the specific situation: burning hours, energy tariff, condition of the current installation. We make that comparison free of charge for your project, including a lighting calculation where needed.