LCA Case Study to LED Outdoor Luminaries as a Circular Economy Solution to Local Scale

Abstract

The replacement of luminaires with discharge lamps with high luminous efficacy and long life-time LED based equipment is a reality worldwide promoted by policies that favor their gradual substitution. There is a great concern in this manufacturing industry to develop new luminaires with low environmental impact during the manufacturing and transportation processes and its end-of-life disposal (reducing greenhouse gas emissions, toxic or hazardous components, …). Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a very extended tool used to provide information on the quality and quantity of environmental impacts in the life cycle phases of any product, system, or service. This article includes all phases of the LCA analysis of a selected streetlight LED luminaire manufactured by a SME where a landfill deposit is the end-of-life scenario. In a second phase, alternatives are sought for the reuse of the most significant elements that improve its local economy. The results are classified and sorted according to the ISO 14040 standard.

Considering LCA in System Architectures of Smart-Circular PSS

“…Hauschild et al presented a target-driven life cycle engineering method for reaching absolute sustainability, which should support product designers to stay within the planetary boundaries during the development phase [23]. Further potentials are the early consideration of implementation of R-strategies in the design phase of products [5,24,26,31,35] and consideration to implement PSS [29,31,33].…”

Life Cycle Assessment of a Plastic Part Injected with Recycled Polypropylene: A Comparison with Alternative Virgin Materials

“…There are many examples of current LCA applied to assess the impact of products [75][76] or processes [77][78][79]. Industry and its processes can also be assessed in order to analyze the impact on resources [80][81] or industrial scenarios [82][83], and are primarilyrelated to energy production [84][85] and consumption [86][87].…”

The Perspective of Total Lighting as a Key Factor to Increase the Sustainability of Strategic Activities

“…Another important effect of smart lighting on sustainable development without worsening environmental impact is the increase of productivity in human activities [40], particularly factories [41] and office environments [42]. The economic benefits arising from these productive philosophies are an objective of many matters currently developing within the framework of circular economy, whose coupling with lighting is really fruitful, as shown in several studies to date [43][44][45].…”