image by a fresh appeal. The BP “Helios” logo is just one example as the canopy and the pole sign was made to become more of a dominant feature than ever before.
Solar power also made its appearance in the late 1990’s at a
BP site at Bedford using an imaginative way to capture energy from the sun by using photo-voltaic panels clipped together to obtain direct current that can be converted to alternating current by means of a transformer on site. A further development u s i n g alternatives happened in 2005 when wind turbines were introduced onto two canopies by Sainsbury’s and BP respectively. The issue of canopy i g n i t i o n occurred again in 2002 when a fire broke out on a canopy at Western Lane, Hammersmith in London when 16 metres of “Bull Nose” fascia ignited and again, molten plastic fell onto the forecourt
with potentially disastrous results. The same issue was found where Light Emitting Diodes (LED’s) were used i n s i d e polycarbonate tubing clipped onto the canopy fascia. Rainwater had entered the polycarbonate tubing causing an ignition that spread to extruded acrylic.
ARTICLES
Further examination after the fire revealed that extruded acrylic had been used and as a result national guidance was amended as well as the UK’s building regulations. It was the late 1980’s that saw a shift in the UK fuel market with the emergence of the supermarket and a move away from town centre retail shopping. This single act was to change the fuel market forever with cut price fuel on offer like nothing before. The response of the mainstream oil industry was to fight back in recruiting retailers that could heavily promote what each of the oil companies could offer by a more imaginative use of branding and
Today canopy designs have become more ambitious as evidenced on the cover page of this issue that make an interesting variety that either pleases the eye or becomes an eyesore. Either way let us allow innovation to continue.
APEA tel/fax 0845 603 5507 www.apea.org.uk
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