Innovative Dark Sky Project Takes Top Award

By Ray Molony

An innovative exterior project featuring dark sky technologies and dynamic colour temperatures has been awarded a top award, Ray Molony reports.

Awarding a rare ‘green’ rating in the Build Back Better Awards to Thorn Lighting and Cumbria County Council, the judges cited the duo for their ‘sensitive and thoughtful’ dark-sky scheme in Cumbria in the north of England.

Thorn worked with Cumbria County Council to create a lighting environment that protects dark skies, supports wildlife, improve perceptions of safety and encourages social interaction.

Many of the fittings feature the innovative NightTune technology, which reduces light levels and adjusts to a wildlife-friendly warmer colour temperature later in the night.

In the sensitive and historic Cliff Terrace in Kendal, Thorn’s EP 145 luminaire with a 2200K source replaced the existing fitting.

This has eliminated spill light into gardens and homes and led to a reported return of nocturnal wildlife activity.

Residents were engaged throughout the process from inception to installation.

The EP 145 lantern allows easy access to a replaceable LED module and driver, offering replacement opportunities for the future rather than wastage.

After a series of successful pilot schemes, dark sky friendly luminaires including Thorn’s EP 145 and Plurio lanterns – both recipients of the International Dark-Sky Association’s Fixture Seal of Approval – have been installed at locations including Glenridding, Kendal, Whitehaven and Workington.

At three of those locations, the Plurio lantern has been installed with NightTune technology which is a system that automatically adjusts the level of light emitted by the light fitting, and its colour temperature, throughout the night.

In Glenridding, the Plurio luminaires have been used on a residential cul-de-sac.

During the night when

outdoor activity is reduced, the level of light is lowered and the temperature becomes warmer, creating a more hospitable environment for wildlife and residents.

In Whitehaven and Workington, the same luminaires have been installed in parks where night-time lighting is needed for people using footpaths. By reducing the output and using a warmer colour temperature, surrounding wildlife and dark skies are protected.

The EP 145 (2200K) luminaire was used to replace existing lighting illuminating Kendal’s historic Cliff Terrace. Numerous residents who spoke to Thorn Lighting for a case study explained that the previous luminaires lit areas extending beyond the footpath. The replacements have resulted in a reversal of this with light now illuminating the pathway, but not their gardens and homes. They also reported a return of nocturnal wildlife activity.

The Cumbria County Council team deserve special recognition for this particular scheme for their community collaboration, engaging residents throughout the process from inception through to installation, and for their extra efforts in sourcing refurbished heritage-style columns to use along the terrace to ensure the luminaires were aesthetically well-matched to their surroundings.

Promoting and improving wellbeing was another factor when Thorn and Cumbria County Council set about this project. The indirect version of Plurio was used as a critical factor was reducing glare. Extra steps were taken, for example, at the Glenridding site, to add shields to the luminaires, further reducing light spill to grassed areas behind the luminaires where lighting was unnecessary.

Having firstly installed the luminaires as part of a pilot scheme, residents reported to the Council that the new lighting installations were much more calming, exceeding initial expectations for the project. Other residents have reported that the dark-sky friendly luminaires have got the potential to unlock a dark-sky economy, providing economical benefits to the county.

Throughout the project, luminaires were chosen for their ability to achieve the appropriate lighting classes for the various spaces they were installed in, be that residential areas or urban green spaces. ■