Professional best practice from the Institution of Lighting Professionals
January 2022
COASTAL COMMUNITY Lighting’s role in restoring much-needed pride to Bridlington’s seafront CLIMATE CHANGE How lighting needs to step up and respond to the climate emergency TALES OF THE RIVER Taking stock of, and getting up close to, London’s Illuminated River
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Contents
06 LEGACY SYSTEM
34 COASTAL COMMUNITY
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‘WE WANTED TO 38 CREATE A VIBRANT, COLOURFUL SPACE’
As we reflect on November’s COP26, solar lighting is going to be at the heart of lighting’s future sustainability conversations. However, as Mark Hopkins argues, to maximise the benefit from solar and leave a positive legacy for future generations, lighting professionals will need to be bringing together the technologies and science in a coherent way
CLIMATE CHANGE
Covid-19 may have had all the attention for the past two years, but it was only right it was the climate emergency, and how lighting can respond, that was centre stage at the ILP’s first in-person CPD event post pandemic, coinciding with the COP26 summit on climate change
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POLITICAL PERSUASION
Sustainability, net zero and lighting’s role in promoting the circular economy were on the agenda at a recent event for the lighting community at the House of Lords. Chris Rennard reports
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ON YOUR BIKE
The combination of pandemic and climate change is encouraging more and more of us to switch from cars to more active forms of travel, such as cycling or walking. Yet the UK’s active travel network remains woefully patchy and under-resourced. This has to change, writes Trystan Williams, and well-lit active travel infrastructure could be a key part of the solution
26 FEEDING CHANGE
Using feeder pillars could be one way for councils to accelerate the rollout of EV charging, as a recent ILP ‘Light, Seen’ event discussed
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WATER WAYS
Between heat, damp, corrosion, chemicals, glare and the need to be ensuring public safety, illuminating swimming pools and wet areas is not always straightforward, explains Roger Beckett
Colour-changing LED totems are at the heart of a £4m regeneration of Bridlington’s seafront on the east coast of Yorkshire. But ensuring the new lighting was up to withstanding the winds, cold and heat, seawater and sand and, sadly, the threat of vandalism was challenging, writes Guy Bolton
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Bridlington’s seafront totems, lines of light and innovative new street lighting are boosting civic pride and delivering a sense of fun, as Julie O’Reilly and Edward Sutton-Vane outline
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40 INDUSTRY FOR ALL
The ILP has teamed up with Women in Lighting to appoint two ‘champions’ – Kelly Smith and David Gilbey – to promote and celebrate inspirational women within the lighting industry, especially engineering, street lighting and manufacturing
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NEED WOMEN TO 42 ‘WE SPEAK OUT MORE’
In the first of our profiles of inspirational women working within lighting, senior engineer Kelly Smith discusses how she came into the industry and how barriers are being broken down
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TALES OF THE RIVER
With nine Thames bridges completed, it was a good moment over the autumn to take stock of the Illuminated River, the hugely ambitious central London public art project. Which is precisely what the ILP did through a fascinating ‘How to be brilliant’ event
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58 FACE-TO-FACE LEARNING
Covid restrictions permitting, Light School is set to return as an in-person event next month, with the ILP once again partnering with the Surface Design Show to run three days of fascinating CPD talks. Here is what you need to know
‘LEARNING AND THINKING SMARTER 54 60 PLAYING WITH LIGHT IS VERY IMPORTANT’ What is the secret to a successful residential lighting project? YLP architectural representative Sunny Sribanditmongkol sat down with renowned lighting designer Sally Storey to find out
The Lighting Urban Community International Association (LUCI) held its AGM in November, the first time that members, including the ILP, had been able to meet face to face in nearly two years. Jess Gallacher provides a round-up of some of what was discussed
p COVER PICTURE
One of the new colour-changing totems now gracing the seafront at Bridlington, East Riding of Yorkshire. Turn to pages 34 and 38 to find out how the project came about from, respectively, manufacturer D W Windsor and architect Sutton Vane Associates
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Editor’s letter Volume 87 No 1 January 2022 President Fiona Horgan Chief Executive Justin Blades Editor Nic Paton BA (Hons) MA Email: nic@cormorantmedia.co.uk
Lighting Journal’s content is chosen and evaluated by volunteers on our reader panel, peer review group and a small representative group which holds focus meetings responsible for the strategic direction of the publication. If you would like to volunteer to be involved, please contact the editor. We also welcome reader letters to the editor. Design George Eason Email: george@matrixprint.com Advertising Manager Andy Etherton Email: andy@matrixprint.com Published by Matrix Print Consultants Ltd on behalf of Institution of Lighting Professionals Regent House, Regent Place, Rugby CV21 2PN Telephone: 01788 576492 E-mail: info@theilp.org.uk Website: www.theilp.org.uk Produced by Matrix Print Consultants Ltd Unit C,Northfield Point, Cunliffe Drive, Kettering, Northants NN16 9QJ Tel: 01536 527297 Email: gary@matrixprint.com Website: www.matrixprint.com © ILP 2022
The views or statements expressed in these
I
feel fortunate to live in an old house; it’s Victorian, built in the 1860s, and is tall and narrow. We love it but, in the wake of November’s COP26 climate summit, it’s clear to me that, like many households and industries (including lighting), we are going to be facing some pretty tough decisions over the coming years and decades. For example, we’ve got a relatively new gas boiler. In a tall, old, thick-walled property with conventional central heating and pipework are the new more eco-friendly heat-pump heating systems even going to be a viable option, let alone cost-effective? The research I’ve done so far suggests not. So, what then? Are we expected to rip everything out, start again with a technology in its infancy, which might not even work, and just write off the cost? Like most people, we’ve done the ‘easy’ eco stuff: recycling, insulating, switching to LED bulbs, cutting out plastic bags and so on. But for the much more difficult, much more invasive, changes we’re all now likely to be needing to make I – like most of us, I expect – will need help. I’ll need support and guidance to invest in the ‘right’ technology and infrastructure and also, in truth, incentives to make the costs affordable, beyond it just being ‘the right thing to do’. Which brings me to the ILP’s CPD sustainability afternoon in November. It was great to get back among members and finally to be at a face-to-face event after nearly two years. There were some informative and illuminating presentations, as we report from page 12 as part of our special focus on sustainability this edition. For me, however, it was clear the industry is potentially at something of a crossroads. Just as in many households, the easy stuff – what in management speak is sometimes referred to as ‘the low hanging fruit’ – is already mostly ticked off or now underway: switching to LED, embracing more circular economy models, curbing energy use and light pollution, recycling and repurposing where possible, reducing waste and plastics and so on. However, if we’re serious about transitioning to a net-zero economy and society – and, really, what alternative do we have? – the changes needed are likely to be much, much more challenging. We can all hope science and engineering may come to our rescue. But, to my mind, the global challenge is profound, in effect to transform a previously fossil fuel-based economic model built up over centuries in a matter of decades, from the inside out, while at the same time maintaining it so it doesn’t collapse commercially so that we can all still, you know, live. And maintaining ‘the commercials’, as Nigel Harvey of Recolight emphasised at the CPD afternoon, is important. Whether that means governments – global, national, municipal, local – stepping up to provide access to subsidies, funds, public works or financial incentives, or new technologies and infrastructure, or simply joined-up leadership, policymaking and delivery, I’m not qualified to say. But, just as I can’t alone adapt my house to net zero, neither can lighting do this all by itself. Did we see the political leadership, vision and urgency we’re likely to need at COP26? My personal view, sadly, is ‘no’. Given that US special presidential envoy for climate John Kerry called the summit ‘the last best chance’ the world had to avoid drastic climate change, the watered-down commitments that came out of Glasgow felt deeply worrying. What, then, can lighting do? It’s a tough one and probably, for now, the least-worst answer is simply ‘still just your best’. With the ILP at your side, it is still beholden on lighting professionals to try to drive this agenda forward, to work to change mindsets from ‘new’ to ‘reuse’, to articulate and show the value of ‘good’ lighting, to change your world at least as best you can. And, I guess, hope John Kerry was wrong. Nic Paton Editor
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LEGACY As we reflect on November’s COP26, solar lighting is going to be at the heart of lighting’s future sustainability conversations. However, to maximise the benefit from solar and leave a positive legacy for future generations, lighting professionals will need to be bringing together the technologies and science in a coherent way By Mark Hopkins
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ovember’s COP26 summit in Glasgow has reaffirmed the need to find zero or low carbon solutions for all areas of the built environment. So, it comes as no surprise that solar lighting continues to be of interest to the street lighting community. However, the need to bring together the different technologies and science in a coherent way is vital for the industry if, in the future, we are to stand by the decisions made today in the design, manufacture and installation of solar luminaires.
SOLAR STREET LIGHTING COMING OF AGE
Delving into the current theory and practice around solar lighting will help the
lighting industry make informed decisions about what questions to ask. Although the application of solar street lighting is not new, and there are a range of options currently available, the need to embrace the science and understand the different parameters that make up a successful installation is key to success. The following article is, I emphasise, by no means definitive, not least because technology changes are advancing rapidly in both energy conversion and energy storage. Yet, in the temperate regions of the world that have a limited number of days throughout the winter months to harvest this energy, there are a number of important considerations.
THE SUN
It all begins, of course, with the sun and, as we all know, in the UK this is a variable input. The actual energy to be harvested from this resource depends on many factors, some in our control and some not. The measurement for the energy received from the sun over a given area is known as the ‘insolation’ and is measured in Watts/m². The reduction in insolation for a temperate region is shown in figure 1 below.
Figure 1. An illustration of the reduction in insolation for a temperate region
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Lighting and sustainability: solar lighting
SYSTEM Figures for different regions of the world have been compiled for many years and, courtesy of NASA, these figures for any specific location are be recorded and freely available. As an example, figure 2 to the right shows the values for Rugby in the UK – home of course to the ILP – and illustrates the sun’s input without considering the effects of clouds and atmosphere. Then figure 3 shows the actual insolation reaching a potential solar panel. Measuring kWhr/m²/day, the variances even during the summer months are significant. Throughout the year, the lowest value = 0.2 whereas by comparison the highest value = 8.41. The path of the sun as it changes throughout the year can be presented in sun path diagrams; these show the angle of the sun for the summer and winter equinox at a specific location. This information is critical to maximise the harvested energy from a solar panel tilted and aimed in the correct direction. There are, handily, smartphone apps available that produce fairly accurate
Figure 2. Clear sky insolation figures for 2020 for Rugby
Figure 3. An illustration of the actual insolation reaching a ground-level solar panel, again for Rugby during 2020
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Lighting and sustainability: solar lighting positioning information and which can be used on site to optimise the orientation. An example of this is shown in figure 4. The winter sun, for obvious reasons, is taken as the datum for system design purposes and, as you travel south to north, the point at which the sun is lowest in the sky changes from 18° at Land’s End down to just 11° in Glasgow.
of the sun’s angles is illustrated in figures 5 and 6. These show the effective energy loss from the increase in surface area and also the array incidence loss as the angle changes throughout the day.
Figure 9. An illustration of solar irradiation during peak sun hours. This is a result of the sun’s angle and array incidence losses
The result of these losses gives us figure 9. This shows the peak sun hours graph for each day, which is the base line for the possible energy harvested through the day. Perhaps the best way to demonstrate these losses is by running through a number of different scenarios, which in turn can enable us to generate a more accurate way to specify a solar luminaire. The reason for the choice of 5 November is that is when the sun is at a maximum of 23° in the sky at midday and two hours each side of midday ranges between 17° and 23°.
SCENARIO 1 Figures 5 (top) and 6. These show three-dimensional representations of the sun’s angles, illustrating the relationship between the angle of the sun and a solar panel and (figure 6) the impact of array incidence loss
This transition is also illustrated in figures 7 and 8, which show how, as the panel angle reduces, the efficiency drops away. Solar panel losses vs angle to the sun 100 80 60 40 20 90
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% Solar Conversion Output
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β angle
Figure 4. Three sun path diagrams, showing the angle of the sun for the summer and winter equinox at a specific location
Having established the quantity of the sun’s energy we can expect to harvest, and the need to have the solar panel facing south at an angle certainly greater than 45°, it is worth noting what the effect is of not mounting the solar panel in this orientation. The three-dimensional representation www.theilp.org.uk
Figure 7. The reduction in power as the sun’s incidence angle β decreases
• Location: London UK – latitude 51° • Solar panel facing south: angled at 60° to the horizontal • No local shading: maximum output possible 60 Watts. • Date of observation: 5 November, 2021
In this scenario, the average range of angles of the sun on this panel over this four-hour period from two hours either side of midday is 20°. The actual effectiveness of the sun on this panel over this period therefore ranges from 17° to 23°, applying the formula: (a+x) = _____1______ (Sinα) x (Tanβ) The reduction in output is therefore 1.5%. •SCENARIO 2 • Location: London UK – latitude 51° • Solar panel facing south: angled at 30° to the horizontal • No local shading: maximum output possible 60 Watts • Date: 5 November, 2021
Figure 8. This shows array incidence loss, with reflection and refraction through the solar panel glass
In this second scenario, the average range of angles of the sun on this panel over the same four-hour period is, again, 20°.
JANUARY 2022 LIGHTING JOURNAL
Lighting and sustainability: solar lighting The actual effectiveness of the sun on this panel over this period, also again, ranges from 17° to 23° applying the formula: (a+x) = _____1______ (Sinα) x (Tanβ) However, this time, the reduction in output is 30.5%. The difference of 29% between scenario one and two is purely contributed by the angle of the solar panel, assuming of course that it is facing south.
THE EFFECTS OF SHADING
A simplified description of a solar panel is of a set of solar cells connected in series, and to work as intended each solar cell requires an equal energy input from the sun. If any one of these cells receives less input than the others, then this cell’s effective internal resistance increases and restricts the current flow. Therefore, the shading of a solar panel should be limited as much as possible. This is where site surveying can be very important; a solar streetlight situated close to a north-facing building, for example, can significantly restrict the sunlight hitting the panel, as illustrated in figure 10. Siting the unit on the opposite side of the road is an obvious and simple solution. However, not doing it will severely restrict the charge potential of any solar streetlight during the winter months
solar farms, the cost has reduced considerably. However, the solar irradiation spectrum exhibits a broad energy distribution, while the semi-conductor material can only absorb a portion of photons with an energy layer larger than the bandgap. There is a maximum efficiency potential called the S-Q limit (Shockley-Queisser) of a single junction solar cell, which is around 30%. The majority of solar panels used today are ‘passive emitter rear cell’ (PERC) construction and have an efficiency of around 20%-23%. The mechanical construction of these also requires consideration if a 25-year life expectancy is required. Halide perovskite (PVSK) is an alternative solar cell material with a different bandgap. Development has been ramping up to combine these two materials, silicon and PVSK, to increase the combined efficiency to over 45% utilising a greater energy spectrum. One of the key advantages of perovskite is that it works well under low-light conditions. Currently this material is not in commercial production yet, however the UK is leading with this new technology and the first megawatt of production is well under way.
OTHER SOLAR CELL TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENTS
Another development and innovation in solar cell technology is ‘thin film’: either cadmium telluride (CdTe) or copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS), both of which materials are used for flexible cells. The ‘next generation’ when it comes to solar cell technology is very much quantum dots. Nano-structured semiconductors, amorphous silicon, and printable solar panels are from a broad group of technologies and very much in their development stage. The advantages of these technologies lie in their potential for low-cost production and novel new applications, but life expectancy will play a key role in their early adoption.
A WORD ON ENERGY STORAGE
Figure 10. A north-facing building (top) can obstruct the sunlight. However, this can easily be remedied by siting the unit on the opposite side of the road (bottom)
SOLAR PV EFFICIENCY POTENTIAL
Silicon is the predominant material for solar cell production and, with the rapid increase in adoption of very large-scale
Battery technology has come a long way in the last 10 years and will clearly continue to develop. Each technology has its own merits and, as with most systems, there is a trade-off between technology, performance cost and recycling potential. Solar installations have been using a mix of two primary technologies for the past five years: lead acid and lithium ion, in different forms. The predominant lead acid type (PbA) has been a sealed gel mat configuration,
which is maintenance free and has a life expectancy of around five years for a street lighting application. A fairly recent adaptation of PbA technology is lead crystal, which uses an electrolyte that crystalises when charged/ discharged. This new type of technology (non-corrosive SiO2 acid) combined with the use of high-quality plates (high-purity lead calcium selenium) considerably improves battery performance. With only slightly higher-energy density than Pb gel mat and similar weight, these new batteries are still a very cost-effective solution for street lighting applications, giving an expected life of between seven to ten years. Lithium ion, on the other hand, has much higher energy density and lower weight, with life expectancy of ten years+. However, it has a well-documented downside for long-term application in cold conditions. Below 0°C, the charging of lithium ion cells becomes a problem, as a phenomenon known as ‘lithium plating’ occurs. This is the formation of metallic lithium around the anode during charging. Without going into the science behind this, in broad terms it is necessary very carefully to control the charge rates of lithium cells at temperatures ranging between 10°C to 0°C, and to stop charging when the battery temperature reaches a point of 0°C or lower. Other battery technologies that are currently in early stages of adoption or still in the prototype phase are: • Sodium ion. The use of such an abundant material as sodium is the driving force behind this technology. With rapidly improving energy densities aiming at the lithium ion specification, this has great potential for a lowcost long-life battery solution. • Cobalt-free lithium ion. This technology has a similar specification to existing lithium ion but with much lower manufacturing cost and slightly shorter life. • Silicon anode lithium ion. This has a longer life with less environmental impact. • Others. We don’t have the space to go into detail on these, but other battery technologies that either have been under development for several years or are a complete rethink of the way energy can be stored are as follows: aluminium/air; lithium/air; super capacitors; copper/foam; dual carbon; vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (VACNT) batteries. www.theilp.org.uk
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Lighting and sustainability: solar lighting The different technologies also have very different parameters for the rates and voltages of charge and discharge, limiting many installations to using a single battery type and size for the full life of the installation. The different technical characteristics of each battery technology restricts the use of changing the battery type part-way through installation life, including: • • • • •
Float charge voltage. Cycling charge voltage. Internal resistance. Discharge current and cut-off voltage. Pre-charge rates when the battery level falls below a critical value. • Trickle charge characteristics when the battery is near full capacity. • Charge temperature range. Unless the controller used in the installation can be reprogrammed on site to adopt these different values and charge characteristic algorithms, an installation today will not be able to benefit from the new battery technologies in the future.
END-OF-LIFE CONSIDERATIONS
All battery technologies come up with the sustainability question of how to deal with them in their end-of-life condition. If we consider this as an essential part of a specification from day one then we will be building a sustainable future. Here are a few statistics that provide some food for thought. • 74% of the lead that is used to manufacture batteries in Europe comes from recycled stock. • 5% of lithium ion batteries in Europe are currently recycled. • 38% of waste fires in the UK are caused by lithium ion batteries. There are presently no major lithium-ion battery recycling operations in the UK. These facts are not meant to overly criticise a technology that has become a ubiquitous part of our everyday lives but simply to ask questions now so the industry can push to find sustainable solutions.
CONCLUSIONS
The primary aim of any streetlight is to provide a reliable, safe environment for the public, whether we are talking about pedestrians, cyclists or motorists. Therefore, as lighting professionals, we are aiming to provide light throughout the nighttime, with sensible caveats around comfort, safety and environmental impact. The previous paragraphs have indicated www.theilp.org.uk
COP26 in Glasgow. The climate change summit focused attention on alternative energy and alternative light sources
how much power we have available throughout the year to achieve this. Therefore, to design a system that will comply with current standards it is necessary to consider how these different technologies can be combined to operate as a balanced system. One key area within this is the control system. The control system used in a solar installation has to, firstly, convert as much of the available power from the solar panel into the correct charge regime for the specific battery. Second, it has to record the power harvested for further use in the charge algorithm, and then to monitor sunrise and sunset. Once the sunset point is reached, the controller must turn on the lighting, and manage the level of stored power. The most efficient controllers in use for low-power applications such as street lighting are maximum power point tracking devices (MPPT). This technology takes current and voltage available from the solar panel and converts it into the required charge characteristics for the battery. It is the early mornings and early evenings, when the sun’s power is lowest, that the MPPT controller can maintain a charge input to the battery even when the solar panel voltage has dropped below the battery threshold. This algorithm can add a potential 25% increase in charge capacity during the winter months, over a PWM (pulse-width modulation) controller that can only charge the battery when the solar panel voltage is above the battery voltage. Once the battery has been charged and dusk detected, the light source should be triggered. By recording of the data from the charge/discharge cycles throughout the year the battery life can be better managed. This is through reduction in the LED power output at predetermined periods during the night and eventually by indicating when the battery is nearing the end of
life. The addition of LED driver circuits a PIR (passive infrared) or radar detector circuit and a serial interface port for programming and data management are the final building blocks for this control circuitry. Wireless communication with the adoption of smart city technology can be added but with the caveat that the system size may need increasing to accommodate the additional power consumed by the unit. A well-balanced system will have each of these control elements matched perfectly to minimise losses that can be critical in a solar installation operating in the UK. Ideally, they will be supplied as a single unit with simple programmable capability to future-proof the installation when component upgrades become available. Finally, I need to include a brief word on the subject of hybrid solar, as my first hybrid system was installed in 2008. This is an excellent solution for commercial developments, where a UMSUG (unmetered supply user group) coding is not required, and where the solar element is an addition to the energy mix not the primary. This type of system could be a good compromise for main road and motorway lighting, with metering using wireless technology. Solar streetlights come in all shapes and sizes, from traditional Victorian-themed units to modern contemporary designs. But the fundamental principles are the same and I am keen to make sure we are leaving a legacy for our children that will not be the subject of criticism, whether for technological or environmental reasons.
Mark Hopkins is joint managing director of OG2 Lighting
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Covid-19 may have had all the attention for the past two years, but it was only right it was the climate emergency, and how lighting can respond, that was centre stage at the ILP’s first inperson CPD event post pandemic, which coincided with the COP26 summit By Nic Paton
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CLIMATE CHANGE
or those of us living comfortable lives in developed western Europe, the reality of climate change and global heating can sometimes feel far removed, whether we’re talking about retreating glaciers in the Himalayas or Antarctica, wildfires in Australia or Siberia, or floods in, say, Bangladesh. However, it is fair to say the reality of how – and just how fast – our planet is changing did begin to feel scarily closer to home at times last year. There were the raging wildfires in Greece and Turkey, floods in Scotland, Cumbria and on the London Underground (among other parts of the UK), vicious and seemingly more frequent storms and, of course, the catastrophic flooding across Europe, especially in Germany, over the summer. As Nigel Harvey, chief executive of Recolight and standing beneath an image of the devastation in Germany, put it at the ILP’s special sustainability CPD afternoon in November: ‘Two hundred people died. Roads were blocked by the flotsam and jetsam of the flooding; bridges were swept away. I could have chosen images of the town of Lytton in Canada, which hit 49.6oC – in Canada! – and then burnt to the ground. Or I could have chosen images of the hurricane hitting New York that left dozens dead and subways flooded. And
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Lighting and sustainability
make no mistake, the same is coming to the UK. It is coming our way.’ We’ll return to Nigel shortly, who gave a powerful and thoughtful presentation to what was the ILP’s first major in-person CPD event since the Covid-19 pandemic turned all our lives upside down in March 2020.
LINK TO COP26
The event, held on 11 November in London, was deliberately timed to coincide with the day that the COP26 United Nations climate summit in Glasgow was looking at issues relating to cities, regions and the built environment [1]. The event was hosted by LDC London chair Nathan French, and ILP President Fiona Horgan opened the proceedings by welcoming the attendees. ‘It really is so very nice to see so many faces – a little bit strange; it has been a long time! But we’re really, really happy to have our first official in-person event,’ she said. The first speaker was Melissa Zanocco, head of programmes at the Infrastructure Client Group (ICG), an industry group for large infrastructure client organisations founded as a collaboration between the Institution of Civil Engineers and the Infrastructure and Projects Authority. Her presentation focused on a new publication, Our vision for the built environment, which has brought together more than 75 industry leaders and 35 cross-industry bodies to consider how the built environment can, and must, change [2]. That vision, she explained, was ‘for a
built environment whose explicit purpose is to enable people and nature to flourish together for generations.’ The question within this that lighting needed to consider was what actions will be needed to align the lighting and infrastructure industries to achieve net zero, she questioned. How, Melissa queried, can we generate the alignment that will create a vision everyone can sign up to? ‘It is only if we shift our focus from
creating the built environment to the outcomes that are enabled by it that we can achieve the vision. And, in order to do that, we need to acknowledge that the natural and built environments are complex and interconnected systems that are essential to our wellbeing,’ she said. ‘What is important is how we use light to improve life for humans and nature. The infrastructure that provides the light should be focused on those outcomes,’ she added.
Wildfires in Australia have been a worrying example of climate change, as has been increased flooding in Cumbria (above)
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Lighting and sustainability ROLE FOR LOCAL AUTHORITIES
The second speaker was Alec Peachey, content director at the Local Council Roads Innovation Group. He highlighted research from the Local Government Association that has suggested nearly 300 local councils have now declared climate emergencies [3]. Net zero was therefore now very much a ‘must do’ rather than a ‘nice to have’ for local government. From a local authority perspective, this will need to encompass embracing everything from EV charging points and infrastructure through to the conversion to LED and retrofitting of columns, better lighting asset management, active travel schemes, and transport decarbonisation, he argued. ‘The challenge is very much a cross-sector approach; it is certainly not one facet over another. It is very much about collaboration and the movement of silos,’ Alec said. Local authorities will need to be identifying EV advocates within their organisations and working to break down barriers and silos, he emphasised. To which end, the Local Council Roads Innovation Group was itself creating a net zero working group to share best practice and feed into government. Terms of reference are currently being drawn up but within it there will be a lighting sub-group, he pointed out. ‘We’re all in this together, the time for action is now. It is time to turn the words that we have heard so much of at COP26 into actions; we can only do this by collaborating and working together. So please do get involved,’ he said.
NEW SLL DOCUMENT
The next speaker was Kristina Allison, senior lighting designer at Atkins Global as well as chair of the Society of Light and Lighting’s education committee [4]. Kristina’s presentation focused on a new SLL document, TM66 – Creating a Circular Economy in the Lighting Industry and accompanying metric ‘Circular Economy Assessment Method (CEAM)’ [5]. Both are designed to help lighting organisations make the practical transition to a circular economy approach. ‘One word that has really hit me so far is “collaboration”, and not just in project work. In order to achieve our goals for net zero, collaboration is going to be key. If we can take away that as one word from today, and take that forward, that will be very positive,’ she said. Kristina also highlighted that, while the switch to LED has been a valuable – and important – answer to climate change by the industry, lighting professionals should very much not assume it is now ‘job done’. www.theilp.org.uk
Above: ILP President Fiona Horgan welcoming visitors to what was the Institution’s first major in-person event since the start of the pandemic. Below: Kristina Allison of Atkins (left) and Alec Peachey of the Local Council Roads Innovation Group
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JANUARY 2022 LIGHTING JOURNAL
Lighting and sustainability NEED TO MOVE TO A REUSE MODEL
Some of the devastation caused by flooding in Germany over the summer, which climate change has made worse. Nigel Harvey of Recolight highlighted just how serious its effects could be for all of us
‘The first response to the climate emergency was to save energy by reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions. LEDs seemed to solve that problem. However, did that solve the problem?’ Kristina questioned. ‘First-generation LED fit-outs weren’t always the best. In a bid to get the best savings and a push to get the fastest payback, sometimes the quality of light was sacrificed. And we couldn’t just change a lamp anymore; luminaires were enclosed, making even minor repairs or alterations completely impossible. ‘LED-efficient products do not mean they are circular products. They are important but not the same. When luminaires started to fail, where did they go? Landfill. Just 7.5% of luminaires disposed of are recycled. So, in the beginning, the energy efficiency story was “solved” by www.theilp.org.uk
LED. But in some ways, it has left us with another problem: lighting and luminaires not aligning to circular economy principles,’ she added. Most industry standards and guidance notes don’t address the circular economy or the issue of net zero carbon buildings, Kristina pointed out, which these new documents were now aiming to tackle. ‘This is a journey for both us as designers and specifiers in terms of knowledge and design philosophy. We need to be able to take our client on that journey, too, to get their buy-in at the different design stages. ‘Sometimes lighting or luminaires with circular economy features might not be the cheapest option. But the benefits go way beyond. We need to help clients see why this is the best solution for their project,’ Kristina added.
The final speaker for the afternoon was, as we’ve already highlighted, Recolight’s Nigel Harvey. As well as his warnings, he had some equally dire predictions of the scale of the catastrophe we may be facing in a matter of decades if change does not come. ‘Do you know what really terrifies me? It is not the thought of the woodlands I love walking through being destroyed by wildfires. It is not the thought of flooding that will flood different parts of London, even in the 2030s. It is not the deadly heatwaves that will kill thousands or even tens of thousands in the summer. And it is not the increasingly violent storms that will affect us all,’ he said. ‘No, what really terrifies me is the gradual breakdown in law and order that will happen as a result of failures of crops. The Chatham House Climate change risk assessment report published in the autumn said there was at least a 10% chance by the 2040s of simultaneous collapse of wheat, maize and rice crops [6]. A huge proportion of the world’s population depends on that. ‘When we think of the panic buying that we faced in 2020 when we were worried about loo roll, think what is coming our way when food prices spiral out of control and there is simply no food, or no affordable food, in the shops. ‘That is the collapse of our societies, as Sir David Attenborough put it. He said that in a documentary in 2019, Climate change: the facts, and that was what triggered me from being climate concerned, which I had been for the previous decade, to being a climate activist,’ said Nigel, who joined Extinction Rebellion in 2019 [7]. ‘The more we, as an industry, all talk frankly about the risks we’re all facing, and the risks our children are all facing, the more it creates space for politicians to put in some of the tough decisions that they should be taking and still are not,’ he continued. ‘Those who are in positions of leadership, talk to your teams about the scale of the problem. Let it become part of normal conversation. It is almost like it is too hot to handle so we never talk about it. Communication is key; let’s all talk about it. ‘Energy efficiency is great, but we’ve done that; that was the last decade’s job. This decade is about moving on from energy efficiency, and it is about materials’ efficiency. It is about making sure products are more upgradeable, repairable, have replaceable parts, and even can incorporate recycled plastic,’ Nigel added. As Kristina Allison had highlighted, education was going to be essential to
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JANUARY 2022 LIGHTING JOURNAL
Lighting and sustainability
The ILP panel. From left: Daniel Blaker, Nigel Harvey, Alec Peachey, Kristina Allison, Emma Cogswell, Melissa Zanocco, and Fiona Horgan
encourage a mindset shift among buyers and clients away from ‘new is best’ and to using more remanufactured products, Nigel agreed. Buyers and specifiers all needed to start looking more at reused, remanufactured product. Yet, he also conceded this transition was unlikely to succeed without incentives and commercial nudges. ‘The commercials have to work. Everybody in the chain has to make a buck out of this; that is something we have to recognise and make sure it works. Without that, it will fail,’ he said. ‘Is it an impossible task? I really hope not. But it will be challenging, undoubtedly. It is about a mindset change for the industry,’ Nigel said.
FIND OUT MORE
As well as being the ILP’s first major post-Covid in-person event, the sustainability CPD afternoon was streamed live online. That recording, including the main presentations, can now be viewed on the ILP website at: https://theilp.org.uk/ ilp-london-blended-event-ilp-sustainability-cpd-afternoon/
[1] ‘COP President daily media statement and latest announcements: cities, regions and the built environment day’, 11 November, 2021, https://ukcop26.org/cop-presidentdaily-media-statement-and-latest-announcements-11-november/ [2] ‘Our vision for the built environment’, IGC, https://indd.adobe.com/view/f2092c85-cd16-4186-9035e2a63adc2bf9/ [3] ‘Climate change’, the Local Government Association, https://www. local.gov.uk/topics/environment-and-waste/climate-change [4] An editing error led to Kristina Allison being given the wrong job title in the October 2021 edition of Lighting Journal, when she submitted an image for the ILP’s ‘Light at the end of the tunnel’ initiative. Her correct title, as highlighted in this article, is senior lighting designer at Atkins Global [5] TM66 – Creating a Circular Economy in the Lighting Industry, SLL, CIBSE, November 2021, https://www.cibse.org/news-and-policy/november-2021/tm66-creating-a-circulareconomy-in-the-lighting [6] ‘Climate change risk assessment’, Chatham House, September 2021, https://www.chathamhouse.org/2021/09/climate-change-risk-assessment-2021 [7] ‘Climate change – the facts’, April 2019, BBC iPlayer, https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/ episode/m00049b1/climate-change-the-facts
www.theilp.org.uk
‘WE’VE GOT TO CHANGE THE CULTURE’
T
he CPD afternoon concluded with a panel discussion where the event’s four speakers were joined by Fiona Horgan, lighting designer and founder of the skills’ body Skills Army Emma Cogswell, and Daniel Blaker, creative director at lighting design practice Nulty, who attended representing the Green Light Alliance (https://www.greenlight-alliance.com/). ILP Immediate Past President Anthony Smith asked the panel whether in this new world of reuse, recycling and remanufacture there would need to be some sort of third party or middle-man organisation (or even a whole new sector) to help manufacturers facilitate and drive change? Daniel Blaker suggested we could see QR code-based ‘passports’ to show a product’s origins and reusability. ‘It is a huge challenge that maybe needs to be approached from a few angles to try to make sure there is an end result; I think it also stems from the origins of the product. It will be an important step to have someone in the middle who can facilitate that reuse,’ he agreed. Fiona Horgan highlighted how, in her local authority (Doncaster), there is already a focus on parts’ harvesting. ‘We strip the lanterns that come back in and keep all the parts. We have got a team now that have upskilled to repair the lanterns being housed themselves. So, it is really about doing what we can in-house, and the end user part as well,’ she said. Alec Peachey suggested there was potentially a ‘once-in-a-generation opportunity’ for lighting to be using this conversation to attract new blood into the industry. ‘Younger people want to make a tangible difference in the jobs that they do to achieve net zero. That has to be communicated much better, I think, by sectors such as lighting. It is an opportunity to do that so hopefully, in 30 years’ time, at an event like this we are not just having the same conversations,’ he said.
This was a sentiment that Emma Cogswell strongly agreed with. ‘Lighting people are very good at talking to themselves. Even the architectural people don’t really talk to the street guys, and the street guys don’t really talk to the events people. So, even just taking what we know out to the wider built environment is very, very important,’ she said, adding that there could even be a need for ‘reverse mentoring’ by younger generations of their older colleagues. Charlie Wadsworth, commercial director at Light Projects, raised the question of just how difficult it may be to change the mindset of clients, especially in ‘trendy’ sectors such as hospitality where there is often a focus on stripping out the old and starting totally afresh. ‘I’m sure you’re right,’ agreed Nigel Harvey. ‘That’s where it comes down to a mindset and a commitment. In a restaurant, they may want to have identical luminaires throughout. The mindset shift says, “hang on, let’s start specifying reused product, which may mean there will be some more quirkiness in there, but that has to be the future”,’ he added. ‘It is not just buying fittings; it is everything we do. The reuse of product, increasing the lifetime of products, is just something we’re going to have to get used to; that’s the way we’re going to be able to have a liveable planet in the future.’ he said. ‘We can’t just use new stuff all of the time; that’s just not going to work,’ echoed Emma Cogswell. ‘It is all about communication with the client. We are at the beginning of doing something new. So, there is going to be an element of going backwards and forwards and learning as we go along. It is always about communication.’ ‘It is about changing culture again. We’ve got to change the culture. We need to be the change we want to see,’ added Fiona Horgan, in conclusion.
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JANUARY 2022 LIGHTING JOURNAL
Lighting and sustainability: Light on Westminster
I
POLITICAL PERSUASION
LP President Fiona Hogan recently addressed an audience in the House of Lords on the theme of ‘Light back better’. Speaking just before November’s COP26 summit in Glasgow as well as the ILP’s lighting and sustainability CPD event (see the previous article), Fiona spoke about the circular economy and the challenges facing the lighting industry in relation to sustainability, climate change, and achieving net zero. ‘The ILP,’ she said, ‘is pledged to put sustainability at the forefront for the lighting industry; to support our members and allies on the issues they may be facing, and to recognise the need for a multilateral approach to change through shared research, training and development support.’ Fiona quoted Gro Harlem Brundtland, who became the first female prime minister of Norway in 1987, describing the need for ‘development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’.
NEED TO BE REDUCING EMISSIONS
The special Parliamentary event was also addressed by environmental campaigner David Newman, a former executive director of Greenpeace and author of the book Everything is connected [1]. David spoke about global population growth increasing the pressure we put upon ever-more limited resources to feed, clothe, house and give a dignified life to the billions of people on the planet. ‘For you, whose business model is to provide light, vision, sight, security, capacity to read, to learn and educate, you are transforming energy into a service so that you are being impacted by these challenges,’ David said. He suggested that there are no longer any technological barriers to reducing emissions and transforming our production models and materials to a low-carbon economy. David pointed to how the world now has 70,000 organisations established to negotiate issues as diverse as waste, climate, fishing, intellectual property, communications, trade rules and so on. They enable
Sustainability, net zero and lighting’s role in promoting the circular economy were on the agenda at a recent event for the lighting community held at the House of Lords By Chris Rennard
The event at the House of Lords, where speakers included ILP President Fiona Horgan (right)
progress to be made on this important issue. Liberal Democrat peer Baroness Barker, who sponsored and hosted the event, pointed out that she had recently picked up a copy of the 35-page Ecodesign for Energy-Related Products and Energy Information (Lighting Products) Regulations 2021 [2]. These regulations, she suggested, were an example of the kind of legislation rarely looked at in the House of Commons but which had been subject to some scrutiny in the House of Lords. For example, they had been subject to debate in the grand committee of the House of Lords and prior scrutiny by a select committee, which looks at legislation involving detailed regulations. Outgoing ILP Chief Executive Tracey White bade farewell to the Institution and thanked everyone who had helped her make the last few years so successful, especially in the recent difficult times caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. A very warm welcome was also offered at the event to her successor, Justin Blades, who of course took over the reins in November.
OTHER WESTMINSTER NEWS
In other parliament parliamentary news,
[1] David Newman, ‘Everything is connected: understanding a complicated world’, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55315049-everything-is-connected [2] Ecodesign for EnergyRelated Products and Energy Information (Lighting Products) Regulations 2021, https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukdsi/2021/9780348225488 [3] ‘Ten dark sky policies for government’, All-Party Parliamentary Group on Dark Skies, https://appgdarkskies.co.uk/policy-plan [4] Hansard, 6 September 2021, https://hansard.parliament.uk/Lords/2021-09-06/debates/ F0D9FD9E-BF6D-4281-B595-DD93CC6BAE97/EnvironmentBill#contribution-6D76C4EC-04D1-4C3E-BA35-803F4FC6E3EA
www.theilp.org.uk
an All-Party Parliamentary Lighting Group (APPLG) is to be re-established. APPGs bring together parliamentarians from both houses and, as their name suggests, from all parties to discuss issues and invite ministers and others to respond to their concerns. There is already the APPG for Dark Skies, which the ILP liaised with on expert technical advice as part of its recent creation of Ten dark sky policies for the government document [3]. This, as was reported in Lighting Journal on a number of occasions last year, commits to, among other things, designing a national programme of ‘dark sky hours’ where categories of lighting can be either dimmed or turned off completely in consultation with the community, lighting professionals and local police. The issue of dark skies also featured in a recent debate on a proposed amendment to the government’s Environment Bill. The need to be promoting best practice in this area was highlighted in the debate. For example, Liberal Democrat peer Baroness Bakewell of Hardington Mandeville said: ‘Security lights, which cause the greatest distress when excessive, should be focused on the ground, not pointing upwards towards the night sky.’ [4] Chris Rennard has been a member of the House of Lords since 1999 and is a Liberal Democrat Peer
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JANUARY 2022 LIGHTING JOURNAL
[BRIDLINGTON]
ON YOUR BIKE
The combination of pandemic and climate change is encouraging more and more of us to switch from cars to more active forms of travel, such as cycling or walking. Yet the UK’s active travel network remains woefully patchy and under-resourced. This has to change, and well-lit active travel infrastructure could be a key part of the solution By Trystan Williams
I
n the 1950s and 1960s, the motorcar was king. Its primacy brought the construction of our meandering motorway network, which carved through the countryside, connecting urban and rural centres with arterial routes, taking cues from examples such as the autobahn in Germany and the USA’s interstate highway network. Journeys became shorter, more comfortable and the default transport mode of
the twentieth century – the car – was established and entrenched in our infrastructure. From this newfound mobility, we emerged into the second half of the century with optimism, supported by a fitfor-purpose transport network. So complete was this adoption that the government of the day deemed it was OK for nearly 35% of railway lines and 55% of train stations to be axed under the Beeching cuts of the 1960s; decisive action had
been taken and a result was realised [1]. The subsequent decades brought the renaissance of our industry, one where lighting our road networks became the clear priority. For some 60 years this market grew with ongoing enhancements and increasing efficiencies and safety as, alongside it, we saw exponential traffic growth. Climate change is now, of course, shifting this dial significantly, with the pandemic, in turn, shattering long-accepted
JANUARY 2022 LIGHTING JOURNAL
Lighting and sustainability: active travel schemes norms of how the UK works, commutes and travels, both for leisure and business. Transport – much less the car – is no longer the silver bullet it once was. We are all being encouraged and exhorted, quite rightly, to switch away from the most polluting modes of transport for the sake of the planet and for future generations. Alongside this, the pandemic has encouraged more and more of us to think long and hard about not just how and where we work but how we get to and from work and how we travel more generally. The pandemic has made us all focus much more on our health and wellbeing and, within that, healthier and more active transport options.
CYCLEWAYS GUIDANCE
This has been partly because of people feeling less inclined to go on potentially crowded buses and trains, partly because of wanting to maintain fitness during the various lockdowns and partly, too, because of worries over climate change. This change was reflected in the ILP’s fast-track creation of a new Professional Lighting Guide, PLG23: Lighting for Cycling Infrastructure, precisely to update guidance for lighting cycleways [2]. All of which brings us rather neatly to active travel schemes. Active travel schemes, for those who are unaware, are temporary highway schemes designed to aid social distancing, to reallocate existing road space, and to enable more journeys by walking and cycling. Historically, however, active travel schemes – and the UK’s active travel network – have been hamstrung by inadequate infrastructure, a lack of consistent demand, difficulties in maintenance and low funding. But dramatic shifts in circumstances over the past few years – notably of course the arrival of a pandemic and the acceleration of climate change – have put active travel back into the spotlight. There is greater urgency over the sort of answers active travel schemes can provide, the incentives currently in place to encourage their development, how to encourage greater public engagement in active travel, and the vital role active travel can play in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Alongside the debates and conversations around net zero – highlighted of course at November’s COP26 – there are other public health factors at play here. There’s the health impacts of car emissions, notably around asthma and other respiratory diseases. By reducing emissions produced through short car journeys, and the additional benefit to personal and public
The separated cycle path that now runs along the Victoria Embankment in London
health in making this journey ‘active’, more options are open to policymakers to maintain sound public health, a policy area which has been rudely thrust into the arena. On top of this, well-serviced (and well lit) active travel networks provide an opportunity for connecting our cities in new ways, encouraging collective community support, adoption and use of healthier transport infrastructure. Of course, to make this a reality, we must bring rural, urban and suburban areas into the conversation and ask: what network services everyone? How should these networks be designed and maintained? How do we make people feel safe? For me, the key word in ‘active travel network’ is ‘network’. A ‘network’ implies a well-serviced, interconnected web of routes fusing urban centres with rural communities and commercial areas with residential. It is about making active travel as a concept practical and attractive, something that cannot be achieved without strong infrastructural investment, spent pragmatically.
MORE ATTRACTIVE OPTIONS
Our motorway and rail networks would be less popular without the provision of complementary facilities. So, if we want to grasp the opportunity that has been presented by the sea-change in attitudes we have seen during the pandemic, active travel networks can no longer be (as they sometimes are) little more than a potholed length of tarmac. We need to rethink. To my mind, if we’re willing to grasp it, a snowball effect is possible. The increasing availability of cycle-to-work schemes and increasing visibility of cycling clubs will likely prompt more motorists into considering active travel options. As more people embrace this option, so more will follow. However, that initial interest and enthusiasm is only going to be sustained if taking the plunge into active travel options is enjoyable, safe and, crucially, works. If you’ve ever taken a rest on the lone, damp
bench on your local ATS route, you’ll know it’s the lack of facility and service provision which prevents universal adoption. Facilities that encourage regular, intrinsic use should be prioritised. This might include water pumps, bike repair stations, covered communal areas and defibrillator stations – all properly lit, regularly serviced, pragmatically delivered. For me, it’s an adaptation of the adage ‘if you build it, they will come’ to ‘if you build well, they will come’. And come again, and again. And this, critically, is where the lighting industry can contribute. Without the ingenuity of our sector, our roads would be dark, dangerous places – improving visibility and energy savings through LED technology, the introduction and development of passive safety or essential services such as automated traffic lights have all been key contributors. We must replicate this ingenuity on our active travel networks and, in the process, facilitate and embed the transit system of the future. One of the ironies of this is that many cycleways are built upon former rail lines; flat sections of ground that can be resurfaced, commonly have the desired topographic characteristics for good drainage for example, and always take direct routes from A to B. Might it therefore be that the often-lamented lost railway lines of the pre-Beeching 1960s turn out to be the driver (no pun intended) of a new, genuinely national, active travel network? To my mind, quite possibly. There are, however, barriers and obstacles that need to be overcome. Similar to the situation we’re now seeing with EV charge-points, until the era of ‘token funding’ ends and significant thought and investment is ploughed in we’ll continue only to advance in baby steps rather than the seismic change that is actually needed. Organisations such as Wheelrights, a Swansea-based campaign group, will continue to wearily voice their concerns on active travel useability, particularly concerning the clearance of rainwater and the provision of www.theilp.org.uk
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JANUARY 2022 LIGHTING JOURNAL
Lighting and sustainability: active travel schemes sufficient lighting [3]. Ultimately, if active travellers are going to stay active travellers and not just get back into their cars they need reliable, safe routes. And sufficient funding goes beyond simple capital investment; supporting ongoing maintenance is vital for longevity. This money might be ringfenced sector funding as opposed to an appendage to the carriageway budget. However it is allocated, and from whatever budget, it is about allowing operatives to competently plan and deliver sector-specific enhancements and facilitate the development of, again, sector-specific technology for sector-specific problems. This might help to distinguish active travel from the conventional road network as a safer, conscious, efficient travel option.
NEED TO SEPARATE ACTIVE TRAVEL
A further important issue is how to encourage and facilitate the increasing separation of, and distinction between, active and car travel, as this will encourage more regular active travel use among children particularly. Damningly, nearly half (49%) of people in a recent Welsh Government survey believed roads were unsafe for cyclists, and 59% thought it unsafe for children to cycle to school on public roads. A similarly large percentage, 59%, of 1,305 children in a 2018 YouGov survey said they were worried about air pollution near their school [4]. Our kids currently have a bad deal when it comes to active transport options. Of course, segregating roads and active travel networks is not practical everywhere. On a macro scale, topography is a limiting factor, particularly in regions such as the south of Wales. At the micro level, interfaces between our active travel networks and our road, rail and air travel infrastructure are necessary where space is short. To encourage regular use, it’s important that the ‘UK National Cycle Network’ map begins to look like a network distinct from the road network [5]. It needs to be much, much more than a patchwork of cycle track sections strung together by sections of ‘cycle friendly’ carriageway. Interfaces are important to ensure a holistic ‘multi-modal’ network is achieved, or one that encourages the ability to transport between different transport modes. We should be, for example, allowing travellers improved bike storage on trains to encourage bike-train-bike travel
Both the Tarka Trail in north Devon (left) and the Monsal Trail in Derbyshire (right) have been created from disused railway lines
arrangements. This will, of course, require careful consideration in design, especially where active and conventional transport network combine.
ROLE OF LIGHTING
Where and how, then, can lighting play a role in potentially transformational change? I’d argue we must use our expertise to engender co-existence and to shift attitudes. Smart traffic management, preferential sequencing of lights for active travellers and ensuing such locations are well lit, might be starting points. Any lighting system installed should ensure minimal downtime during maintenance; these are intended as critical transport modes for the general public, after all. This might mean, for example, installing more raise and lower columns, allowing maintenance with minimal downtime and maximum reliability, or the inclusion of CMS systems to ensure lighting is always sufficient. We might need to see more ‘passenger’ counters, pollution sensors and various data collection devices for ongoing monitoring. These, in turn, might become more important as genuine additional revenue streams, and indispensable in the efficient maintenance and enhancement of the network.
[1] ‘Britain’s trains: let’s undo the Beeching legacy’, by Jeremy Williams, March 2011, within The Earthbound Report, https://earthbound.report/2011/03/28/britains-trains-lets-undo-thebeeching-legacy/ [2] ‘Pedal power’ Lighting Journal September 2020, (vol 85 no 8); PLG23: Lighting for Cycling Infrastructure, https://theilp.org.uk/resources/ [3] Swansea Wheelrights, https://www.facebook.com/pg/Wheelrights/posts/ [4] ‘Traffic Orders and 20mph public attitudes survey’, Welsh Government, November 2020, pp.8, https://gov.wales/traffic-orders-and20mph-public-attitudes-survey; ‘School kids call for more cycling as 59% see “too many cars” at school gates’, Cycling Industry News, April 2021, https://cyclingindustry.news/walking-andcycling-tackle-air-pollution-sustrans-survey/ [5] The National Cycle Network, Sustrans, https://www.sustrans.org.uk/national-cycle-network
www.theilp.org.uk
Public consultation, continuous monitoring, and the involvement of local businesses from the outset – this, for me, is how active travel networks can be developed and scaled up. It is about encouraging people to switch habits because they want to and because the alternative is attractive, more attractive in fact, than what has gone before. It is also about aiding local economies, dare I say it ‘levelling up’, through incentives and investment opportunities; this may need leadership and support from national government if genuine national change is be effected. Ultimately, pragmatism and detail will be key. We need a network that works for all of us. One that is accessible and attractive to all. How we approach this alongside all the other post-Covid challenges and opportunities, the solutions we develop and offer as an industry, will be imperative to the long-term health of our industry going forward as we transition away – because we have no option but to – from conventional transport networks and options. On top of this of course, the keenness with which we accept and rise to this challenge, against the backdrop of climate change and the need for more sustainable transport solutions across the board, could play a critical role in preserving all of our futures. Trystan Williams is market analyst at The Aluminium Lighting Company
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JANUARY 2022 LIGHTING JOURNAL
FEEDING CHANGE
Using feeder pillars could be one way for councils to accelerate the rollout of EV charging, as a recent ILP ‘Light, Seen’ event discussed By Nic Paton
T
he imperative for all of us to do our bit – and more – to curb global emissions was, understandably, high on the agenda at November’s COP26 climate change summit. A key element of the drive to ‘net zero’ is taking polluting vehicles off our roads and switching to electric. Yet one of the challenges of encouraging people to make this transition is providing the reassurance that there is adequate electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure to meet demand. Moreover, as Dean Wendelborn of Westminster City Council highlighted in Lighting Journal last summer, even if it were possible to scale up the option of in-column EV charging at pace – which may well be something local and national government has to grapple with in the coming years – there simply aren’t enough appropriate lighting columns on our streets to meet all the capacity demand likely to be needed anyway ( ‘Taking charge’ , July/August 2021, vol 86, no 7). One answer to this capacity conundrum, or perhaps one part of what is likely to be a complex, multi-faceted answer, could be embracing, and rapidly accelerating, EV charging via feeder pillars. All of which made the recent ‘Light,
Seen’ event on feeder pillars and EV charging by Alan Read, national sales manager at Premier member Charles Endirect, all the more topical.
NEED FOR EXPANDED CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE
Light, Seen, to recap, is the series of online sessions that have been run by the ILP during the pandemic to give ILP Premier members an opportunity to talk about products, projects or industry issues, much as you would once have forged relationships over a coffee on an exhibition stand. The aim has been for Light, Seen
simply to bring together designers, engineers, service providers, manufacturers and specifiers, while also throwing some learning into the mix. Alan opened his presentation by highlighting how the need for enhanced EV charging infrastructure was becoming ever-more pressing. Cities and municipalities are nevertheless responding, for example through ultralow emissions or clean air zones in the likes of London, Birmingham, Bath, Bristol, Oxford and Portsmouth, with more likely to make the switch. The Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV ) also has set out an
JANUARY 2022 LIGHTING JOURNAL
Lighting and sustainability: the ILP’s Light, Seen ambition to have zero emissions on Britain’s roads by 2050, while the sale of new petrol or diesel cars will be banned by 2030, he explained [1]. The DVLA in 2020 estimated there were 2.1 million vehicles registered for first time in UK, of which 179,000 were ultra-low emissions’ vehicles (ULEVs), such as plug-in hybrids and EVs, with numbers rising all the time [2]. From 2016, where there were around 6,000 EV charging devices around the country, we’re now up to more than 25,000 devices, according to the website and app Zap Map, which shows availability of chargers in your local area, Alan highlighted [3]. ‘We actually have taken big steps to get those EV chargers out there for people to be able to charge their vehicles. That’s great. But we still have a big mountain to climb if we’re going to reach OLEV’s ambition,’ he added. Which brings us to feeder pillars, of course already a very familiar part of the UK’s street lighting ‘furniture’, as well as often for providing power for in-ground units, such as those used by events and market traders.
SAFELY SUPPLYING POWER
However, Alan emphasised how feeder pillars can also easily be adapted for the purposes of supplying power for EV charging. He cited recent examples of EV feeder pillar projects Charles Endirect had been involved with, including at T h e E xc h a n g e i n A y l e s b u r y, a t
Manchester Airport and at various locations with Bristol City Council. ‘I think it is really to get the message across to your customers, who have got ambitions to have EV chargers in their town or city centres, that they need to be aware that there are different vehicles, and they have different types of connectors, and that is something they need to think about when they are installing their EV chargers,’ he said. Alan ran through the different types of plugs, sockets and connectors that are available, as well as the different loads and charging speeds that can be achieved. ‘Regardless of whether it is a slow charge, fast, rapid or ultra-rapid, the feeder pillar is going to have a role to play in safely supplying that electrical power to that EV charger itself,’ he emphasised. Dimensions, components, schematics, and wiring diagrams were also discussed, as was the need for different types of protective devices to comply with the BS 7671 IET Wiring Regulations (18th edition) Requirements for electrical installation [4]. ‘EV chargers aren’t restricted just to something running off a feeder pillar; of course, we can consider using street lighting columns as a means of electrical power source for the EV charger, so i t i s c o l u m n - m o u n t e d ,’ A l a n highlighted. ‘But you still have that situation that you need an RCD (residual current device) to protect that EV charger, to protect the user who is going to be charging their electric vehicle. And with some of the smaller EV chargers, there may not be sufficient space in the EV charger itself to be able to fit that little RCD. ‘Our bread and butter is making isolators that are suitable to sit inside your streetlighting column and that can include an RCD that can then feed that column-mounted charger. So you have that capability; if you want to use something like that, you don’t always have to use a large feeder pillar. This is another alternative,’ Alan added in conclusion.
FIND OUT MORE
[1] ‘Driving the Future Today: A strategy for ultra-low emission vehicles in the UK’, Office for Low Emissions Vehicles, September 2013, https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/ uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/239317/ultra-low-emission-vehicle-strategy.pdf [2] Vehicle Licensing Statistics 2020, DVLA, https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/
The full Charles Endirect Light Seen presentation, along with all previous presentations, is available to be viewed at https://theilp.org.uk/project/ light-seen/
government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/985555/vehicle-licensing-statistics-2020.pdf [3] ‘The UK has over 25,000 EV charging devices: Where are they?’, Zap Map, https://www.zap-map.com/uk-over-25000-ev-charging-devices/ [4] BS 7671 IET Wiring Regulations (18th edition) Requirements for electrical installation, https://electrical.theiet.org/ bs-7671/
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Between heat, damp, corrosion, chemicals, glare and the need to be ensuring public safety at all times, illuminating swimming pools and wet areas can be challenging By Roger Beckett
I
t is no secret that wet area lighting is a specialised arena, one where the decorative and the functional combine to create the remarkable. The latest innovations from manufacturers, coupled with in-depth photometrics, performance reviews and analyses and, of course, LED technology, now means it is easier than ever to create the perfect scheme. In fact, whereas it used to be the case that strip-out-and-replace was about the only option for regenerating tired wet and underwater areas, nowadays it is becoming increasingly straightforward simply to retrofit older projects, so as to give them a new lease of life and enhanced efficiency at a fraction of the cost. The starting point when thinking at wet area lighting is BS7671:2018, the eight-
Figure 1. This graphic, from BS7671, shows some of the different zoning issues you need to consider when lighting wet environments
eenth edition of the wiring regulations [1]. These address swimming pools, regardless of which zone you’re working within, and cover the correct specification of
fittings and the best (and most robust) designs suitable for areas of humidity or corrosive environments, for example, spas and saunas. Bear in mind that public pools
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Lighting underwater and wet areas also usually have a higher concentration of chlorine, which is of course highly corrosive in itself. Another issue to consider is that, as advances in lighting keep accelerating, it is often hard to stay up to date with the latest products, especially given the fast pace of LED product innovation. You also need to keep abreast of the performance of fittings and how this is developing as, when they’re used underwater, there will be associated, and often complex, issues around refraction and other unique challenges. We all know that great underwater lighting is a combination of four key elements: colour, control, intensity and direction. This, coupled with the correct use of colour temperatures, is the cornerstone of every project. When it comes to underwater and wet area lighting, the recommended colour temperature range for underwater lighting is 3000K to 6000K, with cooler colour temperatures complementing the water surface and reducing glare, as shown in figure 2. The Society of Light and Lighting (SLL) also recommends at least a 60 CRI for most water-sport applications [2]. Lighting professionals may also be able to ‘lean’ on the expertise of manufacturers in this area. For example, at Wibre we’ve recently launched an IP68 Lighting Tools brochure. This is complete go-to guide to effective lighting – including outlining a framework for project design and installation – on everything from the smallest of plunge pools to Olympic-sized swimming pools, fountains and amenity lighting. Check out the end of this article for more details on this if of interest. Typically, fittings for this sort of challenging environment will need to be able to accommodate: concrete pools with tile covering foil-lined pools (pressure flange) thin-walled pools (pressure flange) pools with adhesive/foil coating (adhesive flange) • stainless steel pools facing concrete pools
Figure 3. Some effective lighting schemes for small and organically shaped or curved pools
Figure 4. Examples of single-sided and offset positioning, which can often be effective in larger pools
• • • •
Figure 5. An example of an opposite parallel lighting scheme, as often used to illuminate competition pools
Figure 2. The recommended colour temperature range for underwater lighting is between 3000K to 6000K
For smaller pools, in other words up to 3m-4m wide, it is best to choose a single-sided arrangement or offset positioning of the spotlights on both sides. We’d
Figure 6. Diagonally offset lighting. This can often work well in the biggest sports’ pools
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Lighting underwater and wet areas also ensures beams need to travel less distance and, so, cause minimum annoyance to swimmers. This means the bright beams pass the shortest distance through the water. This normally provides enough inter-reflection to light the sides and bottom of the pool. A further consideration here is the issue of the viewing angle. You want to place fixtures away from main viewing aspect, ideally; end users should not have a direct view into luminaires where possible.
A BRIEF WORD ON FOUNTAINS Figure 7. Reflectance of a luminaire, walls and ceiling on the water’s surface, and showing calm versus turbulent
also recommend one spotlight for every 2m of pool length. Organically shaped, or curved, pools show the best effect with an even arrangement of lights. You can see examples of all these in figure 3. For larger pools in standard sizes, in other words from 4m wide, choose a single-sided arrangement or offset positioning of the spotlights on both sides. For this sort of size, the number of spotlights depends on the pool length, but one spotlight per 2m-3m is recommended. Figure 4 shows some examples of these. Carrying on up the size range, for even larger pools, from 8m wide, but still of standard size, it is best to choose an opposite arrangement of the spotlights, with a distance of approximately 3m between each. This, again, determines the number of spotlights per pool length. The positioning can be parallel or offset. For narrower pools, a one-sided arrangement is practical and can often look very effective. When it comes to the largest pools, competition pools we’d recommend you choose an opposite parallel arrangement to illuminate optimally. A total of 12 spotlights per pool length is recommended here. You can see an example of how this might look in figure 5. For sports pools, which normally are 25m x 12m, an effective design is normally eight spotlights per side. The positioning can also be done in a diagonally offset way, as shown in figure 6. With all the above, once the layout has been considered, correct specification of fitting is just as important. The wattage of the LED, obviously, dynamically affects the whole installation. For smaller pools, IP68 recessed spotlights can be used with minimal 1 POWLED and lumen output up to 675lm. Fitting size and output then exponentially increases all the way up to competition and sport pools, where you need up to 18,600 lumen light intensity. www.theilp.org.uk
It goes without saying that, with all pools, safety as part of the design is a critical factor. It is imperative to prevent surface glare, especially in public pools. Glare is often cited as one of the key contributory factors to accidents. Therefore, regardless of whether it’s reflected glare from external light sources or windows, a zone visibility test is paramount in ensuring the safety of all users. Frequently a glare pattern analysis can be used to help mitigate concerns. Glare on a swimming pool surface is a common concern, with natural or artificial light reflecting off the surface. This can cause discomfort to swimmers as well as being a serious safety concern, as lifeguards can struggle to see swimmers should they be in need of assistance. It also stands to reason that managing the underwater lighting and putting in place the most effective scheme can help mitigate these issues. Figure 7 above illustrates some of the challenges around reflectance that can be posed by this sort of environment. The Royal Life Saving Society UK is an excellent resource for managing health and safety in swimming pools. Another is the SLL Lighting Guide and its infographics [3]. Luminaire selection, naturally, is a further vital consideration in an wet area or underwater scheme. You should consider access requirements for maintenance and cleaning as well as: • • • • • •
Replacement of LEDs Replacement of drivers Reusing the same niche Ease of access of cable Long cable runs (up to 100m) Deck boxes
We’d advise positioning fittings 0.5m and 0.70m under the surface so that swimmers are illuminated. Placing fixtures on the long side of a pool
When it comes to lighting fountains, less can be, and often is, more. There often seems to be a tendency of over-illumination of fountains when, in fact, cleverly placed quality fittings are better than quantity, regardless if remote or located in the water. Fountains and waterfalls work best when droplets ‘catch’ the light. This is achieved by positioning spotlights in the water. A common technique is to locate spotlights alongside water jets.
Specialist ‘donut’ fountain fittings. These can be installed on the water jet to allow the water to pass through
For smaller fountains, or those with a water height of up to 2m and at 675 lumens, a surface-mounted spotlight is perfect. You want to be sure that it will be fully adjustable (ideally through 90°) and that, of course, it is IP68-certified for submersion in up to 3m of water, plus that it can be controlled externally. For medium-sized fountains (from 2m-10m high), surface-mounted spotlights are the way to go, and we’d recommend that 2,300 lumens is ideal. They’ll need, again, to be fully submersible, unless they’re highlighting individual objects or architectural features. Ideally, again, you should be looking for a product that is adjustable through 90° and which offers rotationally symmetric light distribution. Finally, for large fountains (up to 25m in height), we’d recommend going for surface-mounted spotlights, ideally at 4,600 lumens, although for the largest
Aquaretum Zürichsee, Zürich, Switzerland Photo: Michael Roggon, www.metallatelier.de
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Lighting underwater and wet areas installations (which can get up to 50m high) you might be looking at lighting more in the range of 18,600 lumens. The positioning and number of spotlights will, of course, depend on the style and desired result. But the rule of thumb is that the closer the spotlight, the more intensive and accentuating the illumination. Fibre optics, too, are becoming an increasingly popular source for wet area lighting, and so may be something worth investigating.
Roger Beckett is R&D and sales development director at Light Projects
Illustrations of varying underwater lighting schemes, as carried out by Light Projects
[1] BS7671 – 18th Edition, The IET Wiring Regulations, https://electrical.theiet.org/bs-7671/; plus NICEIC, ‘18th Edition Wiring Regulation – certification key timelines’, https://www.niceic. com/media/news/niceic-18th-edition-wiring-regulation#:~:text=The%2018th%20Edition%20of%20the,new%20version%27%20before%20that%20date. [2] SLL lighting publications, https://www.cibse.org/knowledge/sll [3] Royal Lifesaving Society UK, https://www.rlss.org.uk/; SLL lighting publications, https://www.cibse.org/knowledge/sll
www.theilp.org.uk
HOW MANUFACTURERS CAN HELP
As mentioned in the main article, Wibre has recently launched an IP68 Lighting Tools brochure to help lighting professionals get the best results when it comes to wet area and underwater lighting. To find out more about this or get hold of a copy, go to: https://lightprojects.co.uk/ wibres-new-ip68-lighting-tools-brochure/ In terms of products, it goes without saying that our ranges are extremely well-suited to this sort of challenging environment, and so speaking to a specialist manufacturer can be a great starting point.. ILP members will obviously want to do their own research, but we’d argue that, for smaller pool areas, our 12V-DC fittings are a small and neat solution, whether monochrome or RGB dynamic. All Wibre fittings come in the spectrum of colour temperature most suitable for wet areas (to recap, from 3000K to 6000K) and in different beam angles from narrow spot to wide flood. RGB versions can also be supplied with dynamic illumination and colour changing. We also have a ‘Mixflux’ variant which features an asymmetric optical array, which sits inside the fitting, to illuminate the full body of swimming pools. For fountains, we’d recommend our 4.0050 surface-mounted spotlight for smaller fountains, with the RGB option especially good for ‘feature’ fountains. The 316 marine-grade fitting also ticks the various boxes discussed in the main article, namely that it is fully adjustable through 90°, IP68-certified for submersion in up to 3m of water and can be controlled externally. For medium fountains, we’d recommend our 4.0100 surface-mounted spotlight and our 4.0290 for larger fountains and our 4.0490 for the biggest installations.
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COASTAL COMMUNITY As we show over the next two articles, colour-changing LED totems are at the heart of a £4m regeneration of Bridlington’s seafront in Yorkshire. But ensuring they could withstand the winds, cold and heat, seawater and sand and, sadly, the threat of vandalism all proved challenging By Guy Bolton
T
he lighting of seaside locations in the UK is always a challenge. A profusion of signposts, adverts and flashing lights will be striving to attract the passing tourist. Therefore, to make a statement in such an environment is no mean task. Furthermore, the seafront is a harsh first line of defence against the might of the ocean. Anything less than flawless products will quickly have their weaknesses exposed and ripped bare by the relentless climate. When renowned lighting designers Sutton Vane Associates (SVA) approached us at DW Windsor in the autumn of 2018 to help rejuvenate the seafront at Bridlington, we were therefore delighted to get involved. Julie O’Reilly and Edward
Sutton-Vane provide their perspective on this project from page 38.
VISION BEHIND THE PROJECT
Bridlington on the east coast of Yorkshire has been a popular destination for over 200 years and is a thriving seaside resort, as the vintage postcard shown opposite highlights. A family-favourite holiday destination, Bridlington boasts two award-winning beaches and a seafront, offering panoramic views of Bridlington Bay edged by the cliffs sweeping round to Flamborough Head. East Riding of Yorkshire Council expressed a desire to overhaul the promenade between Regent Gardens and Garrison Square in a £4m regeneration project.
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Public realm lighting Lacking a major upgrade for almost 30 years, a team was established to focus on how best to refresh and modernise the area. Working with engineering and architectural consultants Sweco, with SVA as lighting consultants, an open meeting was held in April 2018 to suggest proposals and listen to local businesses and residents. Schemes were created and plans were then drawn up before SVA contacted us at DW Windsor with some outline sketches and requirements for the feature lighting. This included the installation of totem columns and linear in-ground LED strips. Bridlington has long attracted visitors with various motives and desires. A fire-beacon once stood along the cliffs at Flamborough Head to warn of approaching Vikings. It may be the comfort and security of this flickering column of light that inspired the unique colour-changing totems we were asked to create. Many discussions and meetings later, SVA issued a thoughtful and comprehensive specification in November 2018 and our design team set their minds to the task of finding the best possible solution.
PROJECT REQUIREMENTS
Seasides in the UK can be harsh. A vast scope of damaging conditions need to be endured. Feature lighting along a British promenade doesn’t just have to work in the summer season, coping with the hot midday sun and assorted spillages of soda, ice-cream and alcohol after a wild night out. These items must fulfil their purpose all year round; when the winter storms hurl corrosive seawater across Garrison Square; when North Sea winds whip layers off Bridlington’s beaches and sandblast the paint from buildings. Against all this, the promenade still needs to be properly lit. Come the springtime when the weather eases, our lights must look their pristine best and illuminate the magical seaside nightscape for a new season of visitors. A product was therefore needed to meet these expectations and be robust enough to last for many years in a harsh coastal environment. The totems were designed with open gaps at each end to remove dirt and debris. The LED equipment had to be housed with a high level of ingress protection; sealed against the weather and yet accessible for maintenance. The structures had to be tall enough to stand out yet suitably squat and sturdy to resist the severest of winds, as well as resisting the abuses of vandals, revellers and children. The in-ground linear lighting had to meet the same requirements, with the
added capability of needing to be being driven over. This would include by icecream vans, fire engines, fairground equipment and even occasionally the local lifeboat on its launch trailer.
PROJECT INNOVATION
Progressing steadily, we invited key stakeholders in the project to visit our headquarters in Hertfordshire during February 2019, where we had prepared images, lighting plans and working prototypes for their inspection. On approval, the designs were finalised and prepared for manufacturing. The specially manufactured stainless-steel mesh encasing the totem columns is not only marine grade and very robust but also difficult for litter to be pushed through, and difficult to climb. The mesh and rings reflect the changing colours in interesting and overlapping patterns. The LEDs are fully controllable
to allow the landscape to be themed for special occasions. Complementary colours can be set to reflect the environment – blue from the lower section meets orange from the upper, creating interesting reflections of the sunrise over the water. The cabling is concealed to the upper compartment and each section has a discreet access panel for maintenance. We devised the lighting using our range of IP67 Ligman RGBW units, with an interface by Mode Lighting to the scheme’s central controls. The framework is hot-dipped galvanised then painted using Polysiloxane PSX paint that has been especially developed for saline environments. Oil rigs, bridges and promenades benefit from its 25-year guarantee for colour retention. The totems were designed to be assembled off-site and then crane-lifted into position, hoisted as a single piece on to www.theilp.org.uk
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Public realm lighting their fabricated roots. To provide even more protection, these were then hotdipped galvanised with glass-flake root protection. The Vaio in-ground LED strips were designed with aluminium frames buried into a suitably drained surface. This allowed the IP67-rated units to be installed with cables and connectors kept above any run-off water that might flow underneath. The site is vulnerable to rainwater, over-spraying waves, spillages and passing traffic, so the simplistic, fully encapsulated design of the product was ideal. The Vaio can withstand a 15,000kg vehicle or a direct load of 588kN.
PROJECT INSTALLATION
The manufacturing process continued steadily, aiming for completion at the end of March 2020 when, along with the rest of the world, everything paused with the arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, we managed to ship the Vaio lighting in mid-April of that year, allowing the contractors plenty of time to install during that strange Covid springtime. Thankfully, the open site with its fresh sea air was quick to reopen and works progressed. We were then finally permitted to hoist the lighting columns into position in the autumn. That meant they could be well established, tried and tested throughout the dark winter and ready for the coming spring. Following the completion and commissioning of the scheme, positive feedback was received, as Edward and Julie from SVA discuss in the next article.
Top: an early sketch of the totem. Below, left and right, two prototypes in the DW Windsor workshop
CONCLUSIONS
Since becoming involved in the Bridlington redevelopment, we have learned much and developed many useful innovations for future schemes. Often, we find that, by pushing the boundaries of our own capabilities, we develop the next generation of products. This is why at DW Windsor we always appreciate demanding commissions for intriguing schemes. It is the special projects of today that form the building blocks of tomorrow’s standards. This scheme is completely unique to the town. This is Bridlington. Where the sun rises over the sea, and the rainbows are reflected along the promenade.
• Turn over to page 38 where Julie O’Reilly and Edward Sutton-Vane give an architectural perspective on the Bridlington scheme. www.theilp.org.uk
Guy Bolton is special projects co-ordinator at DW Windsor
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‘WE WANTED TO CREATE A VIBRANT, COLOURFUL SPACE’ Following on from Guy Bolton’s article, Bridlington’s seafront colour-changing totems, lines of light and innovative new street lighting are boosting civic pride and delivering a sense of fun By Julie O’Reilly and Edward Sutton-Vane
A
s Guy Bolton from DW Windsor has illustrated in the previous article, Bridlington is a much-loved seaside resort. To our minds, the seafront area has been completely brought to life by the combination of Sweco’s excellent landscape design and engineering, Sutton Vane Associates’ lighting design, the coloured light totems made by DW Windsor and the seafront’s new lighting columns from Fabrikat and Urbis Schréder. However, getting to this point did have its challenges. Bridlington, a northern English coastal town with celebrated beaches was deserving of some extra night-time pizazz. We wanted to create a vibrant, colourful space for people to enjoy in the evening. Light that would be attractive and inspiring to both residents and visitors alike. It was about trying to transform the seafront to somewhere much more jolly,
much more fun, a space that was nice to be in. We wanted the lights to bring people into that space, and the coloured totems are used almost like gateposts, leading folk in. The lighting is very much a punctuation of the architectural layout of the seafront.
ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES
AND
SOCIAL
We knew it would be challenging from the start because of its location. It is by the coast in the north of England. It has long sunny days and balmy evenings but can also be cold in the winter; you have
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saltwater spray; there is freezing and thawing. There are a lot of environmental challenges. So, we had to make sure we had really good, solid IP-rated products for such an environment where corrosion can become a real issue. The other challenge, common to most public spaces is that there is a vandalism side, unfortunately, even to the extent that you can get people bringing tools down to have a go at things. So we knew we had to be really tough on that front as well. We knew DW Windsor had great outdoor specs for products, and that it specialised in things such as anti-climb paint, which we definitely needed for this kind of project. With the vandalism question, what this project taught us is that it is about much more than just making sure people can’t pick something off the product. For the 60 or so streetlamps that now run along the seafront area, we chose Fabrikat for the columns, with the intention of having columns that look as though they are leaning away from the wind. The columns are then topped by yellow-headed 32 LED Puntila luminaires supplied by Urbis Schréder and mounted at specified angles. As Guy also highlighted in his article, our lighting control needs on the project were met by Mode Lighting. When we were doing the initial programming, we got a call from the harbourmaster saying, ‘turn those red lights off, you’re going to confuse ships!’. Basically, when you’re coming into harbour you normally navigate by flashing red or green lights, which tell you whether to go port or
The Bridlington seafront colour-change totems and in-ground lighting with (left) the new ‘windswept’ lighting columns
starboard of, say, obstacles in the water, so it is obviously very important that there is no lighting that is going to interfere with that and potentially confuse ships or boats that are coming in. We immediately, of course, removed the red and green options from the app. And we made sure that, with all the future scenes, we don’t have red and green. The difficulty, however, is that, because we’re working with RGB lights on the bottom, when you’re fading from a blue to a different shade or a purple you can get sections within the fade when you start elements of red and green coming through, so that has been a challenge to iron out. But we have made sure we just have the allowed colours.
SENSE OF DYNAMISM
More widely, the colour-changing of the totems brings a sense of dynamism to the space; there is a lovely two-tone effect on the totems. The colours change with the seasons; it tends to be more blues and teals during the winter months and then brighter and warmer colours in the spring and summer. It was about making the space feel more fun and more alive, a space the whole community can be proud of. It is about having a tool that says, ‘hey, this is winter or summer in Bridlington’. The council also has customised scenes it can create, for example for a corporate event. The council team is really excited about taking control of things for
themselves, as we are training its team of engineers. We all know it is a different skillset to be a designer or an engineer, to create choreographed sequences and get the pacing, colours and brightness right so that you create a really great show. It is really important to be able to show them what is possible. The response from the citizens of Bridlington has also been extremely positive. We had some amazing comments from passers-by about how pleased they were about the scheme and impressed, and generally just really positive stuff, which was great to hear. When we were programming some of our sequences, we had people stopping us and saying some lovely things. With the in-ground lines of light, we had to be mindful that there are some pretty serious big fairground vehicles that are going to roll over these things. So we knew we couldn’t just have any generic in-ground linear, they had to be really tough and strong. Ultimately, the final learning point from this project, for us, is that there is no substitute to actually going to the site, checking things out, talking to the people who are there, listening to what they want. And then collaborating closely – everyone, the whole team, working together – to realise the vision. Julie O’Reilly is creative director and Edward Sutton-Vane is project co-ordinator at Sutton Vane Associates
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The ILP has teamed up with Women in Lighting to appoint two ‘champions’ to promote and celebrate inspirational women within the lighting industry, especially engineering, street lighting and manufacturing. We’d love to hear your stories By Kelly Smith and David Gilbey
JANUARY 2022 LIGHTING JOURNAL
Women in lighting
F
or those who are unaware of it, the Women in Lighting (WIL) movement (www.womeninlighting. com) is a multi-award-winning focus group promoting equal pay and opportunities for women in the lighting industry whilst also supporting and championing the talent and achievements of women in the profession. It is wholeheartedly endorsed by the ILP. The movement was started by Sharon Stammers and Martin Lupton of Light Collective, aided by Katia Kolovea of Archifos, to support women in the lighting industry in the fight for equality and to address issues such as unconscious bias against women. It was prompted by Light Collective being commissioned to interview and make short films of international lighting designers. It was not until they had completed the task that they realised they had made 27 interviews and yet only three of them were by women. They were shocked at this male domination. So, WIL was formed to support women in lighting, redress the gender imbalance and to help women tell their stories and find their voices. As Martin and Sharon put it: ‘We started this project to try and make a difference. Although women make up at least 50% of the lighting design profession, you only have to look at the number of women speaking at major conferences, acting as judges in awards, being asked as keynotes and serving on editorial boards to realise that the profile of women is significantly lower than men. We want to change this.’ To that end, with support and sponsorship from Forma Lighting, it now has local ambassadors globally and has raised the profile of women in the industry, something that has been reflected in the make-up of panels, juries and conferences. Its website is full of inspirational views and opinions of talented female designers. But there’s still much to be done, which
Championing women within lighting for the ILP: David Gilbey and Kelly Smith
is where the ILP is now hoping to make a difference.
ILP ‘CHAMPIONS’
The ILP, as we as members all know, is a force for good, for equal-opportunity employment, for diversity and inclusion in all forms, with a great emphasis on encouraging and bringing forward young and new lighters. Its advocacy for all good lighting causes and fairness makes the ILP a perfect partner for WIL, not least because street lighting and lighting engineering can still be male-dominated. Even though representation in lighting design still has a way to go, women by and large are even less represented in engineering, street lighting or manufacturing. To try to begin to rectify this imbalance, the ILP has appointed the two of us as WIL ‘champions’, with the aim to promote, celebrate, shout out about the value, diversity and sheer, amazing talent and contribution of women within lighting engineering, street lighting and manufacturing.
FIND OUT MORE
To put yourself forward to be profiled within Lighting Journal, please contact Jess Gallacher on jess@theilp.org.uk or Nic Paton on nic@cormorantmedia.co.uk. It’s very easy and painless! Alternatively, as Kelly and David have explained, Women in Lighting is always open to inspirational stories, go to: www.womeninlighting.com for more information.
We’re being ably supported in this by the ILP’s Jess Gallacher, Engagement and Communications Manager, and of course the full force of the ILP.
TELL US YOUR STORIES
We are appealing to female lighting engineers to come forward and tell their stories. We will be posting interviews from inspirational female ILP members throughout the year in Lighting Journal, with Kelly kicking us off over the page. Women members can also post their stories in either written or video interview on the WIL website (to recap at the address, www.womeninlighting.com). Alongside this, we welcome ideas and initiatives (from all members of course) to promote the efforts and careers of women in lighting and engineering, especially with taking the initiative into schools and promoting the idea of this as a career path for girls. This is such a worthy cause. Raising the profile of the industry from an educational point of view, promoting lighting as a career for women, will raise the focus and the voice of women across our industry. It will promote lighting as more inclusive and respectful workplace environments and cultures, and, most of all, celebrate equal opportunities for women for, as we all know, talent is gender blind! We are calling for brave volunteers to tell their stories, to educate and inspire others and to make our wonderful industry inclusive for all women.
Kelly Smith MSc BEng (Hons) MSLL is a senior engineer with DfL and David Gilbey is founder of d-lighting
www.theilp.org.uk
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Women in lighting
‘WE NEED WOMEN TO SPEAK OUT MORE’ In the first of our profiles of inspirational women working within lighting, senior engineer Kelly Smith discusses how she came into the industry, what her inspirations have been, and how barriers are being broken down By Kelly Smith
TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF
My name is Kelly Smith. I work for DfL as a senior engineer and I live in England, but I’m originally from the blessed motherland of Northern Ireland.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR WORK. IS THERE A SPECIFIC TYPE OF PROJECT YOU LIKE TO WORK ON OR AN AREA YOU SPECIALISE IN AND WHY?
Work consists of looking after ‘my boys’ in the minors’ team. I allocate work and deal with customer queries as well as getting my hands dirty with an actual lighting design. I don’t really have a specialism – I’m a jack-of-all-trades. Road, lighting, architectural, even indoor lighting upon occasion, writing and giving presentations about ‘stuff ’, biological and emotional effect of lighting. I like to know a little bit about everything… I’m curious!
WHO OR WHAT WAS YOUR INSPIRATION TO GET INTO LIGHTING/ENGINEERING?
My inspiration for engineering was just that I loved maths and physics in school (yes, I was that nerd) and engineering seemed a practical application of the subjects I liked. Then, when I was 13, I read in a careers’ leaflet all about aeronautical engineering.
Kelly Smith (left) with DfL lighting technician Fiona Elsley (centre) and assistant lighting engineer Hollie Thurlow. Kelly is passionate about bringing women into the industry and then helping them to progress and shine
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Women in lighting I then saw, read about and fell in love with the Lockheed SR-71 ‘Blackbird’ warplane and that was me – sold. As for getting lighting, well, that was because Airbus and Urbis sound similar!
WHAT PROJECT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF AND WHY?
I have worked on many different projects – The Queensferry Crossing in Scotland, Belfast City Centre redevelopment, which I get to see every time I go home. But the one that sticks out was Manchester Airport car park because we had problems with local residents who had an ‘expert’ who lambasted my design. Not only was I able to answer and partially allay their fears I got to put their expert in his place. Score one for the female engineer.
The Queensferry Crossing in Scotland, one of the projects Kelly is most proud of having worked on
WHAT IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE THAT YOU HAVE OVERCOME IN YOUR CAREER?
I’ve never really had to experience many of the misogynistic problems other women face. Maybe because I’m Irish, ginger, large and loud (when I want to be) with an ‘evil scientist’ laugh. My challenge has been more of an internal one. I get so interested in lots of different topics it is sometimes hard to stay focused.
HOW DOES LIGHT INSPIRE YOU?
For normally sighted people 80% of how we perceive the world is by what we see. Change the lighting and we can make people feel safe, scared, apprehensive, comfortable and so on. It rules our lives and dictates our day. It brings information from our surrounding to us, both local and universal but so many properties of it are still a mystery. Even experiments done in high school like Young’s Double Slit can show its weirdness – and I like weird.
WHAT/WHO DO YOU CONSIDER TO BE YOUR BIGGEST SUPPORT IN GETTING INTO WHAT IS/WAS CONSIDERED A MALE PROFESSION?
My dad. He wanted me to go to university – but the subject was mine to choose. My family was not a technical one in any way; I’m an anomaly. Whereas other family members questioned my choice and asked me if I would rather be a hairdresser or a secretary (stop laughing) my dad just accepted that I wanted to be an engineer.
WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER IS STILL A BARRIER, IF ANYTHING, FOR WOMEN IN LIGHTING/ENGINEERING?
That engineering is still seen as a ‘man’s job’. My dad has two children – one son www.theilp.org.uk
A Lockheed SR-71 ‘Blackbird’, albeit now in the National Museum of the United States Air Force. The engineering behind these warplanes helped inspire Kelly to enter the industry
and one daughter – one is a teacher, and one is an engineer. With just that information, how many people would automatically assume that the son is the engineer? Over the last 20 years, I’ve seen more women joining the lighting industry and succeeding at it. Women like Sharon Stammers have started tackling the barrier long established by the cliché of how engineers are perceived by vocalising what we all know – we need women to speak out more. For example, I know so many women who are very good at their chosen aspect in the lighting industry, Emily Bolt, Kimberley Bartlett, Rebecca Hatch and so on and going to lighting conferences. You can see more and more women there, yet few who also present or take the lead formally.
WHAT WOULD BE YOUR MESSAGE TO YOUR YOUNGER SELF ABOUT WHAT IT’S POSSIBLE ACHIEVE IN LIGHTING?
It’s something we take for granted and now
rely on, but there is so much more beneath the surface. People need lighting now. So, be the one who knows how to supply it.
Kelly Smith MSc BEng (Hons) MSLL is a senior engineer with DfL
IT COULD BE YOU!
Don’t forget, if you are a female ILP member working within lighting and would like to have your story told, please do get in touch, either with Jess Gallacher on jess@theilp.org.uk or Nic Paton on nic@cormorantmedia.co.uk. We’ll send you a Q&A form to fill in and return, with a photograph. And all done!
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TALES OF THE RIVER
With nine Thames bridges completed, it was a good moment over the autumn to take stock of the Illuminated River, the hugely ambitious central London public art project. Which is precisely what the ILP did through a fascinating ‘How to be brilliant’ event By Nic Paton
JANUARY 2022 LIGHTING JOURNAL
The ILP’s How to be brilliant
R
egular readers of Lighting Journal will know that we’ve been following the Illuminated River public artwork closely ever since ‘Current’, a collaboration between American light artist Leo Villareal and architects Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands, was announced as the winning team for the project back in December 2016 (‘Water born’, January 2017, vol 82, no 1). The privately funded project, to recap, has illuminated nine central London bridges stretching from Albert Bridge in the west through to Tower Bridge in the City. The first phase of the artwork, encompassing London, Cannon Street Rail, Southwark and Millennium bridges, was completed in the summer of 2019. The second phase, bringing in Blackfriars, Waterloo, the Golden Jubilee Footbridges, Westminster and Lambeth, then followed, being completed during the spring of last year, despite the various challenges posed by Covid-19 lockdowns. During the first phase, ILP volunteers played a key part, including providing practical support to Villareal on his digital sequencing work (‘Thames Crossing’, February 2019, vol 84, no 2). Back at the end of 2020, and just before the beginning of phase two, we also caught up with Jonathan Gittins, associate director, lighting, at atelier ten, which has led on the lighting design for the project (‘I’ll be in a boat annoying the abseilers’, November/December 2020, vol 85, no 10.
CHANGING HOW WE PERCEIVE LONDON
With so much of Illuminated River now complete, and Londoners and visitors to the capital able once again to get out and about and enjoy the bridges, the ILP revisited the project during the autumn. First, as part of the ‘Totally Thames’ festival, the ILP held a walking tour of the bridges for members. This was followed by Jonathan and fellow associate designer Elga Niemann drilling down into some of the practical challenges of the project in a fascinating ‘How to be brilliant’ virtual event,
sponsored by Premier member BEGA and hosted for the ILP by Optelma Lighting at its London studio. Jonathan opened the event by highlighting that the bridges will be viewed more than 150 million times, with the project dramatically changing how we view and perceive the Thames, and its bridges, at night. ‘Other than the quality of the art, one of the main aims of the project was to try and improve and enliven the atmosphere of the river after dark. So, some of the areas where these bridges are were really
The Millennium Bridge and (main image above) Westminster Bridge. All photographs for this article by a combination of James Newton, Jason Hawkes and Jonathan Gittins
www.theilp.org.uk
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The ILP’s How to be brilliant
under-utilised previously. The hope was that, by introducing this lighting scheme, that it would draw people to the river and to use a really under-valued asset,’ said Jonathan of the original concept.. ‘It isn’t like an ordinary artwork that you would just view from one perspective. It is viewed from multiple perspectives; there are people crossing other bridges looking at it; there are people on the banks looking at it; there are people on the river. In fact, you have even got planes landing at Heathrow going over it. ‘One of the other aspects that was absolutely vital was not to disturb the wildlife in the Thames. This is something that, until we started, we didn’t really think there was any wildlife in the Thames. But, actually, there are over 100 types of fish that live in the Thames, including sea horses that are underneath Millennium Bridge. So, it was absolutely key that we didn’t do anything to disturb the wildlife with this scheme,’ Jonathan explained. While Villareal’s vision and Lifschultz Davidson Sandilands’ designs have been key, atelier ten’s role has been critical from the lighting design perspective, as has been that of contractor FM Conway on the ground. The project has also brought together marine engineers, structural engineers, ecologists, and planning consultants, among many others.
LUMINANCE AND SPILL-LIGHT SURVEYS
Jonathan now handed over to Elga Niemann, who talked through some of the practicalities associated with different stages of each phase of the project. This included the initial early modelling but also the extensive luminance and spilllight surveys that were carried out on the river. ‘For the luminance survey we used a rated www.theilp.org.uk
camera and took photographs all along the banks on both sides, north and south bank, all the way from Tower to Albert. And we then ran those photographs through special calibrated software that could use false colour luminance plots, effectively, of our photographs. We then had an accurate record of what the brightness levels were surrounding each of the bridges,’ explained Elga. ‘The idea behind it was that we were very keen on not over-lighting, just putting enough light so that the bridges and the artwork could be seen, but they wouldn’t overpower important landmarks. For
example, you have St Paul’s behind Millennium Bridge. We were keen to make the lighting bright enough so you can appreciate it but not so bright that it becomes more powerful than St Paul’s. ‘We were also looking at the luminance of our neighbours. On Blackfriars Bridge, for example, immediately next to the bridge is relative darkness. But then we had some very, very bright neighbours, such as Sea Containers House. Its façade lighting was well exceeding what you would ordinarily expect or want for façade lighting. Rather than making our bridge brighter we spoke to the building owners and asked them whether there was chance of them checking down their façade lighting, and they did,’ she added. For the spill-light survey it was a case of getting out on the water, in a boat, and measuring the light levels underneath each bridge to see how much light from the bridges was entering the water. For London Bridge, for example, the conclusion was ‘a lot’, she highlighted. ‘We measured something like 25 lux on the surface of the water, so that’s kind of motorway-type lighting levels. We then produced a record of what the existing condition was so that at the end of the project we could go back, measure our bridges again, and see how they compared. ‘Once we had done the initial information-gathering exercise we were able to start on the actual design work,’ said Elga. ‘Going back to Leo’s concept, his inspiration came from impressionist paintings of the Thames and the bridges on the Thames, which take the colours and movement of the river and the sky and everything surrounding the bridges. The idea really was to create a digital version of that, where we would create a lighting canvas for him on every bridge, and he could
JANUARY 2022 LIGHTING JOURNAL
The Golden Jubilee Footbridge (left) and the now-illuminated underneath of Blackfriars Bridge, with even its rivets visible
then come along with his laptop and software and live paint on to the bridges. ‘All the bridges are vastly different from each other. Each has their own character. But globally we identified three types of bridges – concrete-faced bridges where we are washing colour down the face of the bridge. We’ve got steel lattice bridges, and these are all about lighting within the steelwork, picking up on the structure. And then we’ve got our suspension bridges. ‘All the fittings are LED, everything is DMX controlled. Some of the bridges are lit in colour using RGBA and some of them are monochromatic using tuneable white. At the very early stages of the project we tendered the supply of the light fittings to a number of manufacturers, and Signify was selected as the supplier,’ Elga highlighted.
FITTINGS AND BRACKETS
Broadly, linear grazes were used to wash solid faces, floodlights were then used to underlight solid arches, on London Bridge especially. For steel-lattice bridges, two sets of floodlights were used, a primary set at the base to underlight arches and then a secondary set to shine through the lattice work and pick up details. Finally, directview products were used on the suspension bridges. ‘It was about keeping the palette as small as possible, keep it simple but of course it is more complicated than that,’ said Elga. ‘Although we were able to keep the fitting selection to a minimum, because the bridges are all so different, we needed lots and lots of different ways of mounting these fittings; we had to come up with lots of different brackets,’ she explained. ‘In an ideal world, you’d have every bracket adjustable and every possible dimension so you could get to site and get
around every eventuality. But adjustability costs money, just in the manufacture of the bracket. But, more importantly, on this job, every light fitting had to be installed by an abseiler and so the time it would take to adjust something and the cost of that was really important. Wherever we could we used fixed brackets and just packed them out with washers, effectively, one side or the other, to make sure we had some adjustment to keep the light within its lane and not shooting off to the side. That was a way we were able to get some adjustability but without the same cost implications,’ she added. Apart from brackets, the project saw atelier ten designing a number of bespoke shields and louvres. For one section through London Bridge, for example, the graze fitting is tucked up behind the concrete lip, washing down the face, Elga explained. ‘But the face is not going in a straight line, it is arched. So, we wanted to avoid that spill-light scenario. We needed to be able to cut off exactly where the face ended. We needed an individual cut-off on every single fitting to create that arch and
to make sure we were not shooting past the edge. We came up with a very simple shield that could be adjusted up and down to give us that cut off.’ Glare was another concern that had to be managed and mitigated, particularly, again for London Bridge. The Signify floodlights came with a standard louvre. ‘Because these bridges are being viewed from really quite close up by people
Top: the completed ‘nemesis’ of Lambeth Bridge with (above), London Bridge with its shield and (left image too) abseilers at work
www.theilp.org.uk
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The ILP’s How to be brilliant walking along the Embankment and going under the bridges, we tested the louvres in the initial mock-ups and did not think they really cut it,’ said Elga. ‘So, we came up with a custom, deeper louvre and used that during phase one. We found it worked really well but, having seen it installed in phase one we thought, actually, there was still more that could be done. So, we added a secondary louvre, a tab louvre on to the front. Vertical tabs on to the outside fittings make sure that no spill light comes out of the side of the bridges. Then there are horizontal louvres on to the bottom portion of the floodlights that underlit the arch. So we would only get the lighting that actually lit the arch, and not the portion that might hit a pedestrian in the eye,’ she added.
RECORD PLANNING SUBMISSION
Of course, nothing could actually happen on the ground before a massive obstacle had been overcome: planning. As Jonathan explained: ‘The culmination of all this design work was the planning submission, which was a record breaker. I think it was one of the biggest planning submissions submitted. ‘There were 30 different submissions because of all the different local authorities involved and different bridges. And because of all the listed structures, there were 18 consents we had to get. So overall it was tens of thousands of pages. But eventually we got planning.’ With planning now on side, installation could crack on, which brought with it its own very specific headaches, as Jonathan made clear. ‘Because of these structures, everything had to be installed by abseilers, which just makes it much more challenging to do things. The other problem was that, because they are in the centre of London, there was no real space to store anything or keep anything by the bridges. So, everything was delivered by boat and had to be winched up and then the abseilers installed it off of the boat. It was quite an interesting installation process,’ he said. ‘FM Conway came up with all sorts of novel ways of installing things. For example, they put a basket on London Bridge and so, because the guys were protected, we were able to keep the arch underneath open during the day, which sped up the work considerably. ‘Then, as well as the installing of the lights on the outside of the bridges, there was the infrastructure. Inside London Bridge, for example, it is completely hollow and so they were able to install cables through there, and it was the same with Waterloo. But even that wasn’t easy because it is confined spaces, and so you www.theilp.org.uk
Before (left) and after images showing, from top, Blackfriars, Westminster and Lambeth bridges
have to have people with the right training and equipment to do it. Pretty much everything on the project was difficult in terms of installation! ‘A lot of it had to be done at night as well because it is the only time you are allowed to shut arches on the river for river traffic. So we found that a very large proportion of work was being done at night, which obviously, again, made it more difficult,’ Jonathan added.
COMMISSIONING AND AIMING
The next element was commissioning. ‘Over three months we were pretty much every single night aiming lights on bridges or multiple bridges; it was really quite a big undertaking,’ said Jonathan. ‘The way we did the aiming was in a similar way to the install; abseilers did all the physical aiming because we just couldn’t get to these locations. They aimed it on the end of a radio with one of our guys on a boat. We found that, actually, that wasn’t enough eyes on the bridge. We had to also look from the riverbank because you have got very different perspectives of the coverage of the lighting from different angles,
so we ended up with a couple of people looking from different positions.’ Covid-19 restrictions added to the complexities of aiming and focusing during phase two. ‘We actually ended up doing a lot of it on Microsoft Teams, which we didn’t think was going to work but was actually very successful. We had someone on the boat with a camera and talking to the abseilers, who were doing the aiming. We had someone else in the plant room controlling the lighting. ‘And then someone else at home directing it. It did work remarkably well. And I think we should do that in future because it meant I could sit at home while they were out in the cold, so it did have some advantages!’ Jonathan joked. Jonathan also highlighted the sensitivity of the aiming process, showing an image of Westminster Bridge with the lighting angled at 14 degrees and then 15 degrees. ‘At 15 degrees angled down, you had a hot spot and almost no light on the top at all. But, by tipping that fitting up just one degree you were able completely to fill the underside of the bridge. We were
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The ILP’s How to be brilliant surprised just how sensitive it was. It also meant we had to go to every fitting and individually aim them to get the perfect finish,’ he said.
‘NEMESIS’ OF LAMBETH BRIDGE
Jonathan then turned to Lambeth Bridge, which he described as the team’s ‘nemesis’. ‘It just was a pig of a bridge to aim!’ he said. ‘We on paper had a theory of how we were going to light it; we had an angle that we thought would give us lovely coverage of the face. On the first night we sent out the five abseilers and they were there aiming it all as per our instructions. When we got to the middle we realised it just looked terrible. ‘We had a quick rethink and for the rest of that night we re-aimed the other side in a different manner, trying this time to aim at the bottom of the arch, just to see whether that would work. It was better, but it still really wasn’t what we wanted; we still had some hotspots and areas of darkness. It would have been easy at this point just to say it was the best we were going to get, especially as we had five tired, grumpy abseilers. From their perspective, hanging from the bridge everything looked the same; they really couldn’t understand why we were upset and worried about it; they just thought we were divas really! ‘The next day we got the abseilers to re-aim everything, much to their happiness. This time we had learnt from the mistakes from the night before and we decided to aim to try to fill the beam with light, which was really quite difficult to do. Because we had a linear fitting and we were trying to fill a curved structure. It meant we had to do every fitting individually and flick between adjacent fittings. It was worth it, though, as at the end of that night we had coverage we were happy with. Since then we have also put in a dimming mask that reduces the brightness on the central piece. ‘Every one of the faces on the arch took us a night, so we had two weeks aiming the faces, another week doing the arches, and a bit longer for the piers as well. It was getting on to a month of nights to get it together. But we are very pleased with it, it has been worth the aggravation.’
CONCLUSIONS
As the event came to its conclusion, Jonathan ran through his thoughts on what had been achieved on each bridge. At London Bridge, for example, the spill light had now been ‘all but eliminated’, he said. ‘Cannon Street Rail Bridge was a pretty ugly bridge. It was very foreboding and gloomy at night. This is one of our favourites because it has really created www.theilp.org.uk
Left: abseilers working on London Bridge. Right: the completed Waterloo Bridge
something that wasn’t there before out of really a not very attractive bridge. It has made this part of the river a lot more welcoming and a nice place to be,’ Jonathan added. ‘Southwark Bridge previously had lighting on it, but it was lighting the front of the arches and it lost a lot of the definition of the bridge. Our new scheme is lit within, so you really get the depth of the bridge. You have the shadow of the arches, which really defines its form. ‘Millennium Bridge was known as “the blade of light” when it was first constructed and over time that blade had faded to a quiver. It really wasn’t looking very good anymore. When we put the artwork in we restored that blade of light, but we have the addition of Leo’s artwork, so it is now a moving blade of light, it has got really nice dynamic element. ‘At the same time, we relit the deck, which again had really started to lose its way. The new deck lighting really makes the bridge more welcoming and a nicer place to cross,’ Jonathan added. For the phase two bridges, Blackfriars Bridge was similar to Southwark in that it had been lit previously, but on the face so that it had lost its shape. ‘The new scheme, having the arches in silhouette, really defines the shape of the bridge. The new lighting is really showing off some of the structural details, like the rivets on the arches, which you just didn’t see before. It is another one of our favourites.’ For the Golden Jubilee Footbridges (which includes Hungerford Bridge), there had previously been some lighting in the balustrades, but again it was getting tired. ‘What we’ve got here is vertical batons of LED with 16 pixels in each. So Leo is able to move the light across the bridge and also vertically. You get some
really interesting, starry patterns on this bridge; it is really nice,’ Jonathan said. At Waterloo Bridge, the initial concept was to light it in a similar way to London Bridge, with grazed fittings on the face. ‘But there were real structural issues with the integrity of the handrails for fixing that and it ended up with the solution where we had to go for a direct-view fitting,’ explained Jonathan. ‘But I think, actually, it is quite a striking feature. It is different to what was originally envisaged but it has still worked out well.’ The previously dark Westminster Bridge is now lit under the arches. ‘There are also little shield details on the edge of the bridge, which we backlit and Leo also plays with movement.’ Finally, Lambeth Bridge now had ‘an eerie, ghostly quality about it, which I think is quite nice’, Jonathan said. ‘You see it from some of the long views and it kind of looms in the distance. I think, after all the pain of this bridge, it has actually worked out really nicely,’ he added in conclusion.
FIND OUT MORE
To watch the full video from of Jonathan and Elga’s presentation go to https:// theilp.org.uk/events/ how-to-be-brilliant/ Our huge thanks to Premier member BEGA for sponsoring How to be brilliant during 2021. Watch out, too, for details of the 2022 programme, which will be announced shortly on the same address above.
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‘LEARNING AND
PLAYING WITH LIGHT IS VERY IMPORTANT’
What’s the secret to a successful residential lighting project? YLP architectural representative Sunny Sribanditmongkol sat down with renowned lighting designer Sally Storey, creative director of John Cullen Lighting, to find out By Sunny Sribanditmongkol
I
n the last edition of Lighting Journal, we published a review of renowned light designer Sally Storey’s new book Inspired by Light (‘A book that both informs and inspires’, November/ December 2021, vol 86, no 10). This edition I had an opportunity to sit down with Sally and ask her about allthings residential lighting. Read on to find out what makes lighting tick for her, her tips for successful residential lighting projects, her advice to young lighting
professionals, and what sets her new book apart from what is on the market. Light technology has developed so much over the past decade, creating new ‘buzzwords’ that people may have heard of but might not fully understand. Frustrated with this, Sally Storey, a founding director at Lighting Design International and creative director of John Cullen Lighting, decided to take matters into her own hand and crystalised the knowledge she has gained for so many years into Inspired by
Light. So, it can be a useful guide for residential lighting. ‘I lived through the halogen revolution and now it’s the LED revolution,’ Sally tells Lighting Journal . ‘LED offers a huge opportunity that we didn’t have before with halogen partly because of the way the light source can be integrated into the joinery. ‘However, because there is a lot of cheap and bad-quality LED around, I also want to help people understand why you might
JANUARY 2022 LIGHTING JOURNAL
Architectural lighting need to pay more for something and what the pitfalls are. You go into one space and it feels flat, dull and lifeless and it’s either the way it has been lit but also the selection of LED would have been very poor. ‘If bad-quality LED is used, whatever was spent on the interior is wasted because it won’t do justice to the interior, or exterior. Flat lighting can be very uncomfortable and not inspiring, so it is worth spending more to get better quality because it’s where you live and are surrounded by, and where your mood is created,’ Sally explains. Apart from being a lighting designer, Sally is also an avid writer. Inspired by Light is Sally’s fifth publication on residential lighting. When asked what sets her new book apart from the many lighting books on the market, she argues it is the fact it is written by someone who is a lighting practitioner. Aware that not every project can have a lighting designer, she wants her book to inspire and be available to interior designers, architects and even homeowners so they can understand why lighting is important and the difference it makes. ‘Interior designers and architects often want the simplest approach, and they don’t understand the added magic lighting can do, by lighting just a flower in the centre of the table, for example,’ Sally explains. ‘So I also want the book to educate and inspire making them think, “wow, I need to think about it”, which helps everyone.’ Another feature of the book is its visual narrative. Several of the images accompanying descriptions of lighting techniques are reproduced without the light effect and with the light effect to show the difference that lighting makes. ‘To me, lighting is about the visual. The description says one thing but the visual image reinforces it,’ Sally says.
“warm”. Some might even say 3000K as being warm but that’s quite cold for a house. You usually need the light at the end of the day when your circadian rhythm wants a warm light. There is so much that is of the less expensive LED offering cooler colour temperature and if those LEDs were used it would be like you’re sitting in a fridge!’ Sally explains.
KEYS TO A SUCCESSFUL PROJECT
Having designed lighting schemes for so many notable lighting projects over the years, when it comes to the key to a successful lighting project, Sally suggests it is down to the basics, such as understanding the client briefs and understanding the space. Then by creating layers of light, various moods can be created to make the space work harder throughout the day into the night.
‘You’ve got to understand the space, the tasks to be performed. The kitchen lighting will need to be different from the living room lighting. The ability to make it able to change is unique to lighting. There’s no other medium of interior design that will make the space so flexible as the lighting,’ Sally says. To emphasise this, Sally outlined the example of an open-plan living space. ‘These days so much with open-plan living, the kitchen is often the heart and offers the most interesting space. You might have a double-height living space on one side and the kitchen on another. The interesting thing is the solution you develop in that hub of kitchen; dining and living almost have to be executed as individual rooms but then pull together to be one space.’ Sally adds.
A living room interior designed by Designers Guild. Photograph by Breed Media. Below right: a bathroom interior in Regent’s Crescent, London, designed by Millier. Below left: the Deirdre Dyson Showroom, designed by architects Timothy Hatton Architects. Photograph by Andrew Beasley
ABOUT A VISUAL EXPERIENCE
One common mistake people often make in residential lighting is forgetting to consider lighting in three dimensions from the outset, Sally argues. ‘It’s often about a plan and reflected ceiling plan, with walls forgotten. The simplest solution in such a case is the grid of light, which gives the worst effect and offers no layers of light. So, I wanted to introduce the idea that your visual experience, what you look at on the wall, what you see when you come in, is the most important aspect.’ Another common error, particularly now with LED, is failing to understand colour temperature. ‘Different manufacturers will state different levels of colour temperatures being www.theilp.org.uk
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JANUARY 2022 LIGHTING JOURNAL
Architectural lighting
An open-space kitchen, designed by Studio Reed. Photograph by Andrew Beasley. Below: a bedroom in The Treehouse Hotel, London. Photograph by Eric Laignel
EFFECTIVE PROJECT MANAGEMENT
The initial discussion and brainstorming with the design team, where ideas are being thrown around is one of the most fulfilling parts of the whole process, Sally argues. The trickier bit is the middle part in her opinion. ‘I’ve seen lighting schemes that could have been better because somebody hasn’t finished it off, hasn’t done the adjustments or the programming,’ she says. ‘And often I think something is left to chance. Making sure it happens from A to B is the tricky bit, but you’ll have to be able to do it all. That also includes the coordination, adapting to site conditions because sometimes what you planned is different, particularly in an old traditional building where so much is unforeseen.’ Another thing that is crucial to a successful lighting project is ensuring that the construction team understands the scheme and is fully on board with helping to deliver it, she asserts. It is especially important to brief the contractors so they feel that they want to deliver what you, as a designer, have envisaged. To illustrate this, Sally gives an example of joinery detailing: ‘For joinery, the joiner can take your details and do something totally different based on how they always did it. The joiner often has their own details, usually with the LED visible, whereas we would have a concealed LED. For me, unless the light source is decorative and to be viewed, the whole point of lighting is not to see the light source but to see the effect,’ she says.
DRAMATIC LIGHTING ON A BUDGET
Given Sally’s portfolio of high-end projects, it’s easy to assume that an elegant lighting scheme can only be realised with a
costly lighting budget. Sally, however, is at pains to emphasise that this is very much not the case. It is possible to create a beautifully lit space even when you are on a budget. ‘I think you could buy some simple decorative lighting that gives you the ambience, even from IKEA. You then create the drama by choosing a few things in the space that you would like to focus on, for example, the flowers on your coffee table, or dining table or the fruit bowl,’ she says. ‘And then you light those things with some narrow spotlights. Just these two layers of light would create interest. I feel that the shadow is as important as what’s lit. When you look at the plan you might sketch lighting with your highlights and if your highlights overlap, you’ve got too much lighting. You need to know when to pull back to create interests,’ she adds.
KEEP LEARNING (AND PLAYING!)
Finally, what advice would Sally give to young lighting professionals? The key, she argues, is simply to keep learning, keep developing and keep your eyes open. ‘I still learn every day. I think there is so much around you whether it’s through ideas from nature or new light source technology. So, learning and playing with light is very important,’ she says. ‘Understanding that for every project there’s not necessarily one solution. Be open and listen to clients’ requests. Make sure that the environment one’s creating creates the right atmosphere whether soft and relaxing or dramatic and moody,’ she adds. Sharing her passion for lighting has always been Sally’s goal and writing this latest book has been one way to do it, she concludes.
KEEP IT IN THE FAMILY www.theilp.org.uk
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‘I love talking to lighting people because I think we all have a passion for the industry. I want others to share our passion. I think spreading the words helps with that. That is part of why I wanted to write the book. You share the passion and the knowledge so that others can be inspired,’ she says.
Sunny Sribanditmongkol is a lighting designer with Steensen Varming and an architectural representative of the YLP
FIND OUT MORE
Inspired by Light: A design guide to transforming the home, by Sally Storey, is published by RIBA Books, price £35. It is available from https://ribabooks.com/
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JANUARY 2022 LIGHTING JOURNAL
Light School 2022
FACE-TO-FACE LEARNING Covid restrictions permitting, Light School is set to return as an in-person event next month, with the ILP once again partnering with the Surface Design Show to run three days of fascinating CPD talks. Here is what you need to know By Nic Paton
A
fter its pandemic-related hiatus in 2021 (and the new Omicron variant of Covid-19 permitting), Light School is set to return as an in-person event next month for the first time in two years, running from 8-10 February at the Business Design School in Islington, north London. The ILP is, once again, partnering with the Surface Design Show to run ‘Light Talks’ CPD presentations across the three days, designed to connect the expertise of the lighting community to that of architects, surfaces and materials specialists, and students, among others. Light Talks presentations, held in partnership with iGuzzini, will this year run on the Surface Design Show’s main stage, which will act as Light School’s ‘classroom’, hosting debates and presentations where lighting designers can talk to and educate specifiers. In the wake of November’s COP26, and the growing urgency of climate change, Light School will this year have a special focus on lighting’s role in tackling, and mitigating, climate change and how lighting, as an industry, energy source and technology, can move to a more sustainable footing.
FOCUS ON SUSTAINABILITY
While the full line-up of speakers was still being finalised as Lighting Journal went to press in December, Lauren Lever, design director at Minoux, will talk about ‘light response for wellbeing’. Lauren will discuss the importance light can have on the wellness and wellbeing of users within a space, including within hospitality, residential and commercial www.theilp.org.uk
spaces. As she adds: ‘I will also touch on the planet’s wellbeing, with the importance of future-proofing our lighting schemes and circularity.’ Brad Koerner, founder of Amsterdam-based Koerner Design, will discuss: ‘Specifying a Bright Future: decarbonising and detoxifying lighting systems’. As he has put it: ‘Given all that we know about the disastrous effects of global warming, resource depletion and toxic pollution, are lighting designers proud of what they are specifying today? Are manufacturers proud of the products leaving their loading docks? But what options do we have?’
INSPIRED BY SUNSETS
Michael Grubb, founder of Michael Grubb Studio, will tell ‘the story of Lightplay’. This will explain how walks during lockdown inspired Michael Grubb Studio’s lighting concept for the seafront of Torquay, with ‘Lightplay’ being an interactive and playful backdrop to seaside town’s Royal Terrace Gardens. Michael will explain how experiencing sunsets on his walks inspired him ‘to forever capture the ethos and ambience associated with sunset’ within the scheme.
Speakers from 2019’s Light School, the last time the event was held in person. Lauren Lever (middle) will once again be a speaker this year, as will Michael Grubb (left)
This, however, is only the briefest taste of what to expect over the three days of Light School and the Surface Design School. So do come and join us.
FIND OUT MORE
What: Light School 2022 When: 8-10 February Where: Business Design Centre, Islington, London How to register: registration is free, go to https://sds-2022.reg.buzz/ website-menu
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JANUARY 2022 LIGHTING JOURNAL
Lighting Urban Community International Association
THINKING SMARTER The Lighting Urban Community International Association (LUCI) held its AGM in November, the first time that members, including the ILP, had been able to meet face to face in nearly two years. Here is a round-up of some of what was discussed By Jess Gallacher opportunity for more than 200 LUCI members (including the ILP) to come together face to face for the first time in nearly two years, although it was a ‘hybrid’ event, with more than 110 online participants engaging too.
CITY LIGHTING MASTERPLANS
T
he ILP is a member of the Lighting Urban Community International Association (LUCI), which brings together lighting policy-makers, professionals and experts to exchange experience and share user feedback and information. Its members have recently been involved in notable projects, such as the new lighting scheme for Ódinstorg Square in the municipality of Reykjavík in Iceland and the Ghent Light Festival, which celebrated its ten-year anniversary in November. Also in November, LUCI held its 2021 AGM, in Tartu, Estonia, which was an
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Raimond Tamm, deputy mayor of the City of Tartu, led a discussion with colleagues Tiiu Kelviste (IT maintenance of public lighting) Jaanus Tamm (project manager) and Elo Liiv (main organiser TAVA2021) on Tartu’s new lighting master plan and the TAVA light festival. AGM participants got an exclusive preview of what is set to be a ground-breaking new document helping cities to take smart steps towards smart lighting. When it is published (expected later this year), the Cities Guide to Smart Lighting will be a new ‘white paper’ to support municipal decision-makers on how to build their vision on smart lighting. Once it is publicly available, we will of course tell you all about it within Lighting Journal. The AGM also discussed public realm lighting improvements and plans underway in the city of Vilnius, Lithuania, which were very inspiring. Watch this space for an article later this year, too. LUCI also revealed that it is forming a light pollution/obtrusive light working group. This has, of course, been a key area of the ILP’s focus for some time now and so, again, we will bring you news and
updates on this as and when they are ready to tell.
IMPROVING HEALTH AND WELLBEING
Finally, AGM delegates heard about ‘ENLIGHTENme’, the project for innovative policies for improving citizens’ health and wellbeing addressing indoor and outdoor lighting. This is going to be hugely significant to everyone in the ILP, LUCI and, ultimately, the world. ENLIGHTENme will not only improve the health of citizens in urban areas on an individual level, it will provide the evidence needed for policy-making on improved urban health on a political level. Equally importantly, it will address the reduction of health inequalities through the inclusion of citizens normally not involved in the drafting of urban lighting plans. Once again, watch this space for more information. Jess Gallacher is the ILP’s Engagement and Communications Manager
FIND OUT MORE
A massive thank you, first, to LUCI for inviting the ILP to the event and covering all the associated accommodation and costs. If you would like to know more about LUCI and it’s work, please go to www.luciassociation.org
Spring 2022 Module A Module B Module C
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LIGHTING CONSULTANTS
This directory gives details of suitably qualified, individual members of the Institution of Lighting Professionals (ILP) who offer consultancy services
HERBIE BARNIEH
JASON MCNULTY
PROJECT CENTRE
4WAY CONSULTING LTD
BEng IEng MILP
1 AMERICA SQUARE, LONDON, EC3N 2LS T: 0330 135 8950, 077954 75570 HERBIE.BARNIEH@PROJECTCENTRE.CO.UK
WWW.MARSTONHOLDINGS.CO.UK/PROJECTCENTRE Efficient, innovative, and bespoke lighting design services from an award winning consultancy. Experienced in delivering exterior lighting projects from feasibility studies to post construction. Whether it’s highway, street, or public realm lighting, let us assist you to realise your project goals.
ANDREW LONGMAN
BEng (Hons) MIET
LEAMINGTON SPA, CV31 3RG T: 01926 832799 E: JASON.MCNULTY@4WAYCONSULTING.COM
WWW.4WAYCONSULTING.COM Providing exterior lighting and ITS consultancy and design services and specialising in the urban and inter-urban environment. Our services span the complete project life cycle for both the public and private sector.
BEng (Hons), CEng, MILP, MIET, MHEA -Managing Director
DESIGNS FOR LIGHTING LTD
WINCHESTER SO23 7TA T: +44 (0)1962 855080 M: +44 (0)7779 327413 E: ANDREW@DFL-UK.COM
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Professional lighting design consultancy offering technical advice, design and management services for exterior/interior applications for highway, architectural, area, tunnel and commercial lighting. Advisors on lighting and energy saving strategies, asset management, visual impact assessments and planning.
STEVEN BIGGS
STEPHEN HALLIDAY
ANTHONY SMITH
MILESTONE INFRASTRUCTURE
WSP
STAINTON LIGHTING DESIGN SERVICES LTD
IEng MILP
PETERBOROUGH PE1 5XG T: 07834 506705 STEVEN.BIGGS@MILESTONEINFRA.CO.UK
MILESTONEINFRA.CO.UK
Award winning lighting design specialists, delivering innovative design, installation and maintenance solutions in highways, public realm, commercial and architectural environments. Our HERS registered team provide design strategies, impact assessment, technical & certifier support.
BONNIE BROOKS
BA(Hons) BEng (Hons) MSc CEng MSLL MCIBSE MILP
ILLUME DESIGN LTD
EngTech AMILP
MANCHESTER M50 3SP T: 0161 886 2532 E: STEPHEN.HALLIDAY@WSPGROUP.COM
WWW.WSPGROUP.COM
Public and private sector professional services providing design, technical support, contract and policy development for all applications of exterior lighting and power from architectural to sports, area and highways applications. PFI technical advisor and certifier support, HERS registered personnel.
IEng FILP
STOCKTON ON TEES TS23 1PX T: 01642 565533, E: ENQUIRIES@STAINTONLDS.CO.UK
WWW.STAINTONLDS.CO.UK
Specialist in: motorway, highway schemes, illumination of buildings, major structures, public artworks, amenity area lighting, public spaces, car parks, sports lighting, asset management, reports, plans, assistance, maintenance management, electrical design and communication network design. Registered personnel.
STEPHEN HIGHAM
NICK SMITH
SHD LIGHTING CONSULTANCY LTD
NICK SMITH ASSOCIATES LIMITED
IEng MILP
IEng FILP MIES
CHESTERFIELD, S40 3JR T: 01246 229444 E: MAIL@NICKSMITHASSOCIATES.COM
EXETER EX4 1NF T: 07840 054601, E: INFO@ILLUME-DESIGN.CO.UK
BOLTON BL2 6SE M: 07834 490 192 E: STEVE@SHDLIGHTING.CO.UK
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SIMON BUSHELL
ALLAN HOWARD
ALAN TULLA
ENERVEO
WSP
ALAN TULLA LIGHTING
Professional independent lighting design consultancy providing designs for all exterior applications, including street lighting. Specialists in assisting at the planning application stage with designs, strategies, lighting impact assessments, and expert witness, with a focus on mitigating ecological and environmental impacts.
MBA DMS IEng MILP PORTSMOUTH PO6 1UJ M: +44 (0)7584 313990 T: +44 (0)121 387 9892 E: SIMON.BUSHELL@ENERVEO.COM
WWW.ENERVEO.COM
Outdoor lighting consultancy specialising in adoptable highway and private lighting designs. Our services include Section 38, Section 278, Car Park lighting designs, Commercial floodlighting schemes and environmental impact lighting assessment reporting. Qualified design team with 24 years’ experience in exterior lighting.
BEng(Hons) CEng FILP FSLL LONDON WC2A 1AF T: 07827 306483 E: ALLAN.HOWARD@WSPGROUP.COM
WWW.WSPGROUP.COM
Specialist exterior lighting consultant. Private and adopted lighting and electrical design for highways, car parks, area and sports lighting. Lighting Impact assessments, expert witness and CPD accredited Lighting design AutoCAD and Lighting Reality training courses.
IEng FILP FSLL
WINCHESTER, SO22 4DS T: 01962 855720 M:0771 364 8786 E: ALAN@ALANTULLALIGHTING.COM
Professional artificial and daylight lighting services covering design, technical support, contract and policy development including expert advice and analysis to develop and implement energy and carbon reduction strategies. Expert witness regarding obtrusive lighting, light nuisance and environmental impact investigations. registered personnel.
WWW.ALANTULLALIGHTING.COM
LORRAINE CALCOTT
ALAN JAQUES
MICHAEL WALKER
IT DOES LIGHTING LTD
ATKINS
MCCANN LTD
Professional consultancy from the UK’s and Irelands largest external lighting contractor. From highways and tunnels, to architectural and public spaces our electrical and lighting designers also provide impact assessments, lighting and carbon reduction strategies along with whole installation packages.
IEng MILP IALD MSLL ILA BSS THE CUBE, 13 STONE HILL, TWO MILE ASH, MILTON KEYNES, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE, MK8 8DN T: 01908 560110 E: INFORMATION@ITDOES.CO.UK
IEng FILP
Site surveys of sports pitches, road lighting and offices. Architectural lighting for both interior and exterior. Visual Impact Assessments for planning applications. Specialises in problem solving and out-of-the-ordinary projects.
IEng MILP CMS
NOTTINGHAM, NG9 2HF T: +44 (0)115 9574900 M: 07834 507070 E: ALAN.JAQUES@ATKINSGLOBAL.COM
NOTTINGHAM NG9 6DQ M: 07939 896887 E: M.WALKER@JMCCANN.CO.UK
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WWW.ATKINSGLOBAL.COM
WWW.MCCANN-LTD.CO.UK
MARK CHANDLER
PATRICK REDMOND
PETER WILLIAMS
Award winning lighting design practice specialising in interior, exterior, flood and architectural lighting. Emphasis on section 278/38, public realm, ecology receptor mitigation and supporting Councils with planning approvals, CDM2015 and SBD accredited. Specialists in circadian spectrally specific lighting design.
EngTech AMILP
MMA LIGHTING CONSULTANCY LTD
READING RG10 9QN T: 0118 3215636 E: MARK@MMA-CONSULTANCY.CO.UK
WWW.MMA-CONSULTANCY.CO.UK
Exterior lighting consultant’s who specialise in all aspects of street lighting design, section 38’s, section 278’s, project management and maintenance assistance. We also undertake lighting appraisals and environmental lighting studies
Professional consultancy providing technical advice, design and management services for exterior and interior applications including highway, architectural, area, tunnel and commercial lighting. Advisors on energy saving strategies, asset management, visual impact assessments and planning.
HDip Bus, EngTech AMILP, AMSLL, Tech IEI
REDMOND ANALYTICAL MANAGEMENT SERVICES LTD.
Design for all types of exterior lighting including street lighting, car parks, floodlighting, decorative lighting, and private lighting. Independent advice regarding light trespass, carbon reduction and invest to save strategies. Asset management, data capture, inspection and testing services available.
EngTech AMILP
WILLIAMS LIGHTING CONSULTANTS LTD.
M: + 353 (0)86 2356356 E: PATRICK@REDMONDAMS.IE
BEDFORD, MK41 6AG T: 0 16 0 8 6 4 2 5 3 0 E: PETER.WILLIAMS@WLCLIGHTING.CO.UK
WWW.REDMONDAMS.IE
WWW.WLCLIGHTING.CO.UK
Independent expert lighting design services for all exterior and interior lighting applications. We provide sustainable lighting solutions and associated electrical designs. Our services include PSDP for lighting projects, network contractor auditing, and GPS site surveys for existing installations.
Specialists in the preparation of quality and effective street lighting design solutions for Section 38, Section 278 and other highway projects. We also prepare lighting designs for other exterior applications. Our focus is on delivering solutions that provide best value.
Neither Lighting Journal nor the ILP is responsible for any services supplied or agreements entered into as a result of this listing
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