Solar street lighting
Public realm scheme
As an alternative to traditional or LED street lighting, VolkerHighways installed solar street lighting in parks across Luton. This produces zero carbon, no electricity waste and eliminates the need for cabling, trenching, feeder cabinets and connecting to the grid for electrical supply.
What we did
The business installed 25 columns and solar street lights at Kingsway Recreation Ground and 35 columns and units at Wandon Park in Luton. Solar lighting saves up to 93.53kg CO2 per year compared to a like-for-like streetlight.
Project successes
The passive lanterns automatically come on at night and remain at 20% brightness until someone is within 15 metres on either side of the street light where it then switches to full power. Each street light is evenly spaced 30 metres apart and the units require no maintenance, other than cleaning every few years.
There is the option to add a monitoring system to the units which is controlled via an app. This would enable the team to remotely review the lantern’s performance including checking if there are any faults or increase the brightness.
“Every action we take as a council matters when it comes to reducing our town’s carbon emissions. Installing zero carbon street lighting in these areas will not only save emissions and money but also help keep our residents safe at night.”
Cllr Javed Hussain Portfolio Holder for Sustainable Development and Highways at Luton Council