Lincoln University save 472 kg CO2e every year with Solar Lighting

Challenge

The new lighting systems needed to be environmentally sustainable and significantly reduce carbon emissions. In addition, there was an emphasis on ensuring that the installation works had minimal environmental impact and that the new lighting solution was quick and easy to install, cost-effective to run and would provide reliable year round lighting.

As the initial site was a busy car park, digging new trenches for mains-powered cabling would have caused extensive disruption. The subsequent retrofit also needed to minimise disruption to the busy location on campus.

The Solution

After a site visit, we developed a full lighting design and proposal, ensuring the new site lighting would meet British lighting standards. The initial project saw AE6 solar street lights with heavy-duty column guards and twin brackets delivered and installed at the car park, providing lighting without noise, emissions or the need for mains power. The AE6 uses new-generation lightweight lithium-ion batteries and can produce an output of up to 4,000 lumens per unit.

Following the first successful project, we revisited the university to install new AE3 solar street lights without the need to dig trenches or install trunking for cables. We also retrofitted existing lamp posts with twelve AE3 solar street lights, removing them from mains power connection to save future energy costs.

The Result

The University of Lincoln now benefits from clean, quiet, low maintenance lighting, reducing carbon emissions and saving on future electricity costs. The lights operate reliably and efficiently year round, from dusk until dawn, even in winter. The university has reduced its carbon emissions by 472 kg CO2e* per year and will cut down on energy costs too.

Both the AE3 and AE6 solar street lights are proven to operate reliably and efficiently throughout the UK winter, from dusk until dawn, thanks to their specially developed smart light controller.

*Savings based on 17-street lights, operating on average 12 hrs a day using 100% solar energy, saving 0.166 kg CO2/kWh based on the national fuel mix for energy, June 2023.