Spotlight on Street Lighting Design

Effective and efficient street lighting is vital in helping to keep people safe, both on the pavements and on the road. But did you know there’s a lot more to designing a lighting scheme than selecting the appropriate bulbs and the positioning of the lights?

Here, our technical manager, Adrian Cunningham, outlines some of the factors his team takes into consideration when designing a scheme for clients.

The impact on wildlife

Believe it or not, how a lighting scheme could affect local wildlife is an important consideration for us at Aptus. Artificial lighting can significantly impact bats for instance, so any solutions we design must have wildlife in mind. We understand and appreciate the significance of our role in minimising the impact on the environment and local ecosystems.

Keeping people safe

With Aptus having been awarded the prestigious Secured by Design accreditation, our team always factors safety into any schemes we create in order to ‘design out’ crime through innovative lighting solutions. By carefully choosing the correct lighting levels and products, effective lighting schemes can help to prevent crime, reduce fear of crime, and deter antisocial behaviour.

Ecological implications

Working right across the country, some of our projects are located in conservation areas or places where light pollution needs to be kept to a minimum. We therefore have to ‘design in’ dark sky friendly lighting solutions where the need arises to abide by planning rules and regulations, and negate obtrusive light spill.

Sustainability

As a business that recognises the importance of adhering to sustainable policies and practices, our lighting team recommends eco-friendly lighting solutions to clients where possible to maximise energy efficiency. The use of LEDs, bollards, conscientious designing, and dimming regimes are all factors we consider, with a focus on being greener and cleaner.

To find out more about our Street Lighting Design & Planning services, click here.

Training is key

Underpinning the quality of the schemes we deliver for our clients and the expertise we demonstrate is our experienced team, which is always at the forefront of technological advancements and innovation.

To aid with this, Aptus provides opportunities for regular training and career development which the lighting team has benefitted from.

For example, a street lighting technician in our Lancashire team, Abigail Aspin, has just gained her lighting diploma, while Kirsten Raby has moved from her role as a technical administrator to a lighting scheme designer based on her desire and enthusiasm to progress, which was recognised by Aptus.

The landscape within the street lighting sector is constantly evolving, which is why having the support from Aptus to continually develop and learn is so valuable.

Published on 14th February 2024