Car park lighting design does sound like it would be a one size fits all... but in Winchester, that was far from the case and DFL had some genius fixes to hand!
The Issue
Located on the south side of Winchester, adjacent to Junction 11 of the M3 motorway, the installation site for this project is near a Site of Specific Scientific Interest (SSSI) and overlooked by the historic St Catherine’s Hill. So, Hampshire County Council needed to keep the site as ‘green’ as possible whilst upgrading the car park lighting facilities. Winchesters' Park and Ride (P&R) service helps visitors and commuters conveniently access the historic city centre while reducing traffic congestion. The 5 sites dotted around the outskirts of Winchester, provide over 2,100 parking spaces, all monitored by CCTV and awarded the Park Mark Safer Parking status for security and safety.
We had a lot to live up to!
The Solution
To ensure an eco-friendly lighting installation, we knew we’d need to consider part-night switching and dimming as ways to reduce energy consumption, as well as compliance with the required environmental guidelines. But we also had other factors to consider, including the security and safety of pedestrians and cars, accessibility and ways to avoid lighting impact. For example, the upward light ratio needed to be zero and glare and sky glow were off the cards.
We conducted a thorough assessment of the installation site that considered sustainability and lighting impact and produced a lighting design that included dimmer, wider-spaced luminaires to use less energy. We also used a luminaire with flat glass to avoid any upward light and prevent sky glow and carved out clearly defined pathways with the use of different surface colours.
What’s more, to make the most out of the columns we were installing, we proposed using two luminaires on each column where possible — and used the ones from the existing site. Because light would’ve been visible in the surrounding area until the new trees emerged, we recommended the use of glare-reducing louvres in selected luminaire locations.
To top it all off, we integrated dimmer switches into our plans to enable light levels to be reduced or raised when needed and limit wasted energy, meaning lights were reduced to 50% brightness between 8 PM and midnight.
The Result
DFL are proud to have created a bespoke car park lighting design that took on all the issues presented and ensured it was eco-friendly, money-saving and safe for the public using it.
We are adept at creating bespoke designs to overcome any issues presented to us...every time!
Want to chat about your project? We’re all ears.
