'Green' technology solar powered lighting columns on trial in Stillwater
When Rodney District Council required extra infill lighting (to improve safety) along a carriageway in Stillwater, they contacted Downer EDI Engineering (trading as CSL Traffic) for options and advice.
"This is a difficult site for installing standard lighting columns," said Renoir Taogaga, Contract Supervisor for CSL Traffic. "Due to the position of the road berm and crash barrier, installing underground cabling for standard lighting columns to each location would have been time consuming and costly. So we submitted costs to Rodney District Council for two options, standard and solar powered columns."
Due to the similarity of costs between the two options, Rodney District Council chose the 'green' option, placing an order for six columns on a trial basis.
"We contacted CSP and worked with them on a design to suit the needs of the site and the Rodney District Council," added Renoir.
"Current overseas designs for solar powered columns show the battery unit external to the column," said Craig Kitchen, Area Sales Manager Auckland for CSP. "CSL Traffic requested we incorporate the battery into the column, which we were able to do. This is the first column of its kind in New Zealand."
With both companies working together the six new solar powered lighting columns have now been installed.
| "CSP have been great to deal with and the columns are working well," added Renoir. " We are still working on improvements to the LED's themselves, but overall the trial is going well and we are in discussions with Rodney District Council for further installations of solar powered columns." |
"It is true that at present the solar option is more expensive than traditional lighting columns," added Craig. "However as more and more solar columns are installed and as the technology improves costs for manufacture will reduce and we should see solar powered columns becoming a first choice. It's also very good for the planet."