Brillianz launches 'off grid' urban decorative lighting project for Plantscape
‘Off Grid’ - solar powered Christmas tree lighting will soon be coming to a High Street near you! Brillianz, in partnership with Plantscape - providers of urban decorative planters, has developed an LED decorative lighting set powered by a small solar panel and battery. The systems complete with artificial tree and base, will grace the lampposts in several trial towns across the UK. The concept of the ‘wireless Christmas tree’ was conceived by Mark Stone, the MD of Plantscape—as a winter enhancement to the company's summer trade in decorative urban planters and street furniture. Plantscape came to Brillianz to develop a solution to allow them to provide a decorative lit tree which would operate throughout the festive season. Supported by the technical design company Canard, Plantscape developed prototype trees which were trialled during last winter. The company have now supplied several hundred of the production version to council clients for the coming Christmas season. They provide the trees as a fully installed and maintained service to councils and owners of public spaces. The potential across the UK alone could easily be for tens of thousands of trees.The trees are in fact 1.2m ‘half trees’ - two units being attached around a lamppost. A unique and patented suspension system—designed for the summer planters— allows the pots to be raised into position about 3m above the ground by one person. Because the lights are solar powered they do not require a connection to mains power - ‘off grid’ is the technical expression - and so no electrician is required to complete the installation process. This not only saves a substantial power bill but also the electrician’s bill! The LED 60 lights use only one tenth of the electricity that conventional bulbs would consume—and that comes from the sun! The small solar panel—which sits at the top of the tree like a star— provides the energy during the daytime to charge the battery in the base of the tree. The battery drives the LEDs during the night when the solar panel is inoperative. The whole system is managed by an electronic control circuit which is programmed to flash the lights and keep the battery at optimum charge, turning the lights on at dusk and off later at night. Mark Stone sees this as the first of a number of ‘off grid’ urban decorative lighting projects the company will pursue. Brillianz, which is at the forefront of several innovative technology initiatives including off grid lighting and AC powered LEDs, sees a bright future for solar powered decorative and signage lighting as major users see the benefits of reducing their carbon footprint and reducing their power bill. For more information on the range of Brillianz LED lighting products please contact marketing on 01462 851653 sales@brillianz.co.uk www.brillianz.co.uk (c) Brillianz 2007