Signify a world leader in lighting, is supporting Milton Keynes City Council in its long-term vision to create a sustainable city. Signify was selected to upgrade 18,000 existing streetlights to LED – enabling the city to introduce innovation in terms of performance, quality of light, and connectivity to its lighting assets – and contribute to their climate action goals.

The phased programme will be completed in 2024 and is expected save the council over 5 million kWh in energy usage, and £2 million in energy costs per year, following completion (based on average and estimated prices 2021-2025), as LED lighting uses up to 70 percent less energy when compared to the existing HID lighting. The reduction in ongoing energy costs is expected to pay for the project in full within 8 years. The LED upgrade will also increase visibility for motorists and pedestrians, and improve the quality of security camera footage, helping to improve the feeling of safety and deter criminal activity.

In 2019, Milton Keynes City Council committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2030, and carbon negative by 2050 – steps of which are laid out in their Sustainability Strategy 2019-2050.  They had already kicked off some climate action initiatives prior to this. In 2014, Milton Keynes City Council started delivery of the programme to modernise and upgrade its public lighting stock to low-energy LED; to reduce energy costs and carbon emissions, extend the life of its assets, and reduce maintenance and associated costs.  Then in 2022, due to the 88% increase in energy prices the council came under further revenue pressure for 2023/24, which led them to expand and accelerate the lighting upgrade programme to enable them to operate in the most cost-efficient manner.

Signify was selected as the lighting partner of choice based on several parameters. The technical specification of the proposed lighting solutions, the projected operational and energy cost savings, as well as carbon emission reductions.  In addition, Signify’s sustainability credentials as a responsible supplier played a large part.

Throughout February and March this year, and forming the main part of the roll-out of the project, a combination of ~18,000 Philips LumiStreet Gen2 and LumiStreet ECO LED lanterns were installed along roads and footpaths across the city – replacing the old, energy inefficient HID lanterns.  The Philips LumiStreet ECO was designed to specifically meet the needs of the UK market, and this project sees the first large roll-out across a city. In addition, in December 2023, 1,800 Philips TownTune urban decorative LED luminaires were installed, to improve the lighting across car parks, pedestrian walkways, and cycle paths.

For the installation, the council chose Philips luminaires in combination with Telensa’s cloud-based Central Monitoring System (CMS) that provides a fully functioning, controllable street lighting asset management system, capable of driving further energy savings.

Commenting on the LED upgrade, Cabinet Member for the Public Realm, Cllr Jennifer Wilson-Marklew said “This has been a significant project that will really help us to lower our energy consumption and tackle climate change in Milton Keynes. MK City Council is committed to moving towards our target of net zero by 2030 and being carbon negative by 2050. Reducing our streetlight energy consumption is a big part of that process.”

Milton Keynes City Councils’ service provider Ringway were responsible for the installation and management of the project.  They also undertake the management and maintenance of the largest portfolio of highways service contracts in the UK.

“Upgrading to LED technology helps reduce the carbon footprint of public lighting, while also saving on energy and maintenance costs – year on year. The lights are more efficient, can be targeted precisely where needed, and last much longer than conventional lanterns. What’s great is the connectivity that’s enabled with LED – they are programmable meaning they can be switched on only when needed, which extends the lifetime, and reduces the need for maintenance,” said Jonathan Watt from Ringway.

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One of the most significant changes is the removal of the word ‘Lighting’ in the brand language. The move from CU Phosco Lighting to just CU Phosco is not just a name change but a reflection of its expanded range of products and services. For instance, in the last year, as a departure from standalone lighting solutions, CU Phosco launched the Connected Urban smart pole, designed to support the densification of street-level 5G rollouts and to provide a full Smart City solution, from antennas to CCTV, public address systems, and more.

It has also recently introduced Asset Finance options, including Lighting as a Service (LaaS), making the latest lighting technology more accessible to its customers without the burden of initial capital investment.

Key elements of the rebrand include a modernised logo and a vibrant colour palette, reinforcing CU Phosco’s commitment to quality, heritage, and tradition while embracing contemporary aesthetics. The updated visual identity aims to resonate with its forward-thinking approach and dedication to the circular economy principles in manufacturing.

“After months of dedicated work and insightful discussions, we are thrilled to unveil our new brand identity. This is a significant step forward in our journey, a testament to our commitment to excellence in design and sustainability as we embark on our next century with renewed vigour,” shared Clare Fuller, Head of Marketing at CU Phosco.

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Chris chose to work with Robe ESPRITE moving lights and one of the new Robe iBOLTS, which were applied with great effect together with projection mapping of the South African flag onto the building.

Cyril Ramaphosa was inaugurated as South African president and leader of a national unity government made up of representatives from four major parties – the ANC (African National Congress), the DA (Democratic Alliance), the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) and the Patriotic Alliance (PA).

The final inauguration events are organised on a tight timescale once the actual election results are confirmed and certified – Chris received the call a week beforehand and was asked to present a scheme for illuminating the Union Buildings, a notoriously difficult structure to light effectively due to is extremely long – 285 metre – façade.

Designed by Sir Herbert Baker in 1908 in English ‘monumental’ style, construction from light sandstone materials began the next year and was completed in 1913. The buildings are semi-circular in shape with two side wings representing the union of formally divided people.

This was the first time that Chris had lit the Buildings. Initially, the client had the idea of projecting the South African flag onto the four end-walls, however after a site visit, Chris proposed lighting the two inner end walls with the projected flags, and lighting along the whole facade of the near side wings for better effect and to also to maximise their budget.

The client agreed and Chris then specified six Robe ESPRITES a side for the façade illuminations, and two 40K projectors for the flags onto the two end-walls.

From a conversation with Duncan Riley from Robe’s South African distributor DWR Distribution, Chris learned that the iBOLT had recently arrived in the country! They both thought it would also be a brilliant ‘inauguration event’ for this powerful super-bright laser-lightsource searchlight style fixtures in SA, and that an iBOLT would complete and complement the other elements of the installation perfectly.

DWR’s Duncan and Bruce Riley rocked up on site with the fixtures and set it up and programmed the iBOLT using a small console so it blasted up into the night sky and cycled through a number of colourful and spectacular effects.

“It’s a completely awesome fixture and created some beautiful effects,” commented Chris, adding that it juxtaposed seamlessly with the lit building.

The ESPRITES were rigged on truss tower sections on the other side of a road that passes directly in front – with a 9-metre drop – of the buildings, along the edge of the large park/amphitheatre that stretches away in front of the seat of government. They were positioned to avoid greenery, and the shutters used extensively to produce crisp delineating lines between the different bold flag colours.

ESPRITES are one of Chris’s go-to fixtures for multiple shows and corporate events, so he knows them well, but even he was surprised at how well they worked in this architectural context.

The central curved building and its two distinctive turrets, illuminated by a permanent lighting installation already in place for some years, provided depth, contrast and a negative space that coincidentally referenced the black parts of the South African flag.

The installation ran for three nights from dusk to dawn, bringing the Buildings to life, and was enjoyed and appreciated by the press and the public either side of the actual inauguration ceremony, which took place at midday on 19^th June on the South Lawns of the Union Buildings.

Photo: Chris Duys.

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The festival was staged by Events Helsinki, which brought in Capital AV to deliver technical production and visual consultancy for the Ateneum projections. In temperatures plummeting to minus 20 Celsius, the Capital AV team set up a warm trailer next to FOH position and the three projector towers. The animation work was designed by Katri Tikkanen and commissioned to celebrate the 60^th anniversary of famous Finnish clothing brand Marimekko’s cherished design pattern, “Unikko”. Marimekko and Ateneum joined forces as major sponsors of the festival, making the projection project a reality.

A music score was composed by Matti Ahopelto, with the piece coming together as projected visuals that danced on the front of the imposing building.

“We deployed two Montane+ RTX and three Karst+ Media Servers to drive the projected visuals as we needed a reliable solution in the cold weather and with enough power for the large canvas, amount of graphics and the five-hour loop,” says Capital AV’s Max Lapinsuo-Sylwén. “The Hippotizers proved to be a powerhouse, running the show for the entire five-day festival without any issues. They just work when we need them to.”

The results were a bright, beautifully executed tribute to Finnish design and visual arts, nodding to neo-impressionalist painter Alfred William Finch’s pointillist work Orchard at La Louvière and the Unikko pattern.

The show was projected using the six Barco projectors, with three double-stacked each side in the projection tower and connected to the Hippotizer Media Servers using Luminex fiber cables. The Hippotizers were supplied by Capital AV, with subsidiary Capital Creative delivering the project with Max Lapinsuo-Sylwén and Timo Kesonen at the helm. It’s estimated that more than half a million people braved the cold to enjoy the LUX Helsinki festival this year.

Image credit: © Capital Creative | LUX Helsinki.

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The request was ambitious: to permanently illuminate a 25×25-metre facade with LED lights in the green, white, and red colours of the Italian flag while adhering to strict technical and environmental constraints, including resistance to marine conditions and the need for angular projections without compromising uniform coverage.

After careful evaluation, Spazi Sonori Live chose the PROLIGHTS Mosaico series. They used 2 Mosaico L projectors for the green and white colours and 1 Mosaico XL projector for the red colour, harnessing their precise beam modulation and keystone correction capabilities for optimal projection, even from complex angles.

These IP65-rated floodlights, ideal for outdoor applications in harsh conditions like marine environments, enabled uniform and vibrant illumination of the Naval Academy facade, creating a symbol of national pride visible from a distance.

The Spazi Sonori Live team commented: “Thanks to the versatility and innovation offered by PROLIGHTS, we successfully overcame complex technical challenges, completing an installation we can take pride in.”

The new lighting not only celebrates the historical and cultural significance of the Naval Academy of Livorno but also establishes itself as a point of reference for the city.

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Announced at the LiGHT 23 Expo in London, the new initiative aims to provide lighting specifiers with the tools and guidance needed to eliminate light pollution, conserve energy, cut waste and help protect biodiversity. It consolidates several long-standing principles the British luminaire manufacturer upholds and underlines its commitment to delivering sustainable lighting solutions.

The initiative outlines five key areas where DW Windsor can assist lighting professionals, helping to educate key stakeholders and support considered lighting designs. It includes the adoption of precise optics and light shields, warmer colour temperatures, adaptive lighting controls, highly efficient LEDs, and the embracing of circular economy principles.

DW Windsor addresses these crucial areas through its product design, innovative technologies, advanced manufacturing processes and local supply chain. For example, several DW Windsor luminaires are now DarkSky Approved, meaning they don’t pollute the night sky.

Alan Grant, Design and Development Director at DW Windsor, explains: “Lighting has a significant impact on our lives and the functions of our urban spaces. When carried out responsibly, in line with best practices, good lighting can enhance the built environment while providing social, environmental, and economic benefits.”

Demonstrating how the initiative integrates more broadly across the industry, DW Windsor’s Light Responsibly strategy aligns with principles set out in the Responsible Outdoor Lighting at Night (ROLAN) Manifesto.

Mitch Waite, Senior Product Manager, added: “Light is an essential part of our urban environment, whether ensuring safety and security or supporting the night-time economy. By controlling light effectively, eliminating wasted energy and ensuring light levels and colour temperatures are appropriate, we can improve the well-being of people, protect wildlife and reduce environmental impact. At DW Windsor, we are committed to tackling the challenges we currently face and helping our customers to Light Responsibly.”

To find out more about the new initiative, visit www.dwwindsor.com/light-responsibly

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