The UK is behind in LED street lighting, claims Coventry-based manufacturer Advanced LEDs.
“We are virtually giving up on the country,” company MD Carl Clarke told
EW. “Everyone is talking about it, and doing absolutely jack. In the UK, people just aren’t using the technology.”
So who is? “We are shipping most to the Middle East, the Far East, and parts of Europe,” said Clarke.
Although not so strident, others agree. “As for street lighting, he is not too far out in his comments,” Keith Fallon, MD of LED luminair OEM Constellation Lighting
told
EW.
“With all new technology there is some reluctance to change, although some council lighting engineers are quite receptive.”
Constellation has mains-powered street lighting customers in Norway and Panama, and solar powered streetlight customers in other parts of South America. Private UK customers are buying, and some councils have solar-powered units in remote locations.
According to another manufacturer of street lighting fixtures: “Quantity at the moment is going overseas. There is no volume going into the UK market, but there are a lot of interested parties wanting to know what can be done with LEDs.”
All this said, all concerned have demonstration projects in the UK.
Advanced LEDs external architectural lighting projects in the UK, for example, include Gloucester Cathedral, and the firm is part way through a street lighting project in an undisclosed UK town.
Internal LED lighting is a different matter. “Inside bars and restaurants? That is going quite well,” said Advanced Leds’ Clarke.