Sustainable lighting company Greenled, is rolling out the new lighting programme through the Redruth Economic Arts Partnership (REAP) who is coordinating the initiative to provide lighting throughout the town.
Greenled LEDs have a low carbon footprint and are beginning to achieve recognition as an alternative to toxic CFL bulbs owing to their very low energy usage. The exterior of each LED-lit building lit in Redruth will have a total energy usage of less than 100W. With a life span of up to eight years there is little maintenance required; a major factor in urban light design where a failed bulb can involve the high expense of a scaffolding rig or a maintenance contract.
The planned exterior lighting scheme for Redruth will draw attention to Redruth's attractive building heritage, highlighting interesting features and generally improving the appearance of the town while saving energy.
The first buildings lit by the scheme include two Malayan Tin buildings, the town library, the Town Council Chambers and St Rumon's Gardens, mostly lit in white light with some coloured effects. There are plans to roll the scheme out to additional town council buildings. The use of Greenled LEDs will further cut energy costs by reducing the need for sodium lighting used in streetlamps and, as LEDs are very low energy and are precisely positioned, there is no resulting light pollution.
"The Heritage Economic Regeneration Scheme; which has been a major factor in the town's regeneration, will be greatly enhanced by Greenled LEDs providing an impeccable light quality. It will highlight Redruth's architecture beautifully and sustainably with significantly lower maintenance costs whilst keeping energy usage to an absolute minimum," commented Anne Pascoe of REAP.
"The Redruth initiative proves that the drive for energy efficiency need not compromise aesthetic considerations," commented John Allard, technical director at Greenled. "We believe this project, which we hope will encompass up to 40 buildings in Redruth town centre, will be one of the largest undertaken in the UK." John Allard lives in Cornwall and received the Low Energy Lighting Designer award in 2006.
REAP's ambitions for the project don't end there, and they are seeking commercial sponsorship to light further town landmarks including the viaduct. The lighting project builds on the Heritage and Economic Regeneration Scheme which is nearing completion in Redruth.
Redruth has a history of lighting 'firsts' as the inventor of gas lighting lived in Redruth at the end of the 18th century and William Murdoch's house, in Cross Street, was the first in the world to be lit by gas.
(Jim Evans)
