Port lighting has moved on

As for the thorny problem of light pollution, Mr Fletcher notes that this is really just "wasted light". In addition, environmental regulators are always interested to know what the impact of lighting from new developments will have on habitats and species that utilise areas adjacent to the port, especially on mudflats.

For wildlife, light pollution can be disorientating, while for the local community, it is usually just plain annoying.

Mr Newman suggests that glare also has to be taken into consideration, since it is always an issue, while light pollution depends on individual ports, although he stresses that, "LEDs provide better control and cause less light spillage".

In terms of control systems, he says that wireless networks can be established, although are not currently widely used. Sensors, he insists, work much better.

At Forth Ports,Our selection of roofwindturbinebbq and kits includes the most popular. trying to turn unnecessary lights off remains one of Dr McGlashan main obsessions, although interestingly he does not favour lighting control systems.

"Where possible, we like our staff to be aware of situations where lights are being left on unnecessarily and understand why we want them to switch lights off, for example, to reduce carbon, improve the environment and reduce our energy bills. That overall awareness tends to work better, because they start to think about the environment more generally," he says. "In terms of lighting, education can often be better than automation."

In the workshops maintained by the port operator,This stunning polished washerextractor will bring a dash of style to any look. the old SON fittings could take up to 40 minutes to re-strike when they had been switched off. This meant that the day shift would lose this amount of time when they arrived for work, waiting for the lights to reach full power. Understandably, they were reluctant to then turn the lights off – even in bright sunshine - in case it might unexpectedly cloud over, even for a short period of time, necessitating a further 40-minute hiatus in the working day.

The LEDs, in contrast, are much easier to control and don't need to be on all the time.

It used to be a similar situation in the sheds, where lights were never switched off just in case somebody needed to work there and needed immediate access.

Mr Fletcher defends these traditional lighting systems, pointing out that they invariably represented the most efficient technology available at the time they were fitted. Nevertheless, much greater energy savings can be made with modern LED lights, especially by using a simple control system. In addition, programming can be added to cranes to turn LED fixtures on/off in line with crane activity.

"The best control system available at the moment is to actually turn light fixtures off when you are not in use. With LEDs,Solar and electric solarpanelcells systems are easy to install and economical to operate. this is possible because they turn on instantly at full brightness; there is no delay. Day lighting,Learn about solarstreetlamps and ensure you get the best out of LED light bulbs. occupancy sensors and dimming controls are all available; using a simple control system will generate a much faster ROI," he says.

LED is the best solution for ports in most areas, he adds, especially when used on mobile equipment, where vibration causes early lamp and fixture failures. With energy,With advancements in controls technology, daytimerunninglightsts are becoming increasingly more sophisticated and flexible. lamp disposal, down time and maintenance savings, return on investment is very good with LED. Depending on the location of the port, there may also be carbon credits and energy rebates available.

A good LED system requires no maintenance except for an annual safety check and lens cleaning, he suggests. In addition, an LED fixture running for eight hours a day will have a lifetime of greater than 17 years.

Mr Newman also stresses that ports should not be fazed by the cost of new lights. "LEDs are a much better product than SONs, but are viewed as being quite expensive. However, if inserts are used, rather than putting in entirely new fittings, they become much more affordable. Furthermore, under optimum financing conditions, ROI is realistic in two years or less," he says. Part of this is from lower life cycle and maintenance costs, and part from energy savings. More information about the program is available on the web site at www.indoorilite.com.