Off-grid renewable power and lighting expert, John Foster, Managing Director, Prolectric, talks about renewable lighting and the operational risks for businesses that rely solely on diesel power.
As regulators call for the tightening up of environmental standards on site emissions, early adopters of renewable technologies are now not only ahead of the game when it comes to compliance but are able to realise a competitive advantage. As fuel markets remain unpredictable and supply chains increasingly fragile, more organisations are recognising the strategic value of futureproofing and diversifying their onsite energy sources. As a result, off-grid renewable power is rapidly becoming an intrinsic part of a site operator’s risk-management strategy – and no longer just perceived as an isolated tick box sustainability exercise.
With skills shortages, high inflation, rising material and equipment costs, not to mention volatile fossil fuel supply chains, pressure is mounting from all directions. As a result, we are currently witnessing a phenomenal pivot within our client base, where long-term established customer businesses have parted with their traditional diesel-dependent equipment in favour of investing in renewable off-grid alternatives. Business, they say, is booming, in what is globally a very difficult market.
For many companies, the adoption of more sustainable business practice is having a halo effect, helping to enhance brand reputation and attract more environmentally conscious clients who share similar values. The strategic reinvention and repositioning of traditional diesel-dependent businesses is clearly paying dividends.
Lighting the way
As industries across the UK accelerate their transition to lower‑carbon operations, renewable lighting has emerged as one of the most practical ways to reduce environmental impact while improving operational efficiency. From construction and infrastructure to events and urban environments, renewable lighting technologies are proving that sustainability and performance are no longer mutually exclusive.
Prolectric designs and manufactures both permanent and temporary off-grid solar lighting solutions for the UK market. Prolectric permanent solar street lighting solutions provide reliable, low-maintenance illumination, which is mains-free and fully compliant with British Standards and DarkSky Approved.
In the temporary lighting category, solar tower lights, column lighting and perimeter and zonal lighting systems deliver safe, sustainable and fully off-grid illumination for construction sites and infrastructure projects, as well as on many other schemes and applications. For example, they are often supplied to warehousing projects and are equally at home on film sets. Designed for rapid deployment and consistent performance, these solutions reduce operational costs while eliminating diesel dependency.
Tower lights are essential for safe and productive work after dark and in areas of poor lighting – and with so many mobile tower lights available in the market it is important to understand the various options available. They are operated all year round, offering the most essential, versatile and functional components to extend construction hours after dark.
Prolectric created the original solar-powered tower light in the UK in 2017, pioneering the transition from diesel and fossil fuel-powered tower lights to solar and hybrid alternatives. Since then, our solutions have saved customers over £40m in diesel costs and over 83m kgs of CO2e.
Prolectric’s tower lights are designed and engineered in the UK at a manufacturing facility in Clevedon, near Bristol. From here, the company is able to specialise in developing lighting solutions that are specifically designed and built for the UK market. There is a unique and often challenging balance to strike in the UK winter between lower solar yield and longer nights.
Patented autonomous lighting control technology ensures lights operate reliably throughout the night, working as long and as hard as Prolectric customers do. The technology was specifically developed by an in-house R&D team in response to general market perceptions that off-grid solar lighting does not work consistently in the UK. Based on over 10 years of climate data, including sunrise and sunset patterns, combined with GPS location of the light and the battery state-of-charge analysis, the lights intelligently self-regulate their brightness to ensure they stay on all night.
Tower power
Advanced tower lights include specialised telematics systems which enable remote monitoring and control from any location. Prolectric has also developed the only solar lighting solutions on the market that eliminates the need for battery draining. Battery draining is commonly employed by traditional diesel tower lights to prolong the useable life of a battery and is required multiple times a month by our competitors’ products. The battery will be drained to 0 and then recharged using an external power supply back to 100%. This is a level of maintenance that we believe can be avoided by providing true setup-and-forget solutions, which are unique to Prolectric.
As many lighting towers are used in very harsh weather conditions, the design of the canopy can be a gamechanger when it comes to optimising performance and usability. It is vital that the body of the light tower is made of material that is corrosion- and crack-resistant, environmentally friendly and able to meet the demands of the working environment.
Prolectric’s tower light canopies are built from robust, powder-coated steel to protect the tower’s internal components from the elements. What is more, the innovative design and tough material helps ensure that the tower continues to perform throughout years of service, helping retain a high resale value and providing an outstanding Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). Wind resistance is another important consideration; our tower lights are rated for use in up to 80km/h wind speeds and are fitted with outriggers to provide further stability.
Proven technology
Renewable solar lighting is no longer a niche or futuristic technology; today it is a proven, high‑performance solution delivering real-world environmental and commercial value. As industries continue to decarbonise site operations and developments, solar and hybrid lighting will play an increasingly central role in creating cleaner, quieter and more resilient projects. For organisations looking to future-proof their energy sources and take meaningful steps towards sustainability, without compromising safety or productivity, renewable lighting offers one of the most rewarding and immediate opportunities to make a difference.
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