PEDESTRIAN, STREET & AREA LUMINAIRES

Out with the old, in with the new – all the while preserving ambience

Portland CBD, Victoria

The Project

The Glenelg Shire Council needed to upgrade its lighting, transitioning from high-pressure sodium to energy efficient technology within the Portland CBD main street – Bentick Street (east looking over the foreshore) and its newer boat ramp area. However, with a heritage overlay on the main street, a suitable aesthetic needed to be found, and here, Buckford Illumination Group Victoria provided WE-EF’s ASP530 street and area luminaire as a superior aesthetically pleasing solution. Located right on the coast, on the southwest corner of Victoria, Portland is often exposed to some of the wildest weather conditions, regularly experiencing winds in excess of 100 kilometres per hour. The wild winds and salt laden air, demanded marine grade aluminium to meet the tough conditions.

Key Considerations for product selection

• Style of product; aesthetic appeal to suit heritage overlay
• Wattages needed to be high enough to meet lighting standards and be energy efficient (while the local council owns the luminaires, it is Powercor, the energy supplier who maintain them)
• A build quality consisting of marine grade aluminium to ensure robustness and durability and a coating process that ensures resistance to corrosion
• Quality optics that place light where it is needed and prevent glare and unnecessary upward light spill, thus reducing environmental impact
• Lighting that is designed to last, backed by a strong warranty
• Luminaires that need minimal maintenance and downtime to improve long term cost efficiency and reduce unnecessary outages and labour

If conditions weren’t tough enough, located in close proximity to Portland’s aluminium smelter, a unique challenge existed wherein which the gases emitted from the smelter are corrosive to metals. Even galvanised steel has only lasted five years maximum without corrosion due to the gases that are emitted. Historically this has meant that previous luminaires installed in this region have quickly deteriorated, rusting after a year, according to Adam Smith, Environmental Sustainability Coordinator at Glenelg Shire Council. With WE-EF’s 5CE+ Primer coating protection system, the council was able to ensure that the luminaires being installed will stand up to the tough conditions and the test of time and to have peace of mind thanks to the 10 year warranty supporting the product.

The result

“The installation of the ASP530 luminaires in the Portland CBD Township have been well received, blending into the environment in a seamless and unintrusive way, the community has welcomed the new technology, and the product performance has been excellent. We were extremely pleased with the support that we’ve received in working with Buckford Illumination Group Victoria and WE-EF LIGHTING and we have full confidence in the quality of the product particularly knowing that it is backed by a 10 year warranty and that is well renowned for its ability to withstand tough coastal conditions for 20+ years around our harsh country”, said Adam Smith, Environmental Sustainability Coordinator, Glenelg Shire Council.