Bringing energy efficiency to Suffolk’s historic streets

Supplying via Mark Bailey Associates, Acrospire worked with Bouygues Energies and Services to deliver Heritage lighting solutions for Suffolk County Council’s relighting project.

Nestled along England’s captivating East Anglian coast, Suffolk is a county that boasts picturesque landscapes, charming villages, and a rich historical heritage. With Ipswich as one of its oldest towns, Suffolk’s history can be traced back to the Stone Age, making it a living testament to the UK’s enduring past. The county’s diverse architectural styles, from ancient structures to eclectic designs, showcase its rich heritage.

In line with national climate initiatives, Suffolk County Council embarked on a mission to transition its street lighting infrastructure to LED to reduce carbon emissions and save costs. Having already succeeded in upgrading its functional lighting, the council turned its attention to its iconic decorative luminaires.

Supplying via Mark Bailey Associates both businesses worked with Bouygues Energies and Services to deliver Heritage lighting solutions for the relighting project.

Acrospire collaborated with the council’s contractors to provide a comprehensive solution, supplying 2,500 heritage luminaires. On a like-for-like basis, these schemes comprised a complementary blend of Muirfield, Streetcare and Birkdale lanterns, carefully selected to meet the project’s diverse requirements.

The Muirfield Lantern, a quintessential representation of a traditional 4-sided post-top lantern, seamlessly marries timeless aesthetics with modern LED technology. This transformation preserves the classic appeal of gas lantern aesthetics while entering an energy-efficient era of unprecedented energy savings.

On the other hand, the Birkdale Heritage Lantern takes the legacy of traditional fixtures to new heights by embracing cutting-edge LED technology. It captures the essence of traditional design while championing energy efficiency, a key project goal.
Blending with the two Victorian styled lanterns, Streetcare a compact post top, finishes the classic heritage appearance, complementing Suffolk’s mix of architecture. Crafted from the best British materials, each lantern epitomises quality and durability.

James Brooker, Area Sales Manager (South East) at Acrospire, commented, “Our success in this project can be attributed to our unwavering dedication to delivering energy savings. In a world of choices, it boiled down to three fundamental factors: cost-effectiveness, unmatched 12-year warranties, and a product that resonated with our partners. We take immense pride in the satisfaction expressed by our clients, who have found our heritage range ideal for their stunning part of the world.”

Acrospire’s heritage lighting upgrade contributed to the project’s overall savings. The remarkable achievement of a 76 percent reduction in energy usage translates into substantial benefits for Suffolk County Council, amounting to £1.7 million in annual electricity cost savings. These impressive results underscore the effectiveness of Acrospire’s approach in harmonising heritage aesthetics with cutting-edge technology to deliver industry-leading energy efficiency.

Richard Webster, Asset Manager – Street Lighting at Suffolk County Council/Suffolk Highways and Project Director Adept Live Labs praised the project’s outcomes, saying, “The transition to these state-of-the-art heritage LED lanterns represents another significant stride toward our mission of reducing lighting energy expenditure. As we continue to embrace these innovations, they bring us closer to our overarching commitment to become a carbon-neutral organisation by 2030.

Acrospire’s 12-year warranty further solidifies our confidence in the durability of this British-made product, made possible through the assembly of components within a 60-mile radius of their factory. It’s a testament to what we are trying to achieve here in Suffolk.”