Location: Mill Quay, London E14
Sector: Residential / Public Realm
Project Overview
Mill Quay is a prestigious residential estate located in the heart of London’s Docklands. The client required a comprehensive overhaul of the existing external lighting system, which had become inefficient, costly to maintain, and provided inadequate coverage in key pedestrian zones.
The Challenge
The original lighting scheme utilised ageing HID (High-Intensity Discharge) lamps that suffered from significant lumen depreciation and frequent failures.
Key challenges included:
- Safety & Security: Dark spots along the riverside walkways and communal gardens.
- Energy Inefficiency: High power consumption and carbon footprint.
- Environmental Impact: Light pollution affecting both residents and local Thames-side ecology.
- Maintenance Costs: The need for specialised lift equipment for frequent lamp replacements.
The Solution
We designed and implemented a turnkey LED transition strategy tailored to the unique Docklands environment, working closely alongside DW Windsor who specialise in providing good quality LED streetlight solutions with 5-Year-Warranty.
- LED Specification: Replaced dated luminaires with high-output, architectural-grade LED fittings. These were selected for their marine-grade finish to withstand the corrosive riverside air.
- Smart Controls: Integrated photocells and Bluetooth App based adjustable settings to ensure lighting is only active, when necessary, further reducing energy waste and can be adjusted to accommodate the environment situated and surrounding residents.
- Optic Optimisation: Utilised “Dark Sky” compliant optics to direct light precisely where needed, onto pathways and stairs, while minimising upward light spill into residents’ windows.
- Aesthetic Alignment: Selected sleek, contemporary bollards and column-top lanterns that complement the industrial-chic architecture of the E14 area.
The Results
The upgrade transformed the night time environment at Mill Quay, delivering immediate value to both the management company and the residents.
- Energy Savings: Achieved a 65% reduction in annual energy consumption related to external lighting.
- Enhanced Safety: Uniform light distribution eliminated dark corners, significantly improving CCTV clarity and resident peace of mind.
- Sustainability: Reduced carbon emissions year-on-year
- Zero Maintenance: With a lifespan of over 50,000 hours, the new system eliminates the need for routine lamp changes for the next decade.
Testimonial -
I would like to take the time to praise Future Lighting, and in particular Jordan Begg, for the extremely professional and patient manner in which they supported me with a project to change the street lighting at a site I manage, Mill Quay.
Jordan went above and beyond throughout the process. He attended site out of hours free of charge with a resident director to assess the existing lampposts, ensuring he fully understood what was being requested, particularly important as the board’s requirements changed on a weekly basis.
He also attended Zoom meetings to speak directly with the board, clearly explaining the quoted options, ensuring everyone understood what was being proposed, and offering ideas on how the correct lux levels could be achieved.
This was especially valuable given that the board had no physical lamp samples to review.
Jordan’s knowledge and expertise were second to none, and his patience in dealing with a high volume of queries genuinely made my role much easier.
Once the board finally approved the works, communication remained excellent. We were kept fully updated on parts delivery and scheduling right through to the start of the works.
The installation itself was carried out exceptionally quickly, with no complications or resident complaints, which is impressive on a site of nearly 400 residents.
The site now looks significantly brighter, and residents are feeling much safer, which was the original objective of the project.
Thank you again to Jordan and the team at Future Lighting for such an outstanding service.
Kathryne Henderson ATPI
/ Property Manager /