Year-round use for Cambridge cycle paths thanks to ecologically friendly solar ground lighting

The challenge

Cambridgeshire County Council were undertaking a scheme to encourage active travel on key pedestrian and cycle routes connected to the city centre and beyond.

There were three areas they wanted to focus on, these were

  • Lammas Land – a popular park in southwest Cambridge,
  • Coe Fen – a semi-rural meadowland to the east of the River Cam in the south of the city, and
  • Driftway – a live road used for access to Lammas Land.

With public safety in mind and to encourage more people to use the footpaths throughtout the year, the need for new wayfinding lights had been identified.

However, with a moral and legal obligation to ensure that any changes to the historic, unique and natural landscape were not at the detriment of the local wildlife, Cambridgeshire County Council needed to ensure that the measures to improve cycling infrastructure, safety and wayfinding were ecologically sensitive.

Considering budget constraints, the lighting solution had to be both cost effective and low maintenance. With no access to mains power and the high expense and potential environmental impact of installing it, solar powered lighting emerged as an appealing option.

footpath through open green space with trees and a boundary wall

The solution

Cambridgeshire County Council worked with Solareye to install more than two hundred environmentally friendly solar powered ground lights in Lammas Land, Coe Fen and Driftway.

The Solareye80 Bat Hat product was chosen as it is specifically designed to reduce upward light spillage by 98% and thus minimising the lights’ impact on nocturnal wildlife. At the same time, Solareye80 Bat Hat ground lights provide a low cost renewably sourced level of wayfinding light for cyclists and pedestrians to safely use the routes after dark.

The site crew took into account the client’s needs and suggested ways to minimise long-term maintenance of the lights, particularly concerning vegetation growth and grass verges. In some areas the lights were positioned centrally to avoid encroaching vegetation and debris build up.

Solar ground lights with bat hats in a single row on a path leading into the distance at dusk

The benefits

Providing wayfinding illumination across the three sites has encouraged cyclists and pedestrians to use paths that connect to key locations, including the city centre, station, hospital, and workplaces.

The council has already received very positive feedback from both local communities and international colleagues on the project.

The installation was delivered according to plan, and on time – understanding the need to complete the work before winter and with the appropriate method statement, particularly as some of the work was carried out on a live road.

Want to find out more?

If you have an area that requires night time delineation, installation of the Solareye80 ground lights is:

  • Quick and cost effective installation with minimal disruption
  • Easy to maintain
  • Suitable for areas off the national grid
  • CE accredited, IP68 and IK10 certified
  • Environmentally friendly

To download this case study as a PDF click here. If you would like to find out whether Solareyes are right for your project please get in touch with our specialists by calling 01275 872 079 or completing our online form here.