In 2014, Zeta announced plans to further expand its range of UK-manufactured LED and solar powered lighting solutions and invested £3.5m in the business to support its goal to accelerate the launch of a number of exciting new British-made innovations. This event was designed to showcase the fruits of this investment.

Guests enjoyed a tour of the company’s research and development and production facility, had the opportunity to view Zeta’s comprehensive range of LED and solar lighting systems, including its innovative Smart Scape street and area lighting solutions, and were also the first to see a number of exciting new product developments including Zeta’s new Light Guide Panel. This will be made in the firm’s Bicester production facility, in addition to the Smart Scape Solar Bollard wayfinding and amenity lighting solution, both of which were officially launched on the day.

Dave Harrison, managing director of Portland Lighting who jointly developed the Ecolux Solar, the industry’s first solar-powered LED trough lighting system with Zeta, was at the event and explained the impetus behind it: “The primary objective for us today was to showcase this flexible solution that now boasts a brand new Super Lens, which enables even illumination on larger format signs and billboards up to three metres deep to a leading prime site billboard advertising client.”
 
He added: “We’ve had massive interest from the many sign-makers at the event. It’s been really well received, it’s a great option for remote signage and that fact that projection with the new Super Lens is just 500mm compared with the earlier requirement for a 1,300mm projection bracket, has resonated with the sign-making community.”

Paul Edwards of City County and Graphics weighed in on why he visited the event: “It’s been a great day. We’re winning lots of new business on the back of Zeta’s solar solutions, in fact we’ve installed four solar-powered monoliths in the past few weeks.”

He continued: “We came along to see everything and are particularly interested in the new Solar Bollard. Solar is giving us the potential to do much more, it’s easy to install and the cost benefits are substantial. We’re providing signage for one client and we’re able to add even more value by offering them a solar-powered wayfinding solution, which we previously wouldn’t have been able to deliver.

“There is a huge opportunity for us here and we believe this winter we will be implementing mostly solar systems where we would have used normal LED powered systems. For one client in particular, I think that all their new illuminated installs will use solar as standard.”  

Commenting on the event, Zeta managing director Adrian Dennis added: “We were delighted to welcome so many of our clients and business partners to join us in celebrating our success in designing and developing a number of brand new British-made LED and solar solutions.

“It was a super event, the sun was shining, feedback from our guests was really positive and the new products we announced were really well received.”

The sunny side of the street

The aforementioned Solar Bollard technology from Zeta is designed as a wayfinding and amenity lighting solution, and is the first solar-powered system in the Smart Scape range, which also includes the Smart Scape Heritage—an LED conversion solution for heritage lamps. The range also includes Smart Scape Nano, an innovative LED street lighting solution featuring intelligent cooling technology that ensures optimum heat dissipation, and which consumes up to 60 percent less power than conventional technologies

Available in aluminium and wood finishes, the new Solar Bollard has been specifically designed to capture and store solar power via its integrated photo-voltaic panels and requires no on-grid connection. Zeta says this makes the technology ideal for use in walkways, cycle paths, parks or residential areas—where there is no mains-fed power supply.


“Designed and developed in-house, the Smart Scape Solar Bollard contains two LED lights. One runs at a low lighting level continuously, ensuring it can be seen from a distance while the second downlight reflector lamp incorporates integrated PIR sensors that automatically increase the lighting level when there is activity in the area, saving energy and reducing light pollution,” explains Dennis.

Zeta’s Dennis also explains the technology is, “easy to install, robust and vandal resistant’ and has an average rated life of over 44,000 hours. It is low maintenance and once installed there are zero running costs.

Guiding the way

Zeta’s Light Guide Panel also drew a lot of attention from visitors on the day, as it provides a flexible, energy-efficient solution to deliver optimum illumination across a variety of applications including signage, wayfinding, advertising poster cases, totems, monoliths, and even road signs.  

Each Light Guide Panel is made from high-quality UK acrylic says Zeta, and has a unique grid pattern etched into the acrylic that has been specifically designed to deliver shadow free illumination and deliver uniform light distribution, ensuring optimum performance.

 “The new Zeta Light Guide Panel is a maintenance free, low power alternative to fluorescent light sources with an average rated life of 50,000 hours,” says Dennis, who adds: “Featuring an ultra-slim profile starting from just 6mm, (thickness up to 15mm is also available on request) the Zeta LGP is available in bespoke sizes and shapes, and can illuminate a surface area up to 2.4 x 2m.

“This cost-effective, space saving, easy to install solution can be used in both single and double sided applications and has a waterproof option available, making it suitable for both outdoor and indoor use.”

Zeta’s LEDs are available in a range of colour temperatures along with RGB options; providing scope for sign-makers to offer a range of different effects and mood lighting. In addition, when combined with the Zeta Solar Kit, sign-makers can offer clients solar-powered signage illumination, ideal for use in areas where there is no easy to access mains power and where laying cabling is cost-prohibitive, a system that further reduces installation and running costs.


If you have an interesting story or a view on this news, then please e-mail news@signlink.co.uk

Follow Brendan on: