Case Study: Silicone Solutions for High-Demand Outdoor Lighting with DOWSIL™
Finding sustainable and effective solutions for high-demand outdoor lighting, especially for a popular location, can be a tricky project to install without expert advice. Here we describe how a client was able to manage it successfully.
The Challenge
A popular 14th-century building owned and managed by a UK town council required a new outdoor lighting system. This was to make the grounds safer and more welcoming during evening hours.
The lighting system ideally had to:
- Uphold an attractive look to new visitors
- Add to the ambience while maintaining the historical significance of the area
- Meet all modern lighting safety standards
In order to achieve this, the managers had to find an optical material for encasing the lights in which was able to:
- Withstand harsh environmental conditions
- Provide resistance to thermal cycling (extreme temperature changes)
- Provide resistance to high humidity
- Provide resistance to UV and sunlight
The Solution
DOWSIL™ experts worked with the building planners to determine SILASTIC™ MS-4002 Mouldable Silicone as the ideal solution for the high-demand outdoor lighting system. SILASTIC™ MS-4002 Mouldable Silicone provides:
- High clarity and transmittance
- Mouldability of unique form factors
- Ability to withstand the long exposure to high flux density
- Sustained performance at high temperatures and in harsh environmental conditions
- High toughness and hardness
- Easy to assemble
SILASTIC™ MS-4002 Mouldable Silicone exceeded the material demands and technical requirements of the light engine used by the building operators.
The Benefit
Through the use of SILASTIC™ MS-4002 Mouldable Silicone, DOWSIL was able to provide both reduced energy costs and an increase in the lifetime of the lighting fixtures, demonstrating the sustainability impact of this project. In addition, the building experienced a surge in visitors – specifically to view the new outdoor lighting.
The building operators were able to use this product to create a lighting system providing perfect control of the light beam homogeneity and ease of interconnection. The material was able to be exposed to a high photo-thermal load. Additionally, the material’s UV resistance allowed the long-term stability of the whole luminaire, reducing the frequency and costs of maintenance and repairs.