Holiday Inn Express, Portsmouth North

Holiday Inn Express Portsmouth increases car park security with LED lighting from Tamlite Lighting.

Holiday Inn Express Portsmouth North, part of the global chain IHG, is a modern 150-bedroom hotel situated close to the A27 in Portsmouth. Popular with business, leisure and conference guests, the hotel’s facilities include a large car park.

Urban Lighting

The lighting system used at the site previously did not light the space evenly with illumination poor in some areas. Providing even light distribution across a car park, and avoiding light and dark patches, is one of the key requirements of urban lighting.

Dave Wycherley, Regional Property Manager at Holiday Inn Express Portsmouth North, said: “We felt that the original lighting was insufficient for the size of the car park, and the opportunity to improve the security and the comfort of guests by making upgrades was obvious.”

Urban lighting also has another important responsibility, which is managing light pollution. For this reason, it is vital that exterior luminaires direct light downwards and only illuminate the spaces required. In addition, it the solutions used in the lighting upgrade needed to comply with light pollution guidelines. Lighting levels in suburban areas are to be no more than 5 lux and avoid light spill. This spill can cause disruption to sleep or wildlife, so it is important that the car park lighting is as unobtrusive as possible.

New Products

Tamlite were commissioned to supply a range of urban lighting solutions to Holiday Inn Express Portsmouth North to improve energy efficiency and security in the car park. PLAZA and CITY RL fittings were supplied, along with TC Lighting Columns - ideal for car parks and pedestrian areas. They are both weatherproof, IP65, which makes them ideal for external environments. With a IK10 impact rating, the EXPLORER RL ensures that it is also vandal resistant.

LED lighting solutions are low maintenance in comparison to fluorescent or discharge fittings. Requiring specialist equipment to access the maintenance gear, the previous fittings gave way to LED products that can be maintained much more easily. Both fixtures can be supplied in a range of colour temperatures. Neutral White (4000K), Daylight (6500K) or Warm White (3000K).

The benefits

The EXPLORER RL was supplied in Neutral White, whereas the PLAZA was Daylight. They provide different colour temperatures in different parts of the car park, adding to the aesthetic of the space. Coupled with the efficacy of up to 111 lumens per Watt, it ensures that it is energy efficient. This was important to Holiday Inn Express Portsmouth North, who strive to introduce energy saving measures.

“LED is always a priority when upgrading or replacing equipment going forward,” said Dave Wycherley.

Improved Lighting System

The completed lighting scheme was described as “A vast improvement” by Dave Wycherley, as the light levels have now improved significantly. Now sufficiently illuminated, the car park provides security to visitors and staff members during the darker hours. On top of this, the installation is attractive and in keeping with the professional character that Holiday Inn Express maintains. The importance of carrying the project out quickly to avoid disruption to customers was paramount, and Holiday Inn Express Portsmouth North were pleased with the results.

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