A Bright New Chapter: Bracken Ridge Library Installs Solar Powered Festoon Lights
The installation of permanent solar powered festoon lights at Bracken Ridge Library has created a safe, welcoming space for the community all year-round and eliminated the need for labor-intensive setup and maintenance of temporary lighting systems for events.
Client
Brisbane City Council
Traditional Custodians
The Turrbul People
A night on the Green
Bracken Ridge Library is located half an hour north of the Brisbane CBD. It was redesigned in 2018 by Bligh Tanner to take advantage of Brisbane’s subtropical outdoor lifestyle with improved external connections to create a more integrated community precinct. The library features an adjacent green park space that has become a focal point for community events and activities.
Previously, temporary fairy lights were used to illuminate the Green during community events at night. The setup was cumbersome and inconvenient, requiring significant effort to install and maintain.
Councilor Sandy Landers, Bracken Ridge Ward Councillor, noted, “We particularly wanted to have the impact of lighting for events on the Green. We had been putting up fairy lights when holding events and relying on solar which was tedious and not long-lasting. We also had to lift heavy poles to put in place so we were looking for the same vibe by a more convenient set up.”
Festoon lights powered by the sun
Brisbane City Council partnered with Firefly Lighting and Leadsun to engineer a sustainable lighting solution that would look great and work
reliably. 120 Firefly festoon lights with one watt LED lamps were strung from the eves of the library to a single pole on the opposite side of the
Green. Clean, reliable energy is supplied all year-round by a 400 watt Leadsun AE6 solar engine mounted at the top of the pole.
Bertus Moers, Firefly Lighting Project Sales Specialist, remarked, “Leadsun were great to work alongside, taking care of the engineering complexities and considerations.”
An inviting space for the whole community
When the lights came on, Councilor Sandy Landers proudly announced on her Facebook page, “The activation of the Bracken Ridge Library Green with festoon lighting is now complete. The addition not only provides a safe space but also creates a welcoming space for events and opportunities to bring our community together.”
A few months later, the lights were put to the test during the first annual Schools Out On The Green festival, a Brisbane Youth Week event
showcasing local bands, food trucks, and art activities.
“Our Council is committed to delivering free and affordable fun for residents and our libraries offer far more than just a great range of books to borrow”, said Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner in a 2023 blog post.
The new lights provide a safe, welcoming space for the community to enjoy all year-round and eliminates the need for labor-intensive setup and
costly maintenance.
For more information on how our smart, sustainable park lighting systems can activate and transform your community space at night, contact us today.
Leadsun Products used
- Solar module series – AE6
- Solar PV size – 400W
- LED output programming: 5 hours from dusk then off
- Pole & footing type – Custom fixed pole with ragbolt concrete footing
Lighting Applications
Acknowledgement of Country
We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which this project was undertaken, The Turrbul People. We recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture, and we pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.
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