Where you need to light up night roadworks or a remote mine site, it’s important to choose the right size, style and number of portable lighting towers according to the site and your specific needs. Here are 5 key considerations:
- Calculate how much coverage and brightness you need
To get the best solution, it’s important to calculate the size of the area that you need to illuminate. Also consider the level of brightness (lumens) you need. For example, construction and roadworks sites need to be well lit so workers can see what they’re doing.
- Determine how many hours you need the lighting to run
Determine how many hours you’ll need the lighting towers to operate. A lighting plant can run 24/7 but it’s determined by the type of bulb (LED or metal halide) and the tower’s fuel tank capacity. As a guide, a metal halide lighting tower would need to be refuelled every 48-50 hours (with a fuel consumption of around 4-litres per hour), while an LED tower can run for up to 200 hours between refuelling, with a fuel burn of between 0.8-2.5-litres per hour. Solar-powered lights run for around 12-14 hours depending on weather conditions and solar recharge rate.
As a guide: Metal halide bulbs are bright, warm lights and provide a great deal of illumination. High-intensity bright white LED lamps are low-voltage and require less energy than metal halide lights, but they don’t provide quite as much illumination. However, LED lights are instant-on and turn off right away and are the most popular choice among Onsite customers.
- Consider height and rotation
If you need height for your worksite, then a key consideration is how high the mast is and the ease of extending it. Also ensure the lighting tower selected has a stabilisation system, in the event of high winds. Another factor is whether the mast can be easily rotated and tilted, so illumination goes exactly where needed. Onsite’s lighting towers have 360-degree rotation, with some rotating at the bottom of the mast and others rotating hydraulically at the light head. All of Onsite’s lighting towers have stabilising legs to assist in windy conditions, however, in some extreme winds there’s still the risk of the light plant blowing over, which is why it’s crucial to discuss your needs, work site setting and different scenarios with a lighting equipment hire specialist.
- Noise generation
If your site is in an urban environment where noise mitigation is a requirement, selecting a lighting tower with a low noise level is vital. If noise is an issue, keep in mind that solar and electric light towers are silent. As an example, for pedestrian lighting, solar power would be ideal, while for an industrial worksite with noise restrictions, the best option would be a metro-spec LED light plant due to its lower noise levels.
- Power type
There are various power options including diesel, generator, solar or electric power outlet.
Want to discuss your lighting tower needs? Call Onsite on 13 40 40 for a tailored solution.
We provide a range of solutions ranging from unique cube contact units to specialised portable LED lighting towers in various configurations, and solar units ranging from 240w to 2280w.
