4site/Countryside Properties, Bury St Edmunds

Marham Park is a brand new village-style development which is will include new leisure facilities, allotments and green open spaces available to residents. The development will create 65 acres of parkland and open space and will accommodate 1,000 new homes.

Countryside Properties commissioned 4site to create totems at the development’s two entrances, as well as wayfinding signage within, to direct potential new homebuyers to the marketing suite and showhomes.

With construction at the very early stages, there was no on-grid connection and the cost to dig and run cables would have run into tens of thousands of pounds, this meant that a solar-powered system was the only viable option.

4site had enjoyed limited success with solar-powered systems to date and after researching the market, approached LED and solar specialist Zeta, to recommend an intelligent, long-lasting solution. Director Paul Brand looked at a previous signage project utilising both Zeta’s Solar Signage Kit, a bespoke solution for lighting outdoor monoliths and totems, and its LGP, and was impressed with what he saw.

The Bespoke Solar Signage Kit includes discreet aluminium backed PV solar panels which capture the sun’s energy during the day. Zeta’s patented Energy Management System (PS800 Controller), an integral part of its LED solar-powered solutions, cleverly regulates the amount of power consumed by the LEDs at night and maximises the power going to the long-life batteries during the day, ensuring year round reliability.

Using both products which are designed to work together, 4site designed two 2.5 metre x 5 metre totems which are installed at the site’s main entrance, making it easy for passers-by see the development is open and to guide potential new homebuyers in. Two additional solar-powered totems standing at 2 metres x 4 metres were sited within the development, pointing visitors to Countryside Properties’ marketing suite.

With an urgent requirement to install signage highlighting the development was open and to afford visitors with easy access in, speed and ease of installation were key criteria. Zeta’s solutions are quick and easy to work with, resulting in a lower cost to install.

In order to add impact and ensure visibility from dusk, illuminating the signage was a high priority. The Zeta LGP combined with the Bespoke Solar Signage Kit provided the perfect solution to light the totems and signage, avoiding the high costs associated with linking to a mains connection.

With the totems differing in size, flexibility was also key and as Zeta designs, develops and manufactures in-house, it provided the LGP made to order in the sizes required.

Zeta’s off grid solution not only delivers superior lighting performance – the LGP has a unique grid pattern etched into the acrylic which ensures shadow free illumination and uniform light distribution – but also offers the ultimate energy saving and cost-efficient way to illuminate signage. Solar-powered systems consume zero energy so there are no ongoing running costs and they are maintenance-free.

This was a test site for us and we, and our client are impressed with the results. The solutions are straightforward, easy to work with and install, and delivered the desired results. We are looking to do more with Zeta's solar-powered systems.
Paul Brand, Director - 4site