Atlas Copco Portable Energy’s latest range of portable HiLight light towers incorporates cutting-edge LED (Light Emitting Diode) technology and delivers reliable and efficient lighting solutions with up to 25% more light compared to metal halide lamps and average savings of 60% on fuel consumption.

Heavy-duty applications like construction rely on rugged, reliable and efficient equipment to maintain uptime and keep projects on-track to ensure profitability. More and more sites are operating 24/7, working day and night to meet deadlines and avoid penalties. “Metal halide lamps can simply no longer compete with the ground-breaking features and cost saving elements offered by LED technology within the heavy-duty arena,” states David Stanford, Portable Energy Business Line Manager at Atlas Copco Construction Technique.  

“In line with Atlas Copco Portable Energy’s forward-thinking philosophy, we endeavour to constantly add value by anticipating the future needs of our customers and developing products to meet and even exceed these needs. We recognised early on that LED lighting, driven by extreme durability, superior performance and super-efficiency, is no longer a technology of the future but the preferred light source of today and immediately got to work to incorporate LED technology into our HiLight light towers.”

But as LED technology is widely available Atlas Copco wanted to offer customers a lighting solution that is second to none in every respect. So the company invested a great deal of time, effort and capital and conducted a deep analysis of this technology to develop a unique solution to meet customers’ portable lighting applications.

“It has taken us approximately two years to design and perfect our HiLight range of LED light towers and our different approach to LED technology has paid off; encapsulating unparalleled reliability and efficiency, our light towers deliver significant cost and energy savings to end-users.”

The LED lamps are designed for both portability and performance. The heavy-duty floodlights benefit from high ingress protection (IP) and impact protection (IK) ratings. Additionally, LED lamps offer higher durability without any deterioration in lux level while providing instant light. These features are as a result  of the right combination of LED chips and LED optics.

Manufactured from glass, the LED directional optics offer the correct light distribution, guaranteeing both the length and width of light coverage and significantly increasing the complete efficiency of the light tower. HiLight LED lamps’ high CRI (Colour Rendering Index) score of > 85 (out of 100) is close to natural light sources and deliver the correct tone of light.

Colours are better than standard metal halide lamps and the fully directional optic lens maximises practical light coverage while minimising ‘dark spots’ resulting in improved visibility on the job site and enhanced worker safety and comfort. Furthermore, the extended lighting-reach of the LED models means that larger sites can reduce the number of light towers required.

Depending on the model, a single HiLight LED light tower can illuminate an area up to 5,000m2 with an average brightness of 20 lux while offering a run time between refueling of 260 hours and consuming less than 0.5 litres of fuel per hour. Explaining how bulb technology helps a light tower consume less fuel Stanford says it is important to first look at how the light dispersal differs between LED and metal halide.

As metal halide solutions contain a bulb that gives 360° light, emission reflectors are required which will try to redirect all the light towards the area where it is required. “The result is an average efficiency of 60%. Putting it another way, a metal halide floodlight wastes 40% of the total luminous flux or lumens.”

The operational savings of LED light towers are achieved largely by dedicated power packs. “With our focus on efficiency from the very beginning, we looked for power packs that are specifically designed for LED applications.

While the majority of portable diesel-powered light towers are 4000W metal halide powered by 6000W power packs we have developed power packs with 2700W of net power.” These dedicated power packs optimise the total power output to the light source load and improve efficiency by protecting against under-loading of the engine and ensuring regulation of performance in any kind of temperature and altitude.

A more efficiently working engine reduces fuel consumption by a remarkable average of 60% and CO2 emissions by as much as 70%. Additionally the extended lifetime of the power pack module combined with longer service intervals lead to further cost savings through maximised uptime and reduced maintenance.

The custom design of the HiLight range provides heavy-duty protection even under the most stringent conditions and the LED lamps’ aluminium casting prevents transport damage, minimising the need for regular bulb replacements.

HiLight LED light towers present a win-win scenario for end-users short or long-term rental customers. Customers who rent for a short period of time are usually dealing with an event, urgent maintenance or a construction site which needs to be finished in a tight timescale. The most reliable solution is required here as a breakdown on a short project may kill profitability. “Our goal is a maximum payback time of two years for rental companies switching to LED technology.”

The HiLight LED range designed and manufactured by the Portable Energy division in the Construction Technique business area comprises three models: The premium HiLight H5+ for large construction sites; the HiLight B5+ model recommended for applications such as music and sporting events, residential construction, road construction, temporary public lighting, etc. and the HiLight V5+ for general construction and tough mining conditions.

“We are extremely proud to announce that the HiLight H5+ LED light tower has just walked away with the prestigious Red Dot Design Awards for 2017 for outstanding design of its innovative optic lenses that maximise light coverage,” says Stanford. “The award recognises the unit as the most efficient LED light tower with the highest luminosity.”

While LED lights are without any doubt all-round game changers, there are still a number of applications where metal halide light towers are sufficient. As a turnkey light solutions partner, Atlas Copco Portable Energy offers the HiLight V4 within the 4000W metal-halide light tower segment as well as the HiLight E2 and E3+ electric models which demonstrate exceptional plug-and-light capabilities.