Leveraging the unique capabilities of Lightserve and past project success, a large Charlotte-based utility provider and Lightserve collaborated in November 2019 to complete a unique project. The challenge was to turn a substation, located near the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, into ‘nighttime art’ by illuminating it with color changing LED flood lights. The LED flood lights have the capability to be programmed to create infinite custom colors for specific events and holidays.

Lightserve worked with the local Hubbell representative to design a programmable color changing LED flood light system that met the requirements of multiple stakeholders at the utility provider. The optimal location of each flood light was determined through on-site testing and close collaboration with the utility provider and their installers.

One of the biggest challenges that the Lightserve team faced was how to mount the fixtures in a substation environment where safety is paramount, while minimizing the impact on the utility provider’s operations. The initial design concept included concrete pads for each fixture and underground electrical conduits. With the goal of providing an optimal solution for our customer, the team found a more cost-effective, safer alternative by mounting the fixtures directly on the new Vanquish security fence. An additional benefit came from specifying a deluxe fixture with white color (RGBW) lighting capability, which provided a safe,well-lit environment during nighttime maintenance.