LED Lighting - The Solution For Playgrounds

If you are responsible for the maintenance and provision of lighting for playgrounds, you may want to consider the benefits that LED lighting offers.  Playgrounds tend to be spaces only used in the daytime, as most parents would not want children playing out after dark. However, LED lighting is offering changes to how play parks are used.  With the added financial benefits to using LED lighting it could be worth finding out more.

Why Light a Playground at Night?

This is an interesting question, and there is more than one reason.  Firstly, safety is a concern.  Parks are public spaces that people may walk through at any time of day and night.  Most criminals are put off if they think people will actually see them commit their crimes, and do not want to risk being identified.  As mentioned above this also means parents will not let children uses these spaces after dark, which in many winter months means that they are not used at all except for school holidays. Some older style lighting offers a poor standard of very yellow light, so even walking through these areas can still be quite intimidating and leave people feeling vulnerable and exposed.  LED lighting offers a much better quality of light that is nearer daylight. This instantly enhances the safety of the area.

What About Daytime Lighting Too?

A city in Sweden took their LED lighting in parks a step further.  Not only did they feel they had enhanced the safety of the area after dark, but officials in Uppsala have discovered that their new lighting has encouraged use of the playgrounds in the long winter months, even during the day, when their parks stood empty.  Because the light is a more white, natural daylight it actually improved the health and wellbeing of the users.  Children were more enthusiastic about using the spaces, and parents were much happier to let them.  So, the government decided to look into this further and discovered that parents had noticed this improvement to health and wellbeing.  Questionnaires showed that children were noticeably more content when they were able to access play areas more often.  Other side effects noted were healthier appetites and better sleep routines.  Daylight actually impacts on the brain, particularly the areas responsible for mood, and lack of daylight in winter can cause health issues.  So, this whiter light had an awesome benefit the city hadn't actually banked on.

Add in the Cost Savings

LED lights also offer significant energy savings which in turn brings a lower energy bill.  LED lights take less energy to provide a better quality of light, which knocks down the money it costs to run them, even if you add in using the lighting during the day in winter. This saving means there will be more money available for the maintenance of play equipment enabling the space to be kept in better order.  The maintenance of the actual light fittings also decreases, as LED bulbs offer a much longer lifespan than their older style counterparts, freeing up staff for other duties.  

Overall, there are numerous reasons why LED lighting makes the perfect choice for playgrounds.  Please do get in touch if you would like any more information, or indeed are ready to make the switch.