Go Outdoors is the UK’s biggest outdoor retailer that provides high-quality outdoor products such as sporting goods and equipment, camping gear, sportswear, climbing gear, bicycles, and accessories. ISA UK member, Marlec’s recent collaboration with Sapphire required a solar-powered signage solution to be installed on a new retail park, to broadcast their commitment to protecting the environment. As a brand built around the environment and the various activities, nature offers, Go Outdoors is an extremely compatible pairing for this fully off-grid signage solution.
Customer Requirements
- Needs to be reliable and maintenance free
- Solar-powered signage kit needed to be compatible with Sapphire’s chosen LED’s
- The timing of illumination has to match store opening and closing hours.
- Fully off-grid to promote environmental friendliness.
- Easy to Install. Challenges Faced
- The local area was a new retail park on a busy road therefore installation needed to be tidy and disruption-free.
- The totem sign needed to have a custom set on and off times to reflect the opening times of the retail park.
- The sign needed to be illuminated 365 days a year.
Solution
The solution designed for Go Outdoors was an easy-to-install, solar-powered signage solution that will reliably illuminate the sign 365 days a year making it an ideal illumination system for various applications. Marlec’s solar signage kits are UK manufactured and utilise market-leading technology and components.
Thanks to Marlec’s intelligent LC101 controller’s plug-and-play functionality the system is compatible with most LED technologies, making it easy for sign makers to incorporate our lighting kit, the intelligent LC101 enables the timed settings to be fully customised ensuring the sign is illuminated all year round even when seasons change. As the location is on a new retail park, the totem sign needed to be easily installed with minimum disruption to the area, this was achieved thanks to Marlec plug-and-play cables. This made installation quick and efficient with no need for complicated wiring. With the sign being powered by 100% renewable energy, there was no need for cable trenching, which meant no disruption to the surrounding area. Each totem sign included multiple semi-flexible solar panels installed on each side and top of the totem. The power from the solar panels is stored in high-quality AGM batteries. All cabling is IP-65 rated, ensuring the system is resistant to water damage, increasing the robustness and longevity of the system. This is the perfect long-term, cost-effective, and reliable solution built to last. Installation costs are very low compared to on-grid, traditional lighting systems.
Results & Comments
Go Outdoors has had two solar-powered totem signs installed at the retail park. The signs will be illuminated 365 days a year with customised on and off times to light up the retail park signage. These solar-powered totems are becoming extremely popular with sign makers as it enables them to provide quick and easy-to-install, cost-effective illuminated signage to their customers.
“ Sapphire for over 25 years has always pushed the boundaries of signage. By working in collaboration with Marlec, we were able to provide Go Outdoors with cost-effective, illuminated signage. The illuminated totem with the intervention from Marlec also reduces on-site maintenance due to its long-term reliability. This system ticks every box the customer requires.” – Sapphire
