Scottish firm Eco Group has developed an off-grid street-lighting system that can cut energy bills and reduce the carbon footprint of businesses.

The standalone LED lighting works independently from the grid and is powered by solar and wind energy. It can be used in any environment from residential roads and footpaths to car parks, business parks, building sites and festivals.

“We believe this product can make a real difference to businesses which are facing ever increasing costs due to rising energy bills, while helping them reduce their carbon footprint at the same time,” said Eddie Black, managing director of Annan-based Eco Group. “We have had the technology installed at our HQ as part of our drive towards net zero and I’ve been really impressed. It requires no expensive infrastructure or groundworks. It simply arrives on site and can be up and running within 20 minutes. It’s a great short, medium or long-term solution for anything from one-off events to construction sites and housing developments. It’s also ideal for remote locations as well where access to the grid may be difficult.”

Eco Off-Grid is a hybrid renewable product combining solar PV panels and a wind turbine, with up to five days of generated power stored in a battery pack to ensure continual illumination 365 days a year. Developed for the UK’s challengingweather conditions, its intelligent system switches between solar and wind functions to increase efficiency.

The street lighting comes with a retrofit option that allows it to be installed as part of existing lighting infrastructure and, once in place, requires no ongoing maintenance thanks to features such as self-cleaning solar panels.

Eco Group launched the product in partnership with its developer UK companyKight Off-Grid, which specialises in standalone renewable energy. Kight Off-Grid was founded in 2019 by Lawrence Fagg who has developed innovative technology such as the LED lighting system to help businesses and organisations mitigate carbon emissions. 

Linda Page, managing director ofKight Off-Grid, said: “Like Eco Group, we are passionate about the environment and are committed to reducing dependence on fossil fuels. The lighting system technology we have developed harnesses elemental power (wind and light), and is designed to be highly dependable, adaptable, programmable and easily installed, making it ideal for off-grid, coastal and remote deployment. We can deliver networks into remote areas, set up private networks and provide remote monitoring.”

Kight won a Green Apple Environment Award for its off-grid roundabout in an area of outstanding natural beauty in Surrey. The awards reward and promote environmental best practice around the world.

Eco Off-Grid is part of Eco Group’s EcoGoZero range of sustainable offerings, which bring products and ideas together to help businesses achieve net zero targets. Other products in the range include the Brixcell, a brick-sized EV charge point that can be installed as part of the construction phase of new builds, and a standalone EV charging station.

Eco Group employs more than 80 people and moved into a 3000-square-metre HQ on Annan Business Park in Annan, Dumfries and Galloway, last year. This was built by its own team during the pandemic.

EcoGoZero collaborates with businesses across the UK to find practical innovations to mitigate carbon emissions and develop products for a resilient, sustainable future. From adopting technologies to putting in place carbon mitigation strategies, EcoGoZero brings products and ideas together to help organisations achieve net zero targets