Skip to content
BPindex — The Largest Building Products Directory in the UK

LED Lighting

Tesco Stratford-Upon-Avon Shines Brighter with Abacus LED Upgrade

Building Products Index Ltd LED Lighting, lighting, outdoor lighting Leave a Comment

View the Abacus lighting entry on BPindex

Visit the Abacus lighting website

Tesco’s Stratford-upon-Avon store, a key retail hub operating extended hours, has successfully transitioned from outdated metal halide lighting to a state-of-the-art LED system designed and implemented by Abacus Lighting. This upgrade enhances safety, energy efficiency, and sustainability across the site, delivering a safer environment for both shoppers and staff.

The Challenge

The original metal halide outdoor lighting posed challenges, including inconsistent illumination, high energy consumption, and costly maintenance. Tesco required a reliable, energy-efficient LED solution that aligned with its nationwide sustainability goals while also improving visibility in the car park, service yard, and canopy areas.

The Solution

Abacus Lighting delivered this project that included 13 new 10-metre root-mounted columns, primarily fitted with the advanced 250W Orion Pro symmetrical LED luminaires, complemented by one asymmetrical Orion Pro fitting for targeted lighting in the customer drop-off zone.

Additional pedestrian zones were illuminated with two new 8-metre columns equipped with Abacus’s EOS 34W LED lanterns, and existing columns were upgraded to maintain consistent lighting standards. Further improvements included adding eight more 250W Orion Pro units to ensure that the Tesco site was safely and securely lit.

Abacus – Benefits Delivered

  • Energy Savings: The LED upgrade significantly cuts energy consumption compared to metal halide lamps, reducing operational costs and environmental impact.
  • Improved Lighting Quality: Enhanced colour rendering and instant-on technology provide superior visibility without warm-up delays.
  • Lower Maintenance: Long lifespan of Orion Pro and EOS luminaires means fewer replacements and less disruption.
  • Optimised Installation: Market-leading spacing between Orion Pro columns reduces the number of lighting masts required, speeding installation and lowering costs.
  • Future Proofing: The system supports advanced controls (DALI 2 and D4i) and is built to withstand harsh conditions with IP66 and IK10 ratings.

Tesco Stratford now benefits from a modern, sustainable lighting system that boosts safety, supports environmental targets, and enhances the customer experience.

Abacu Lighting Key Products Used

Orion Pro LED Floodlight:

  • Available in 125W, 250W, and 500W options with 4000K color temperature (3000K optional)
  • Symmetrical and asymmetrical beam patterns for versatile applications
  • High lumen output (up to 72,000 lm) with excellent beam control to minimise light pollution
  • IP66 and IK10 rated, suitable for ambient temperatures up to 40°C (50°C optional)
  • Supports Zhaga interfaces and programmable lumen output for tailored lighting designs

EOS LED Lantern:

  • Three body sizes with wattages from 7W to 171W and multiple optic options
  • Ideal for pedestrian areas, car parks, retail parks, and railway stations
  • IP66 rated with robust, powder-coated finish for longevity in harsh environments
  • Tool-less, quick-access electrical compartments for easy maintenance

 

 

Additional Links:

Watch the Orion Pro LED product video: Abacus Lighting I Orion Pro LED Video

View more details on the Orion Pro LED Luminaires: Abacus Lighting Ltd | Orion Pro LED

See more details on Abacus’s EOS LED Lanterns: Abacus Lighting Ltd | EOS Lantern

Send Abacus Lighting an enquiry: Abacus Lighting Ltd | Contact us

ABACUS LIGHTING WINS KING’S AWARD FOR ENTERPRISE 2025

Building Products Index Ltd LED Lighting, lighting, outdoor lighting, Uncategorized Leave a Comment

View the Abacus Lighting entry on BPindex

Visit the Abacus Lighting website

Celebrating Excellence in International Trade.

We are proud to announce that Abacus Lighting has been awarded the prestigious King’s Award for Enterprise in the category of International Trade 2025. This esteemed recognition reflects our unwavering commitment to delivering quality, world-class external LED lighting and mast solutions across global markets.

For over 65 years, Abacus Lighting has been at the forefront of the lighting industry, designing and manufacturing innovative, high-performance LED lighting systems from our headquarters and manufacturing plant in Nottingham, UK. From iconic sports venues like Kensington Oval and Lord’s cricket grounds to critical infrastructure across continents, our reach and reputation have continued to grow, culminating in this royal recognition.

Leaders In Lighting Solutions:

Our comprehensive product portfolio includes industry-leading luminaires and custom-built mast solutions engineered for exceptional performance.

Key products include:

Custom Manufactured High Masts and Columns:

We also bespoke manufacture fixed, raise/lower, and hydraulic and pneumatic telescopic high masts and columns, each tailor-made to our clients’ specifications. This unique capability allows Abacus Lighting to deliver complete, turnkey lighting solutions that meet the exacting needs of our clients, both nationally and internationally.

Lighting the Way in Key Sectors:

Our global success is built on delivering tailored solutions for a wide range of industry sectors:

Our UK clients trust us to deliver resilient, sustainable LED lighting that meets the needs of each unique project, and The King’s Award ensures that trust now extends worldwide.

A Royal Honour, A Team Achievement:

Winning the King’s Award for Enterprise is a testament to our international success and a celebration of the talented Abacus lighting team, our loyal clients, and global partners who make our mission possible. As we look to the future, Abacus Lighting remains dedicated to innovation, quality, and global service, shining brighter than ever on the world stage.

Let’s Talk Lighting
For lighting solution, installation, or maintenance enquiries, please contact us at:
📧 info@abacuslighting.com

💡 Explore our latest products and services:
🌐 www.abacuslighting.com
🔗 View our BPi page

Taking outdoor LED to the next level for professionals

Building Products Index Ltd LED Lighting Leave a Comment

View the Timeguard entry on BPindex

View the Timeguard website

The demand for automatic outdoor LED lighting never seems to fade. There are plenty of products for installers to choose from, but which should you choose to add a professional touch? We looked at the trusted Timeguard range:

 

  • Customisation

One of the ‘Top’ products since its launch, is the Timeguard LED Pro range, a range that really does tick all the boxes for professional installers.

For those of you still unfamiliar with the concept, LED Pro is a range of floodlights with interchangeable controls. Installers choose the most suitable floodlight power for the job at hand, IE: 10W to 100W per flood, and then decide how they want it switched: PIR, photocell, RF remote, or as a slave – and plug the two together on site. Change your mind? It’s easy to mx and match. Look out for a new integrated functionality later this year, which will be ideal for new installs or to update existing ones.

 

  • Wide beam lights that really do flood

It might sound simple, but the right sort of illumination can’t be taken for granted. When it’s right, it’s the signature of good quality design. If you need greater light coverage be sure to ask for a wide beam floodlight design.

Uncontrolled LED’s emit a straight beam so, if the floodlight isn’t designed to control and distribute the light evenly, the floodlight will have a spotlight-like effect when what people really want is a wide even spread of light. A quick check is to keep a look out for lenses over the diodes as that’s a sure tip that the designer has considered light beams and angles. Where you have a big area to illuminate, choose LED floodlights with arrays designed specifically to provide the ‘really wide’ beam you may need. It is an option we now offer across our ranges, including the LED-X rust-resistant models.

  • Rust free good looks

Rust resistance is crucial for keeping good looks and avoiding the tell-tale sign of unsightly running marks often seen down the wall. Even though most LED floodlights are now made primarily of polycarbonate, the brackets are normally always mild steel that will corrode and rust. That’s why we designed the rust resistant range, ideal for coastal areas or installation in damper places with every single metallic component, including the bracket manufactured from rust-resistant 316 stainless steel – even down to the screws on the PCB board.

When we designed the rust resistant floodlight range, we also took the opportunity to devise an optional pan & tilt bracket that allows for the floodlight to be panned sideways (left & right) and then vertically by the floodlight fitting itself for precise and accurate area illumination.

Using stainless steel components inside and out keep these lights corrosion-free for years and allowed for a curved bracket so you can pan as well as tilt the lamp to suit.

  • The not-so-basic bulkheads

Demand for bulkhead designs that sit flush to the wall never falters, but there’s no reason for them to be left behind in the quality and design stakes. We continue to improve on them and, while we still offer retro die-cast models, our LED88 polycarbonate versions with & without PIR’s seem to be a market favourite. Easy to install, easy to use and easy on the eye.

  • Small is beautiful

When we first introduced the revolutionary design of the ultra-compact Nighteye range, with both single headed and twin headed versions, it was widely seen that the single units are hardly bigger than a man’s hand – wow!  “Could they do the job”, you asked?  Well, they certainly can, and they’ve proved that they also last the course and give years & years of service. The next step was evolution, incorporating the PIR detector within the main housing in the EVO range so that the detectors are ‘hidden’ but still offer easy to set time and lux control settings. With single and twin floodlight options in black or white, they look great and they do a great job!  We rest our case.

Available in black and white these lamps with concealed PI detectors are hardly bigger than your hand

Find out more at www.timeguard.com – or give us a call us and we can talk about the ranges available and which ones best suit your needs.

Staying safe

Building Products Index Ltd LED Lighting Leave a Comment

PrintView the Timeguard entry on BPindex

Visit the Timeguard website

We are all finding ways of accommodating different ways of working together and, in the midst of so much change, you’ll probably agree that now is not the time for anyone to be taking business risks with unknown, untested suppliers. In the busiest season for core product lines that installers rely on, like outdoor LED lighting, this is no time to be letting your customers down!  Stick to a brand you know you can trust.

Giving customers what they need

We all understand the core needs in this market: something that looks good to the end user, something that provides opportunities to add value and profitability, and something that does a good job for years and years.

Where there is a price differential between bucket shop and branded quality, the difference is more than justified by design and specification, by the inherent value of the guarantee, and by ease of installation (installation time is money!).  A product that really does what it promises, that is designed for easy fitting and won’t confuse the end user with unintelligible settings, is going to be a cheaper install. Professional installers get that.  Timeguard delivers it.

The LED Season

Having argued the case for the brand, let’s look at the Timeguard ranges. We know what the top sellers by volume will be, and we understand the special requirements installers have for some jobs. So, we’ve got them all covered.

  • Flexibility

Real lateral thinking_ the LED PRO mix and match concept means plenty of choice and easy installationOne of the ‘Top’ products since its launch, is the LED PRO range, a range that really does tick all the boxes for professional installers and it’s also a great proposition for wholesale stockists too as they can rationalise total stock while still offering a full range of options for you off the shelf.

For those of you still unfamiliar with the concept, LED PRO is a range of floodlights with interchangeable controls. Installers choose the most suitable floodlight power for the job at hand, IE: 10W to 100W per flood, and then decide how they want it switched; PIR, photocell, RF remote, or as a slave – and combine the two together on site.

Lights that really do flood

It might sound simple, but the right sort of illumination can’t be taken for granted. When it’s right, it’s the signature of good quality design.

Uncontrolled LED’s emit a straight beam so, if the floodlight isn’t designed to control and distribute the light evenly, the floodlight will have a spotlight-like effect when what people really want  is a wide even spread of light. A quick check is to keep a look out for lenses over the diodes as that’s a sure tip that the designer has considered light beams and angles. Where you have a big area to illuminate, choose LED floodlights with arrays designed specifically to provide the ‘really wide’ beam you may need. It is an option we now offer across our ranges, including the LED-X rust-resistant models.

  • Rust free good looks

Rust resistance from every metallic component down to the last screwRust resistance is crucial for keeping good looks and avoiding the tell-tale sign of unsightly running marks often seen down the wall. Even though most LED floodlights are now made primarily of polycarbonate, the brackets are normally always mild steel that will corrode and rust. That’s why we designed the rust resistant range, ideal for coastal areas or installation in damper places with every single metallic component, including the bracket manufactured from rust-resistant 316 stainless steel – even down to the screws on the PCB board.

When we designed the rust resistant floodlight range, we also took the opportunity to devise an optional pan & tilt bracket that allows for the floodlight to be panned sideways (left & right) and then vertically by the floodlight fitting itself for precise and accurate area illumination.

 

  • The not-so-basic bulkheads

Demand for good old bulkheads that sit flush to the wall never falters, but there’s no reason for them to be left behind in the quality and design stakes. We continue to improve on them and, while we still offer retro die-cast models, our LED88 polycarbonate versions with & without PIR’s seem to be a market favourite. Easy to install, easy to use and easy on the eye.

  • Small is beautiful

6 Timeguard's compact but powerful EVO range - pan & tilt the heads individually on twin modelsWhen we first introduced the revolutionary design of the ultra-compact Nighteye range, with both single headed and twin headed versions, it was widely seen that the single units are hardly bigger than a man’s hand – wow!  “Could they do the job”, you asked?  Well they certainly could and they’ve proved that they also last the course and give years & years of service. The next step was evolution, incorporating the PIR detector within the main housing in the EVO range so that the detectors are ‘hidden’ but still offer easy to set time and lux control settings. With single and twin floodlight options in black or white, they look great and they do a great job!  We rest our case.

You might want to keep a small stock of lower-volume lines like extra high-power floods, die-cast bulkheads, step lights etc. o the van.  Alternatively, all can be supplied from stock and it can all be shipped to your wholesaler quickly from our London warehouse.

Find out more at www.timeguard.com – or give us a call us and we can talk about the ranges available and which ones best suit your needs.

Are you ready to offer daylight harvesting – with or without DALI control?

Building Products Index Ltd LED Lighting, lighting, PIR Detection Leave a Comment

View the Timeguard entry on BPindexPrint

Visit the Timeguard website

 

 

PDFMCDALI_Side_On

You will undoubtedly have come across DALI in the course of your work, but maybe thought it was only for the big contractors on the big jobs?  That may have been the case in the past, but DALI controls and devices are finding their way into the mainstream. Now PIR leader Timeguard has released a line-up of DALI-compatible PIR switches.  With POR switch,  power supply and remote IR control all provided, you have everything you need to get started from a brand you know you can trust. After all, as installers you are used to providing homeowners and businesses with zoned lighting and scene setting – why not take it to the next level?

PDFMCDALI_PDFMDALI_Connections1And if you’re not ready, or the project doesn’t warrant DALI scene setting, then you can use these new PIRs as standalone detectors and still offer your customers daylight harvesting. That’s just another way of saying that lights will turn on and off in response to changes in the natural light, as the sun goes in and out, as well according to the time of day. You may also have heard this referred to as constant light control that, in the past, has been the preserve of PIR detectors designed – and priced – for the top end of the market.

 

Why bother?

Make best use of natural light with daylight harvestingThere are clearly cases and places where ordinary lighting is fine: if the application is simple and doesn’t require daylight harvesting (an important energy saving feature now specified in Building Regulations) , dimming, occupancy control or individual user control,  DALI isn’t the answer. But when you do need to design in or add any of these functions, then it is worth thinking about.

A DALI system just needs a DALI bus for communication between different points on the system such as the controller and a PIR.  So, an extra pair of cables between devices and control points of the system is needed : standard 2-core, minimum 1.5mm is sufficient. A DALI loop can contain up to 64 devices – typically LED drivers or PIRs – with multiple loops linked for larger projects.

What is it?

dali_logo_1The Digital Addressable Lighting Interface (DALI) is a standard that enables different devices on a system to talk to each other – they don’t even need to come from the same manufacturer. It’s an international standard, specifically created for lighting, for a two-way communication system that gives easy control and versatility. In a traditional system, control signals are one-way. In a DALI system, signal traffic is two-way, meaning LEDs can be commanded to perform requested actions, such as switch ON/OFF or DIM, but they can also be asked to provide information. The LED driver or switch can provide, for instance, information about intensity and energy consumption, or it can simply verify that it is working.

A DALI network consists of a controller, a power supply (which may be built into the controller) and one or more slave devices (eg ballasts, drivers, dimmers and PIR detectors) that have DALI interfaces. The controller can address devices individually or by multicast. Each device can be assigned to up to/any of 16 groups and can store up to 16 scenes that can be controlled by a single command

DALI sends messages around, and just like computer networks, the ballast with the right address picks the message up and follows the instruction: it might be ‘turn all the lights in the corridor on’, or it could be ‘switch to the theatre lighting scene in the conference room’.

Now that you know the basics, the decision may be a little more straightforward. Do you want to light several multi-function rooms that require different lighting options depending on time of day, usage etc. If so, think about DALI control with the new Timeguard range.

Choosing PIRs

Building Products Index Ltd LED Lighting Leave a Comment

View the Timeguard entry on BPi

Visit the Timeguard website

Don’t set yourself up for PIR failure, says Timeguard

Timeguard ceiling mounted PIR detector“What’s the cheapest PIR you’ve got, mate”. That was overheard at a wholesale counter within earshot of a visiting Timeguard representative who only stopped spluttering when he heard the ‘right’ reply from the man behind the counter. “What’s it going to be used for?”. Phew!

PIR detectors are not all the same, but they are typically mounted on ceilings or high on walls – places that are hard to get to if they fail or need constant readjustments.

Branded quality is always the safest option, but even the you need to make sure you get the specification right. So here are just 3 key questions to help them to help you get the balance between price and performance right:

  1. What type of lights and what load?

These days the job will almost always be LED lighting, so make sure they know to pick a PIR detector that is specifically tested with and rated for LED loads.

We’ve been saying for years how important this is. LED lights have a strong inrush current and it is that which the PIR should be rated for, not the subsequent low running current.  You shouldn’t need to do the maths, the specification should already state what LED loading is acceptable – if not steer clear.  We think it’s always wise to add at least 10% for good measure).

The huge difference between ratings for the same PIR detector for halogen and LED still comes as quite a surprise to some people. For instance, our new mini linkable PIR, is rated for 1000W max. halogen and 250W max. LED.

  1. Is it going to be a straightforward stand-alone automatic switch?

If you are looking at very high LED ratings, for a single PIR to switch several lights, double check the spec. For instance, our top-selling 360o ceiling mounted detector has a maximum LED load of 150W, but we rate it for a maximum of 10 separate LED 10W lamps (100W). Yet we are happy to rate – and guarantee – it for 5 sets of LED lamps above 10W, right up to the 150W limit. This is because due to their physical size lower wattage LED lamps (GU10 type lamps) commonly have very simple circuitry with surge protection and power factor correction omitted, this puts a massive strain on whatever is switching/controlling them.

Looking for a big rating might also mean that a big area is to be lit. So perhaps a single PIR detector will not be able to give the comprehensive detection field needed.  Would multiple PIRs be better?

Timeguard mini PIR and plig in slave_lowresMaybe it would be easier – and less expensive – to be able to link a master and several slaves together? When these come fitted with cables and standard RJ11 plugs and sockets, huge amounts of time can be saved on both installation and set up.  The ingenious Timeguard linkable concept makes wiring simple because up to 5 slaves are linked by pre-fitted plug-in wires that stay hidden behind a suspended ceiling. Simples.

  1. Where’s it going?

Will the detector be surface mounted on a wall, flush mounted in a standard ceiling aperture, or would a corner bracket help? How important are looks to the end user?

Do you need the option to mask part of the detector?  What’s the room being used for and do they really need presence detection around desks or areas where people sit fairly still? If it’s going to be within reach of passers by and ‘keen’ building occupants, do you need to ensure that the controls are tamper proof?

Timeguard tamper proof PIR

Indoors or out? Check the IP rating. If outdoors, might it be easier to replace old and corroded lights with an all-in-one floodlight with integral PIR detector designed to withstand the British climate. Check out the corrosion-free Timeguard coastal range.

All this might give you cause to rethink. Branded quality is still the best assurance of fit-and forget  quality. No-one wants to have to go back and change a failed PIR detector.

LED floodlights built for the British weather…

Building Products Index Ltd LED Lighting Leave a Comment

View the Timeguard entry on BPi

Visit the Timeguard website

LED_Coastal_Lighthouse lrOur temperate maritime climate may be, relatively speaking, mild but it’s also quite wet – hence our lush green countryside. With much of our weather arriving from the Atlantic as well, it all adds up to a recipe for corrosion. Rusty fittings, casings, screws and brackets on outdoor lights are an all too familiar sight. Until now you could only choose to put up with it or make regular replacements – not exactly  a modern, sustainable approach.

Stainless steel brackets will avoid corrosion in exposed areasNow, with Timeguard’s new Coastal range you can fit kit that will look good for longer.  Rust is avoided because all the parts which have to be made of metal have been replaced with high-grade stainless steel, from the brackets to the screws and even pcb components.

10W, 20W and 30W floodlights with integral PIR detectors are available, all with slave terminals to connect external loads. There’s also a new parallel switching facility, so you can connect up to four floodlights in parallel such that any detector will switch them all on.

Timeguard floodlightsAnother great new feature is the curved Timeguard panning bracket. No longer do you have to align floodlights flat to the wall, this clever curved bracket enables you to pan as well as tilt.

www.timeguard.com

 

Don’t sweat the small stuff…

Building Products Index Ltd LED Lighting Leave a Comment

View the Timeguard entry at BPi

Visit the Timeguard entry

Timeguard is making the jobs you do every day easier

Timeguard mini PIR and plig in slave_lowresPIR presence detection is now the norm in most offices and many residential buildings, and fitting detectors into ceilings is probably one of the jobs you do almost every day. So the news that they’ve become a lot easier to install and set up will be more than welcome. 

Timeguard is a company that has focussed on the installer market, developing new products that let you add value rather than just trying to get the price down (although we do think we’re pretty unbeatable on value for money). We give you products that let you do a premium job because they offer something new, they look great, they are highly specified and reliable, they put end users in charge with controls they can manage so they appreciate the job you’ve done.

The icing on the cake is making them easy to install. Time is money and the quicker you can do a good job the more profitable it is. So the mantra in our design office is “Easy Installation”! You loved it when we introduced our LED Pro range of NIGHTeye LED floodlights with a choice of plug in detectors (pictured). Now we’ve turned our attention to making another job easier for you and introduced new easy-install ceiling mounted PIR presence detectors.

Most electricians are either working to a pre-quoted price or specified time schedule. As it is, a significant portion of your day — up to two thirds — will be spent completing ancillary tasks associated with an installation. Only the remaining one third of the day is spent being productive and actively dedicated to the actual installation and testing of systems – it doesn’t take much to go wrong on site to tip your day from being a good earner to a loss leader.

Plug and Play PIR

The new range of mini-PIR presence detectors from Timeguard has been designed from scratch with easy installation and set up in mind: and once they are fitted you won’t need to pull them out of the ceiling to adjust the settings thanks to our twist and lock idea.

One niggle we had often heard when visiting wholesaler counters was about the hassle of installing, setting and adjusting ceiling mounted PIRs. Wiring up tiny terminals at the top of a ladder can be tricky, you told us – so we designed added big wiring terminals.

Handy as they are initially, many of you had a problem with the spring clips which are generally used to hold detectors in their apertures. They often scratch and damage the ceiling if you need to remove the detector to get the settings right. So we fixed all that…. and now you can change the settings in situ.

 How did we do all this?

PDFMMINIL_Detail_ControlsWe started by creating a separate wiring box to allow space for a bigger terminal block, but still small enough to pop easily through the ceiling aperture once connected. We then put cable and RJ11 plugs on the detectors so you can just plug them into the wiring box, spring clip them into the aperture. Job done.

And it gets better: here’s an even more ingenious idea. To make the controls easily accessible from outside the ceiling, yet still be hidden from view. With our design solution getting to the controls for the lux level and time-on potentiometers is as easy as taking out a bayonet lightbulb.  Simply twist the detector and the inner cylinder drops down, revealing the controls for lux level (10 to 2000 lux) and time (30 seconds to 30 minutes). When you’re done, push it back up and twist to lock it in place.

Master/slave set up

PDFMMINIL_Detail_ConnectorThese high quality detectors are rated to switch up to 250W LED /fluorescent and 2300W halogen, so there was plenty of scope to add inexpensive slave detectors.  We’ve made that easy too: you can connect up to five slaves in series, using the pre-fitted RJ11 plugs and sockets and a full 5 metres of cable It really could not be easier to wire up, say, a corridor or large space and of course, changing and extending an installation is straightforward.

Of course, there’s a standalone option as well, without a separate wiring box but with a lens cap to hide the external controls.

These compact 47mm detectors have a range of 8m. They tick all the boxes.

www.timeguard.com