Since lighting towers are helpful in such a wide variety of applications, there are many different models available which have different features. These features make some models better suited to certain purposes, which means it’s worth thinking about what you’re going to use the lighting towers for before you choose a lighting solution for your event.
Things to consider when choosing a lighting tower
Whether you’re new to hiring lighting towers or you’ve done it before, it can be difficult to know which features you want to prioritise for your project or event. Here are some important factors you might want to think about:
- Light intensity
- Power source requirements
- Duration of use
- Environmental impact
- The size of the area you need to illuminate
- Portability
Portability is one of the most important things to take into consideration, as it can have a big impact on the benefits of each lighting tower. Generally speaking, the more power you need, the larger the tower’s base unit will be, and the less portable it will become.
More specifically, smaller lighting towers can often be moved by one or two people using the wheels on the base unit. Larger lighting towers may need to be towed by a vehicle. This might not be a problem if the location you’re working with is easily accessible, but if you can’t access it with a car or truck, you may struggle to get your lighting tower into position.
How many foot-candles of lighting are recommended for general construction?
In lighting, a foot-candle is defined as the amount of light required to illuminate one square foot area with one lumen of light. For professional construction workers, it is imperative that construction sites are well lit to avoid accidents occurring as a result of not being able to see properly. Officially, there is no one figure given for how many foot-candles of light you’ll need, but a general recommendation is to use at least 20 to 50 foot-candles for areas such as walkways and 50 to 100 foot-candles for areas where work is actually being carried out. If fine detailed work is being done, extra lighting may be required.
However, if you’re not a professional labourer, you might not have access to the equipment necessary for measuring how many foot-candles your lighting system is giving out. Fortunately, there are a series of questions you can ask yourself to establish whether or not you need more lighting.
When heavy machinery and tools are involved, you should ask yourself whether or not you can clearly see what you’re doing. You should be able to see all the moving parts of the tool without a shadow cast over them, whether by yourself or by another object in the room. If shadows are obstructing your view, you could risk hurting yourself. You may need either more lights to cover the shadowed areas, or taller lights that cast shorter shadows.
Always consider the functions your lighting will support. At a festival, you might only need to be able to see certain signs clearly and see your feet to avoid tripping up. However, at a choir service, you’ll likely need to be able to read a hymn or song sheet, which could be difficult if you don’t have enough lighting.
Things to consider when choosing a lighting tower
Different types of lighting towers can use different power sources to produce high intensity lighting solutions. These can include:
- Petrol
- Diesel
- Natural gas
- Rechargeable battery
- Solar-powered battery
Each of these different power sources has its own pros and cons, so it’s well worth thinking about before you make your decision. Battery operated lighting towers may have less of an environmental impact in the short term, but unless you have a spare, charged up battery on hand, you’re limited to the amount of power in the battery. With combustion engine powered lighting towers, you can top up the tank with more fuel in order to keep the lights going for longer.
Another power source consideration should be the cost of the fuel. Petrol, diesel, natural gas and electricity all have costs associated with them, which can bump up the price of hiring a lighting tower. However, while solar power is relatively cheap, it does require you to have the equipment outside in the sunshine in order to charge it before your event.
How long do you need a lighting tower for?
If you only require a lighting tower for a short period of time - for example, a couple of hours for a choir service - then some of these power source considerations might not be relevant. The maximum charge of different batteries varies, so it’s worth checking to see if the one you’ve chosen sufficiently covers the time you need it for. If it does, you might not need to worry about requiring extra power.
Additionally, if you’re not sure how long your event’s going to take, it might be worthwhile sticking to a more adaptable power source such as petrol or natural gas. This way, if your event does last longer than the amount of fuel in the tank, you can simply top it up with more fuel and keep your lights going for as long as you need to.
