Sustainability Meets Public Safety: Signify’s Hybrid Solar Lighting Transforms Urban Life in Edinburgh

The City of Edinburgh Council partnered with Signify to ensure safety and sustainability within their parks, making Baronscourt Park the first site in the UK to feature SunStay Gen2 Hybrid solar luminaires.

In cities around the world, reducing carbon emissions and ensuring people feel safe in public spaces are two priorities that are increasingly shaping urban planning. As the world leader in lighting, we’re committed to not only finding a solution to tackle both priorities, but to do it in an innovative way.

As a trusted partner, The City of Edinburgh Council came to us to discuss a solution to enhance safety in their public parks whilst adhering to their ambitious sustainability goals. We introduced them to hybrid solar street lighting and presented to them our solar hybrid solution to implement this into Baronscourt Park- making it the first site in the UK to feature SunStay Gen 2 hybrid solar luminaires with a control & monitoring system with a radar sensor.

This initiative shows how intelligent lighting infrastructure can simultaneously cut carbon, reduce energy costs and create safer, more welcoming environments after dark.

Safer parks after dark

Sustainability alone was not the driving force behind the project. Public safety was paramount.

Poorly lit pathways can discourage evening use, limit accessibility and affect how safe residents feel in shared spaces. The City of Edinburgh Council recognised that improving lighting would not only enhance visibility but also encourage walking, cycling and community engagement throughout the year.

The hybrid solar luminaires incorporate smart motion sensors that dim when areas are empty and brighten when pedestrians or cyclists’ approach. This delivers improved visibility, increased reassurance for park users, reduced unnecessary light spill and protection of surrounding wildlife habitats.

The result is a lighting system that is responsive rather than static- enhancing safety whilst still conserving energy.

Why this matters to us

At Signify, we believe light has the power to transform lives. Not only by illuminating spaces, but by enabling sustainable progress and social impact.

The Edinburgh project reflects what we stand for as an organisation: innovation that delivers measurable environmental benefits while improving everyday experiences for people. Hybrid solar lighting demonstrates how we can reduce carbon emissions without compromising safety, performance or reliability.

Michelle McLaughlin, Key Account Manager at Signify, added her thoughts on why this project matters to us at Signify, commenting: “I am proud to work for a company that is innovative and helps to meet the needs of others, no matter how big or small the project. It was an honour to build a good relationship with The City of Edinburgh Council during this project, and all the hard work has paid off knowing that we are making people feel safer in public spaces through sustainability. Winning the award for HEA & HEMSA Sustainable Project of the Year is also a great bonus too!”