Why site managers ask this first

Festoon lighting on a construction site is not decoration. It lights access routes, stairwells, corridors and perimeter walkways where people move with tools and materials. Standard festoon kits do one thing: they run at full brightness for as long as the transformer is live, which on many sites means all night.

Motion-sensor lighting promises lower energy use, but the immediate worry is obvious. If a sensor switches lamps off, a dark stairwell becomes a trip hazard, and a dark perimeter becomes a security problem. That is why the first question about any smart festoon is whether it can leave people in the dark.

The Smart Motion LED Festoon is designed around that concern. It dims, it does not cut out. The 10% floor keeps the route readable while the full-brightness response is reserved for when someone is actually there.

How the smart dimming cycle works

The control function is a combined motion sensor and dimmer. The cycle runs in four stages:

1	Standby at 10%. With no movement, every head glows at 10% and draws 0.7 W instead of its full 6.5 W. The route stays visible while the set uses a fraction of its full power.
2	Movement detected nearby. Each head has its own microwave motion sensor, with a detection range of approximately 2-3 m. Only the lamp heads near the person respond, so light follows people along the route rather than the whole run switching up at once.
3	Full brightness for two minutes. The heads near the movement rise to 100%, or 650 lm each, and hold for about two minutes, long enough to walk a section of route or climb a flight of stairs. Heads further along the run stay at 10% until someone reaches them.
4	Back to 10%. With no further movement nearby, each head returns to standby. There is no off setting, so no head drops below the 10% floor.

Specification at a glance

What dimming means for energy use

A fair comparison has to start with the festoon most sites already use. A typical standard 110 V LED festoon kit is 22 m long with 10 lamps and draws around 50 W, at full power whenever it is live. The Smart Motion LED Festoon is a 30 m set with 14 heads at 6.5 W, 91 W in total.

That means the smart festoon actually uses more power per metre at full brightness: about 3.0 W per metre against about 2.3 W per metre for the standard kit, in return for higher-output 650 lm heads. The saving comes entirely from standby. With no one nearby, each head drops to 0.7 W, so the question is how much of the time your heads are actually at full brightness.

The table compares the same 120 m of run, lit 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, at £0.25 per kWh: four smart sets against the equivalent of about 5.5 standard kits.

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Assumptions: a standard LED festoon kit of 22 m, 10 lamps and 50 W running at full power whenever lit, against the smart festoon's rated 6.5 W per head at full brightness and 0.7 W per head on standby. Figures are estimates for comparison; real consumption varies with the kit you are replacing, supply voltage and how each route is used. Meter on site if you need verified savings for carbon or energy reporting.

Why 2700 K warm white matters on site

Many site festoon kits use cool or daylight-white LEDs, typically somewhere between 4000 K and 6500 K. The Smart Motion LED Festoon uses a 2700 K warm-white source instead, and that choice is deliberate.

Cooler, blue-rich light is more disruptive to nocturnal wildlife, particularly bats, which are protected in the UK. The Institution of Lighting Professionals and the Bat Conservation Trust set out lighting recommendations in Guidance Note 08/23, Bats and Artificial Lighting at Night, including a warm-white colour temperature. Planning conditions on sensitive sites often reference this guidance.

The smart festoon combines two of the principles that guidance promotes: a warm-white source, and controlling when light is produced. Each lamp head only reaches full output while someone is near it, rather than the whole run flooding the area all night.

When cool white is still the better choice

Warm white is not the answer to every lighting task. Each head produces 650 lm across a 120° beam, 9,100 lm across the full set, which is well suited to route lighting. At the same wattage, though, warmer LEDs generally produce less light output than cooler ones, and festoon lighting in general is designed for access and route lighting, not detailed work.

For snagging, inspection, finishing trades or any task where colour and detail need to be seen clearly, use dedicated task lighting alongside your festoon. The smart festoon is the right fit for routes, stairs, corridors and perimeters, particularly where wildlife sensitivity, energy reduction or both are on the agenda.

110 V supply, protection and approvals

The Smart Motion LED Festoon is rated for AC 110-130 V at 50/60 Hz and is fitted with a 110 V, 16 A IP44 plug to BS EN 60309. It is for use on a 110 V supply only. Reduced low voltage 110 V systems, usually supplied through centre-tapped-to-earth site transformers, are the established approach for portable equipment and temporary lighting on UK construction sites because they limit the shock voltage to earth.

The IP ratings tell you where each part of the set can go:

IP65 lamp heads are dust-tight and protected against water jets, so the heads themselves suit outdoor runs and exposed perimeters.

IP65 linking connectors give the same protection at the 2-pin male and female socket adaptors used to join sets.

IP44 plug is protected against splashing water. Keep the plug raised, off the ground and away from standing water and puddles.

Class II construction, CE, UKCA and RoHS. The set is double insulated, carries CE and UKCA marking, is RoHS compliant and is rated for working temperatures from -15°C to +40°C, which covers a UK winter on an open site.

Branching a run with the Festoon Y-Splitter Cable

Site layouts rarely run in one straight line. The Festoon Lighting Y-Splitter Cable lets you split the festoon system into two branches from a single feed. Typical uses include:

Following a hoarding line around a corner and along a second elevation; splitting a corridor run at a junction; lighting a stair core and the landing route from one supply point.

Planning and installing a smart festoon run

Each lamp head has its own microwave motion sensor with a detection range of approximately 2-3 m. That is the detail that most affects layout. Plan the run so the cable follows the route people actually use: along the walkway side of fencing, down the line of a corridor, or up the stair core. Mount the heads below 4 m, as shown in the installation instructions, so people walking underneath stay within range. A run fixed high on a soffit or across an area people never walk under will spend most of its time at standby.

Microwave sensors respond to movement, so keep heads away from things that move on their own, such as loose sheeting, netting or fans, to avoid unnecessary triggering.

Before you install

Carry out a risk assessment covering who could be at risk, the level of risk and the precautions needed. Installation should be carried out by a competent person.

Inspect the set for damage when unpacking, and check the cable for damage or abrasion before each use.

Check that the total load on the circuit, including the festoon, does not exceed the rating of the circuit cable, fuse or circuit breaker.

Isolate the supply, by removing the circuit fuse or switching off the circuit breaker, before installation or maintenance.

Fitting the run

Fit the festoon fully into position before connecting it to any power source, and place it so it does not obstruct people or machinery.

Position the first lamp head to leave enough cable to reach the supply point, and secure it with strapping or a similar restraint.

Where practical, use a cable tie on each side of every lamp head.

Protect the cable from sharp objects, chemicals and hot surfaces.

Never switch the festoon on while it is coiled or enclosed.

Make sure nobody is in contact with the festoon when it is switched on, then check each lamp head straight away.

Walk the route to confirm each head responds to movement and holds full brightness for about two minutes.

Daily checks and care

Check the cable, site fixings, mounting and the connection to the power source for physical damage or abrasion every day.

Unplug at the plug, never by pulling the cable.

The LED lamp heads are sealed for life. Do not open or modify them, as any alteration invalidates the 2-year guarantee and may affect product approvals and insurance.

Where it fits best

The Smart Motion LED Festoon suits any temporary lighting route that is used intermittently through the evening or night: stairwells and stair cores in shell-and-core buildings, internal corridors during fit-out, Heras fence and hoarding perimeters, compound and welfare routes, and sites near hedgerows, tree lines, watercourses or other areas where an ecologist has flagged nocturnal wildlife.

Smart festoon versus a standard LED festoon

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Standard festoon specifications vary from kit to kit. Always compare against the data sheet of the specific kit you are replacing.

Frequently asked questions

Does motion-sensor festoon lighting switch off completely when nobody is around?

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No. The smart festoon rests at 10% brightness with no movement, so routes remain visible. The heads near movement within 2 m rise to 100% and hold for two minutes, while the rest of the run stays at 10%.

What voltage is it?

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AC 110-130 V at 50/60 Hz, with a 110 V, 16 A IP44 plug to BS EN 60309. It is for use on a 110 V supply only.

How long is it and how many lamp heads does it have?

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30 m overall, with 14 LED lamp heads at 2 m spacing. Each head is rated at 6.5 W, giving 91 W per set.

Is 2700 K suitable for sites near bats?

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The 2700 K warm-white source is consistent with the warm-white recommendation in ILP and Bat Conservation Trust GN08/23. Colour temperature is one part of a wildlife-sensitive scheme, so follow site-specific ecological advice as well.

Can I use it outdoors?

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Yes. The lamp heads are IP65 and the plug is IP44. Keep plugs and connections raised and out of standing water.

What does the Festoon Y-Splitter Cable do?

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It branches the festoon system into two runs from one feed, using a 40 cm main cable with a male connector and 40 cm branch cables with covered female connectors, in yellow H05VVH2-F PVC.

Can sets be linked together?

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Yes. Each set has male and female connectors, so sets can be linked together to extend a run.

How much energy will I save?

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It depends on how much of the time each head is at full brightness. Against a typical 22 m, 50 W standard LED festoon over the same run, the smart festoon uses about 74% less energy when heads are at full brightness 10% of the time, about 56% less at 25%, and about 26% less at 50%. Break-even is around 72%. Use the calculator above with your own run length, hours and tariff.

What type of motion sensor does it use?

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Each lamp head has its own microwave motion sensor, with a detection range of approximately 2-3 m. Only the heads near movement rise to full brightness.

How bright is it?

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Each head produces 650 lm at full brightness with a 120° beam angle, giving 9,100 lm across the 14-head set.

What temperatures can it work in?

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It is rated for working ambient temperatures from -15°C to +40°C.

What guarantee does it have?

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2 years from the date of purchase. The LED lamp heads are sealed for life, and any modification invalidates the guarantee.

Reference: Institution of Lighting Professionals and Bat Conservation Trust, Guidance Note 08/23, Bats and Artificial Lighting at Night (2023).