Start it.

At its simplest each installation starts with a power supplied through a cable to a luminaire.

Our most complicated has involved some three kilometres of cable, a dozen power supplies and a ton of lighting paraphernalia.

This patent Costimator is pared down to provide an estimate of what it might cost temporarily to light anything - with the exceptions of clean water, air or fire.

For more detail and for descriptions of what might be in each band please explore these buttons:

Design it.

First consider the scope of the installation as a whole.
Note the variety and size of the subjects, be they trees or shrubs, follies or sculptures, cottages or castles.

Consider the ways you might like to light them.

Then pace an entire journey from a power supply past each mounting point and on to the furthest one.

Put that total paced distance into the white Cable Distance field of the Costimator.

(Avoid typing into any field that is not white)

Cost it.

Next put the numbers of luminaries as appropriate in the white Band fields.
This will provide an idea of their costs.

The Costimator then will use the figure in the Cable Distance field to provide an idea of the total costs for the electrical distribution.

Diverse mounting equipment is allowed for each luminaire.
However if you would like to add some static colour or perhaps a simple mixing desk you can cost them in the white accessory fields.

Band 1

This band includes generic 70 watt and 150 watt Metal Halide luminaries of diverse beam shapes.
These are useful for trees that are between 5 & 10m tall with various shapes treated with the different reflector designs.
Metal Halide lamps can be manufactured to produce light that is warm white (aka tungsten) or cool white (aka daylight) or green, orange, magenta and blue (in decreasing apparent brightness).

Band 1 also includes 36 watt linear fluorescent tubes; also sets of
12 x 1 watt monochrome LED Modules and
12 x 0.4 watt RGB LED Modules, each including transformers, which are excellent for low hedges and walls up to 2m high.

Band 2

This band includes generic 250 watt and 400 watt Metal Halide luminaries of diverse beam shapes.
These are useful for trees that are more than 10m tall.
Metal Halide lamps are available as warm white (tungsten) or cool white (daylight) and green, orange, magenta and blue colours.

Band 2 also includes sets of
4 x 10 watt LED pups suitable for trees from 2 to 6m high;
6 x 1 watt LED Stickleds including a transformer which are excellent for shrubs up to 3m high;
3m 43 watt RGB LED Strips with multifunction controllers for walls, shrubs and coves.

Band 3

This band includes Iguzzini Lingotto 400 watt Metal Halide luminaries with double asymmetric beam shapes and superior control.
These are useful for trees that are more than 10m tall. They can be equipped with warm white or cool white lamps.

And Sill 250 watt luminaires with extreme forward throw reflectors and are terrific for large copses of substantial trees and high facades. These can be equipped with all metal halide colours.
Band 3 also includes DMX controllable RGB LED luminaires of various beam angles from 10º to 120º in linear or symmetrical form. These can be programmed independently or collectively to project static or changing colours or commanded by a lighting desk to provide any colour at any moment.