Catching waves after dark will soon become a reality for Bristol’s surfers, as work starts this week on new outdoor lighting at The Wave. The wave pool received planning permission last year to install directional lights over the surfing lake, which will facilitate evening sessions. The construction work is expected to be completed by the end of June.

The installation is being supported by The Wave’s official renewable energy partner
Good Energy, which will power the lights. The businesses have just signed a long-term partnership agreement which both companies say shares the values and commitment to true sustainability.

The Wave’s own solar array, which was installed last year, generates more electricity than the attraction uses annually. Excess renewable power is fed back into the National Grid for other Good Energy customers.

Since the lights will be in use when the solar panels are not producing energy, the lights will mainly be powered by electricity from Good Energy’s other generators. These generators produce this energy with wind, hydro and biogeneration.

“Our planning permission allows us to operate from 7am to 9pm, but the reality is that for much of the year, we can’t run all of these sessions as we lose the daylight,” said Hazel Geary, CEO, The Wave. “We know there is demand for pre and post-work surfs and we would also love to be able to run more options for children after school, particularly in the autumn months, but until now this hasn’t been possible.”

Geary added that The Wave’s impact work has also been constrained by the inability to work with some groups in the evenings. But now, being able to light the lake will open up opportunities for many more people to learn to surf.

The work on the lighting started on Monday 22 April and will see 4 lighting columns installed around the lake. These have been specially designed to direct light on all areas of the lake, whilst not impacting the wider area. The work is anticipated to take two months and it is hoped that the lighting will be ready to be used as daylight hours shorten from the end of August onwards.

The surf park has been working closely with Good Energy who reiterated the two companies’ shared goals.

“Like Good Energy, The Wave is a brilliant example of a business that shows it is entirely possible to grow whilst staying truly sustainable,” said Tom Parsons, sales and origination director at Good Energy. And expanding into nighttime surfing is an innovative and exciting way of doing exactly that. The Wave’s customers can continue to surf after dark in the knowledge that the floodlights guiding their way are being powered by renewable power from some of our more than 2,000 generators across the UK.”

The Wave added that “although there may be some disruption whilst the construction work is being carried out,” the wave pool will be open as usual and will be doing everything it can to minimize any impact on the visitors’ experience.