LEIT Controllers Along the Alameda Corridor
Case Study
Providing Intelligent Irrigation Solutions
Project:
Alameda CorridorProduct:
LEIT X ambient light
powered irrigation
controllersClient (Owner):
Alameda Corridor
Transportation AgencyInstallation Date:
2002Landscape Architect:
LCI, Lynn Capouya
Installation Contractor:
Valley Crest Landscape
Development
LEIT’S UNIQUE ABILITY TO OPERATE USING AMBIENT LIGHT AS POWER SOURCE ENABLES CONVENIENT PLACEMENT FOR IRRIGATION CONTROLLERS ALONG THE ALAMEDA CORRIDOR
The Alameda Corridor is an underground railway linking the Long Beach Port with downtown Los Angeles. The subterranean system improves the flow of cargo in and out of ports while minimizing the effect of freight movements on local communities. Industrial development like this often has a negative effect on the surrounding area. To mitigate these effects the Landscape Architect, Lynn Capouya, included landscaped areas with appealing plant material and covered seating.
The mitigation areas are found closest to the railway, which is often isolated between existing roads. Each landscaped area needed irrigation to support the plant material and a controller to operate the system. In her design, Lynn noted difficulty locating existing power sources along the corridor. The LEIT controller was a perfect solution for this issue because of its ability to operate using ambient light, without need for AC power/wiring or batteries.
“The corridor project was complex and filled with issues regarding power availability, permits and the coordination of multiple jurisdictions. We found that ambient controllers simplify as well as expedite the installation process,” says Lynn Capouya of LCI, an established Landscape Architecture firm in Southern California. “Our agency specified LEIT controller on past projects. We found them to be a dependable and permanent alternative to conventional controllers whenever access to power was an issue.”
Vandalism and theft were also concerns on this project. The freedom to ‘hide’ the controller is another advantage of a non-power dependent irrigation controller. “LEIT can be installed anywhere. We were able to position it out of sight from vandalism in the municipal environment. For extra protection we specified a VIT/Strongbox (model number SB18 SSLT), a stainless steel enclosure for each controller on the system,” explained Lynn. This enclosure is designed specifically for use with LEIT controllers because of the Lexan top, which allows light into the box.
To control irrigation of the plant material, fourteen LEIT X Series controllers were used along the entire corridor. The “ease of installing LEIT was greatly appreciated,” says Larry Irvin of Valley Crest Landscaping, a corporation with several decades of experience in the landscape installation industry. Larry also mentioned “labor savings were always significant whenever we installed LEIT controllers because of the lack of complications associated with AC power.”
This sizable project utilized LEIT controllers to minimize the complications of the job. The simplicity of installation and freedom of placement made LEIT irrigation controllers the logical solution for keeping costs at a minimum while expediting the construction process.
