Not Just a Batten: The Evolution of enLighten's Vico Batten Light
When people hear "batten lights", they often think of basic utility lighting — the kind you’d find in a car park or a service corridor. But at enLighten Australia, we’ve never believed a batten has to be just a batten.
Since the launch of our Vico Batten Light in 2016, we’ve redefined what a batten can do — making it smarter, more efficient, and more adaptable to meet the real-world needs of infrastructure, construction, and commercial environments. Here’s how our Vico range has become one of Australia’s most trusted and versatile LED batten lighting solutions.
2016: Launching the Vico Batten Light
The original Vico batten light launched in 2016 with sensor, emergency, and non-emergency models. Even at that early stage, it was more than a standard LED batten. Its built-in motion sensor reduced unnecessary energy consumption while its robust design ensured longevity in tough environments. Emergency versions added an extra layer of safety for essential spaces.
2018: Custom Brackets for Real-World Versatility
In 2018, we introduced the Uni-strut bracket, a custom-designed mounting system that allows the batten light to easily lock onto a uni-strut. It was developed in response to feedback from major infrastructure upgrades, especially the Telstra InfraCo Exchange project — Australia’s largest LED lighting upgrade to date.
This innovation enabled quicker installs, greater flexibility, and reduced labour costs — features now standard in how we think about batten lights in industrial and infrastructure settings.
2019: Efficiency Upgrades
In 2019, our Vico batten got smarter under the hood. We upgraded the power consumption from 36W/38W down to 30W, and 18/20W down to 16W, without compromising light output. We also switched to LiFePO4 batteries in emergency versions, offering longer life cycles, better thermal stability, and a more sustainable solution.
2019: enConnect System & Efficiency Upgrades
2019 was a breakthrough year. In addition to upgrading the Vico batten’s energy efficiency — reducing power consumption without compromising output — we launched the enConnect System, transforming Vico into a fully connectable, scalable lighting solution.
Designed for construction and tunnel applications, enConnect is a robust plug-and-play system that allows vertical and horizontal connections between emergency and non-emergency luminaires using reusable leads and fittings. It enabled tailored lighting runs across dynamic worksites — from scaffolding to long tunnel corridors.
We also developed a fast-fit wall bracket, ideal for mounting battens against tunnel walls, and introduced a range of coloured batten lights to support WHS requirements, allowing easy visual identification of zones such as First Aid areas.
2020: High Humidity Version
Not all environments are created equal. In 2020, we released a high humidity batten light, featuring enhanced treatment of internal components designed to withstand wet or humid environments. Perfect for tunnels, pump rooms, and coastal installations, this model helped extend the reach of our battens into even more challenging spaces.
2021: Patented Scaffold Bracket
We continued to innovate on mounting options with the launch of our Scaffold Bracket in 2021. Designed to work with the enConnect system, this patented solution made it easier and safer to install temporary or semi-permanent lighting on scaffold structures, especially on construction sites and infrastructure projects.
2023: High Power Emergency Version
When it comes to tunnels or other long-span environments, you need lighting that delivers. In 2023, we introduced a High Power Emergency Vico Batten light, which provides brighter emergency light output for compliance in construction areas that demanded higher levels of emergency light. This upgrade reduced the number of fittings required and helped simplify design and maintenance.
2024: enLink Batten
As part of enLighten’s evolving focus on smart, connected lighting, the enLink Batten light was launched in 2024. More than just energy-efficient, the enLink Batten integrates seamlessly into the enLink monitored emergency lighting system — enabling building owners and facility managers to track compliance, schedule automated testing, and monitor performance in real time. It’s a smarter, simpler way to manage emergency lighting across large portfolios without needing access to tenant networks. We also added grouping and remote sensor adjustment capability into the enLink Vicos.
2024: A Smarter, More Affordable Vico
In 2024, we redesigned the Vico batten light — maintaining its core features, improving efficiency and installation time, and delivering it all at a more accessible price point.
It's More Than a Batten
The journey of the Vico batten is one of continuous innovation, practical feedback, and a refusal to accept the limits of conventional LED batten lighting.
From smart sensors and modular systems to tunnel brackets and scaffold mounts, we’ve turned the humble batten into a smarter, safer, and more connected solution.
So the next time someone mentions "batten lights," remember: it doesn’t have to be just a batten.
