outdoor lighting regulation

[sitelights]

The Model Lighting Ordinance (MLO) joint task force is developing a standard to replace existing hit-or-miss local regulations. The International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) and the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA) have joined with other agencies to address the issue of light pollution.

"The ordinance deals with all private property exterior lighting, including residential properties. A separate ordinance will be developed to address roadway and other right-of-way properties."

Before any professional member panics it should be understood that almost all light pollution emanates (good word) from higher watt unshielded commercial applications. It may however become a tool to combat the unintentional (read: clueless) effects of poorly designed and executed low voltage outdoor lighting in residential projects.

The quotation above is from a magazine article written by Nancy Clanton which appears in the June 2007 issue of Architectural Lighting. The magazine issue can soon be accessed at http://www.archlighting.com This monthly magazine covers the entire spectrum of architectural lighting; however it does not cover low voltage outdoor lighting except in passing and then primarilly in the New Products section.

It is well worth the time to read the article which will not appear on the website archive now (07.07.07), but soon; it presents a novel and workable solution to the quantification of outdoor lighting as an aspect of identifiable light pollution. The magazine is distributed free (cover price $7.00) to interested lighting professionals and "free" does not mean "low rent"; this is a state-of-the-art publication covering a broad range of architectural lighting design and engineering in both interior and exterior applications. It is also well written, illustrated and crammed with advertising on glossy stock

[SteveP]

Joe, I attended an interesting seminar at this year's light fair led by Jim Benya (Dark Sky Director and IESNA Fellow) and Cheryl English (IESNA Fellow). The topic was "Exterior Lighting Ordinances".

It was a fascinating presentation as the two experts described the evolution and status of the MLO. I liked it because it seems to be a rare success story of the marriage between an environmental group and an industry group.

The IESNA has ensured that the MLO conforms with IESNA methods of measurement and analysis. In fact, largely as a result of the partnership with Dark Sky, the IESNA recently re-worked their system of classification for outdoor luminaires. The new system is much simpler to undertsand and applies better to low-voltage luminaires.

I'm guessing that many landscape lighting guys may know very little about lighting ordinances since currently, only select municipalities have them, and they differ widely. In fact, the seminar presenters said there are over 1,000 lighting ordinances in towns across the country and their requirements are all over the map.

The Dark Sky people intend to start a campaign next spring where they will have their members approaching municipalities with proposals to adopt the new MLO. Although it wasn't clear, I'm guessing that the IESNA will be offering education to their members so installers can learn how to conform to the MLO.

For more information on the MLO, readers can go to http://www.darksky.org/programs/model-lighting-ordinance.php

[Mike M]

Darksky.org is a great starting point.

I live in a fast developing region of the country, in an area that highly values clean and green envrironments. My own development has horrific glare bombs for lamp posts. I plan to petition for retrofitting or replacing the lamps with something better.

Does anyone have any specific info on particular products from specific lighting manufacturers or distributors that offer significant glare reduction?

I am researching this as much as possible to actually help promote my business as dark sky friendly, and to help rid our sprawling rural/resort town of unnecessary light polution. The street lamps are so bad in my development that people are planting mature trees to shield their homes. When I moved in last year, before they installed the lights, I could see the milkyway. Now can hardly see any stars at all.

Mike M

Mike

[sitelights]

More and more outdoor lighting manufacturers are labeling their area lighting fixtures as "Dark Sky Compliant" or similar wording. I agree that their web site is a good starting point.

If you can determine the manufacturer(s) of the existing equipment you could check with them. There may be glare shields available for the fixtures. A retrofit is probably the best solution in terms of expenditure; any fix is going to be expensive. My impression is that existing area lighting installations are "grandfathered" so you may have a tough sell.

The community that I live in is part of a golf course development. The board of directors has implemented changes in their owned (not municipal) area lighting. The only thing they will do is change the sodium vapor to metal halide HID and then only as the sodium vapor bulbs fail.