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That picture shows a good start. Not directly illuminating the sky when the illumination is being used on the ground is the low-hanging fruit, but additional me
by Zak 6y ago
That picture shows a good start. Not directly illuminating the sky when the illumination is being used on the ground is the low-hanging fruit, but additional measures should be considered:
* Use light of lower intensity (candela) to put less illuminance (lux) on what's being illuminated. This is a more precise version of "use a dimmer light", because reducing output (lumens) won't necessarily do that if the light is more focused/directional.
* Illuminate fewer places. Street lighting for traffic safety doesn't need to be everywhere; it needs to be where hazards are.
* Use alternatives to general illumination. Some road hazards can be marked with reflectors or low-intensity marker lights pointed directly at drivers instead of overhead lighting.
* Turn off lights when not in use. Use timers. Use motion sensors. Use buttons pedestrians can press for crosswalks.
* Encourage people to use portable lighting rather than fixed lighting. This becomes more effective when there's less ambient light because less light is required to achieve the same contrast with a faraway background.
- marcosdumay 6y agoWhat I discovered when pushing locally for less lights is that nobody will tell you, but people are afraid of darkness. Expect people to push back on lower light intensity, localized lighting and motion sensors with passion. It doesn't even matter if you get a design that improves security (what motion lights usually do), people will go for the less secure one if there is more light. That's something I have no idea how to solve.
- Zak 6y agoI've noticed that even suggesting it in conversations online. It's not just young children who are scared of the dark. I'm not sure if it can be used to help solve the problem, but I've seen that when places try reduced lighting, the people who live there love the result long-term and do not want to go back. I have family in Sedona, which places strong limits on almost all fixed outdoor lighting, and Boulder, which has removed street lighting in many areas, and those rules are overwhelmingly popular.
- ourlordcaffeine 6y agoA park near me has painfully bright LED lighting on pedestrian footpaths, in a nasty cold blue colour. It destroys your night vision as well. I took a lux meter down the footpath, it registered 75 lux holding it in my hand.
- Zak 6y agoI use a ~2500 lumen panel intended for video lighting, pointed at the ceiling as a room light (not in a nasty cold blue color). It produces a similar level of illuminance at my desk. So does a 75W incandescent light bulb from a meter away. That's ridiculously bright for a footpath.