Introduction to Outdoor Lighting

Introduction to Outdoor Lighting
And How it Affects Light Pollution IDA in Partnership with NOAO, NSF and IYA Dark Skies Awareness

IDA in Partnership with NOAO, NSF and IYA Dark Skies Awareness
Scope of Lesson We will discuss the history of outdoor lighting Its purpose Types of Lamps Fundamentals of Design Why too much light at night is harmful Activities to demonstrate good lighting. IDA in Partnership with NOAO, NSF and IYA Dark Skies Awareness

Nighttime IDA in Partnership with NOAO, NSF and IYA Dark Skies Awareness

Define Nightscape For many centuries the nightscape was the moon and stars. During a full moon it would be relatively bright and during a new moon, rather dark. For urban dwellers over the last 100 years it has come to be described as lighting buildings, streets, and open spaces. Could there be a compromise? During a full moon it would be relatively bright and during a new moon, it is very dark. The picture on the top shows us what night used to be and the picture on the bottom shows us what some urban areas have become. IDA in Partnership with NOAO, NSF and IYA Dark Skies Awareness

History Street lighting as we know it began approximately 300 years ago. These were oil lamps placed on wooden poles By the early 18th century oil lamps were still used but the poles and lamps were made of cast-iron fixtures. The beginning of the 19th saw gas lamps come into use. By the 20th century electric lamps were in wide use. Yes, there has been a long history of lighting streets and homes at night. However, for much of that time it was lighting that was much softer than today’s lighting. The term candlepower comes from this history. Candlepower is a measure of luminous intensity of a light source in a specific direction measured in candelas. IDA in Partnership with NOAO, NSF and IYA Dark Skies Awareness

What is outdoor lighting now?
Street lighting Roadway lighting Parks Stadiums Parking lots Landscaping Residential Buildings Pedestrian and Bicycling Pathways This photo illustrates most of the types of lighting that we see everyday. Both the good and the bad. Which takes us to….. IDA in Partnership with NOAO, NSF and IYA Dark Skies Awareness

Purpose of outdoor lighting
Provide a safe and secure environment at night. Extend the use of parks and walkways into the night. To enhance historic/notable features To enhance travel on the roads and at intersections. All of these purposes show an excellent reason for having light at night, but perhaps we could look at the design of these outdoor lights to determine if there is a better way to light. Why is design important? IDA in Partnership with NOAO, NSF and IYA Dark Skies Awareness

What is light pollution?
It is wasted light that performs no function or task Such as sky glow Glare It is artificial light that goes where it’s not supposed to go Neighbor’s window Into the sky Without proper lighting design you get light pollution. Light pollution is one of those rare pollutions that actually costs less to solve than it does to continue as it is. Let’s look at what lighting engineers should consider when they design a lighting scheme. IDA in Partnership with NOAO, NSF and IYA Dark Skies Awareness

Outdoor Lighting IDA in Partnership with NOAO, NSF and IYA Dark Skies Awareness

Outdoor lighting should…
Enhance visibility, not impede it Not produce glare Be a part of the total nightscape, not all of it Not allow light trespass on other’s property Have a master plan Glare is defined as excessive brightness from a source of light in the line of sight, usually horizontal. Trespass is light that goes where it was not intended to go, wanted or needed. A master plan begins with an audit of your surroundings and what is the task that each light will take. IDA in Partnership with NOAO, NSF and IYA Dark Skies Awareness

Outdoor lighting should…
Provide a safe and secure environment Create safe routes for traffic, cyclists and pedestrians Facilitate the extended use of outdoor spaces Safety means that light is not glaring in your face, does not cause blindness when you look at it. Good lighting is shielded and points to the ground below. No light above the 90 degree angle (or the horizontal), this is also know as full cut-off. Notice the light on the ball field above. See how it lights just the field and not the surrounding area. If you look closely you will see the lights from the window of a house at the 10 o’clock position behind the field. No light trespass is annoying this homeowner. IDA in Partnership with NOAO, NSF and IYA Dark Skies Awareness

Shielded Luminaires IDA in Partnership with NOAO, NSF and IYA Dark Skies Awareness

Importance of Shielding Light
Unshielded lights produce Sky Glow Glare If we don’t consider the above elements we negatively impact our whole environment. Sky glow is that orange haze that sits over a city and can be seen up to 200 miles away. Sky glow is exacerbated by particulates in the air: pollution, water vapor, aerosols, and cloud cover. The photo to the left is Los Angles in 1988 from the Griffith Observatory. As you can see there are no stars visible. The photo on the right shows the unsafe glare an unshielded light can produce. Do you see the man hiding on the other side of the van? The irony is, this lighting was installed to make people safe, however, now they are less safe. IDA in Partnership with NOAO, NSF and IYA Dark Skies Awareness

The Issues IDA in Partnership with NOAO, NSF and IYA Dark Skies Awareness

Unshielded Luminaires Waste Energy
Light that spills out, away from the task it needs to be used for is wasted energy, and wasted money. Environmentally responsible outdoor lighting reduces this waste and costs no more than earlier manufactured light fixtures. Below- the Escondido Education Center before on the left and after on the right. Unnecessary lights on the roof only added to their light bill, not to the safety of the parking lot. Why should any of us be concerned that there is too much light at night and poor outdoor lighting design? Well there are 5 very good reasons for trying to reduce light pollution and the first one is the waste of energy is causes. IDA in Partnership with NOAO, NSF and IYA Dark Skies Awareness

Non-shielded lights are unsafe
The glaring lamp to the right of the path was installed to protect students at night. Here is an excellent example of a poorly designed lighting scheme and how it does not contribute to campus safety. Notice the glare in the trees? Well the students don’t walk there, but on the ground where they do walk there are lots of shadows. IDA in Partnership with NOAO, NSF and IYA Dark Skies Awareness

Where did the student go?
Can you detect where the student is now? This light was meant to make the campus safer, but the lighting has only made the shadows easier to hide in. The student is now directly under the lamp, great place for a shadow isn’t it. Now we have created the shadows in which to lurk. IDA in Partnership with NOAO, NSF and IYA Dark Skies Awareness

Negative Impact on Wildlife
Animals and plants live by a rhythm based on a 24 hour cycle. Wildlife and fish can become disoriented by too much artificial light at night. It interferes with migration, mating, foraging for food, and sleep. There is more and more research being done about the effects of light pollution on animals, but there is a lot we don’t know yet. This is what we do know. In addition no one spectrum of light is the best for all species. Yellow lights do not attract insects, however, red lights do not attract sea turtles. Good lighting design takes into consideration all aspects of the area to be lit. IDA in Partnership with NOAO, NSF and IYA Dark Skies Awareness

Negative Impact on Human Health
Light trespass into bedrooms disrupts sleep patterns. Glare in our eyes can be blinding and reduce our night vision. New research is being done to discover the impact to our biological clocks. The research being done on our biological clocks is going to be very interesting. Our bodies naturally produce many hormones, including melatonin when they are in total darkness. Melatonin is found in practically all species, and acts as an anti-oxidant for the body. If you have light trespass into your bedroom, this biological rhythm may become disturbed. How much light does it take and for how long? These are questions that they are studying, and when we have more information about correlations between light and health we will publish them. IDA in Partnership with NOAO, NSF and IYA Dark Skies Awareness

Negative Impact on Astronomy
Light pollution negatively affects one of our greatest natural laboratories, the night skies. This is an important industry that has given us Cell phone technology X-rays, MRI’s, and medical imaging Satellite communications Astronomy is often a “gateway” to other sciences because the laboratory is just outside. The optics perfected in telescopes has been used in satellite technology for weather and communications. Optics designs have also been modified for ophthalmic applications and diagnosis. Radio astronomers have led the way in advances to increase bandwidth for television, satellite, and radio communications. Astrophysics has been the major impetus behind super computer construction for over 50 years. Sensors and detectors have been developed and improved because of the science of Astronomy. These include x-rays used in healthcare, luggage scanners, energy research and biomedical research. Astronomical studies provide information on climate change, weather patterns, and solar observations affecting our planet. So you see, it’s to our mutual benefit to continue to provide clear skies for this research. IDA in Partnership with NOAO, NSF and IYA Dark Skies Awareness

Solutions IDA in Partnership with NOAO, NSF and IYA Dark Skies Awareness

Solutions Outdoor lights should be “full cut-off” or “fully shielded.” That means no light above the 90 degree angle. Fully shielded lighting can be purchased or retrofitted Use timers, dimmers, and motions sensors. Motion sensors in a parking lot or on a house provide an alert to after hours activity that a dusk to dawn sensor does not. Promoting fully shielded lighting is the backbone of reducing wasted light and energy. These luminaires cost no more than un-shielded light fixtures. We understand that people need some lighting at night, let’s just look at it in a different way. Better lighting that does not spread the light upward where it is not needed. This photo is a perfect example for using shielded lighting to reduce glare, reduce upward light, and perhaps using a timer to dim the lights or turn them off at night. While it’s possible that someone wants to look for a car at 1:00 a.m., it is not probable. IDA in Partnership with NOAO, NSF and IYA Dark Skies Awareness

Lamps IDA in Partnership with NOAO, NSF and IYA Dark Skies Awareness

Types of Lamps There are four basic types: Incandescent Fluorescent High-intensity discharge Including: Mercury Vapor, Metal Halide, High Pressure Sodium and Low Pressure sodium Light Emitting Diode (LED) LED technology is still relatively new High-Pressure Sodium CFL Let’s look at the types of lamps we will see on our campus or in our neighborhood. “Lamp” is a lighting industry term for an electric light bulb, tube, or other lighting device. LED technology is still relatively new and has not been installed on a wide basis yet. Therefore we will not be getting into details about this type of lamp in this lesson. Low-Pressure Sodium IDA in Partnership with NOAO, NSF and IYA Dark Skies Awareness

Incandescent Most common in homes It uses electric current to heat a tiny coil of tungsten metal inside a glass bulb to produce light. Have short lives Convert most of their energy into heat rather than light An incandescent lamp produces visible radiant energy by electrical heating of a filament. IDA in Partnership with NOAO, NSF and IYA Dark Skies Awareness

Fluorescent Used mostly in commercial settings It produces light when electric current is conducted through mercury an inert gases. 3 to 4 times more efficient than incandescent, and lasts 10 times longer Produces up to 100/lumens per watt (approximately) A fluorescent lamp contains mercury that is ionized by an electric arc, producing ultraviolet energy which, in turn, causes a phosphor coating inside the lamp to fluoresce. Yes, fluorescent lighting needs to be disposed of properly when it is no longer in use. Most cities have a recycling program where people can safely dispose of the burned out bulbs. IDA in Partnership with NOAO, NSF and IYA Dark Skies Awareness

High-Intensity Discharge
Used mainly for large area applications Provide higher efficacy and longer service life Most common types are mercury vapor (MV), metal halide (MH), and high-pressure sodium (HPS) Metal Halide – 100/lumens per watt HPS – up to 150/lumens per watt MV – being phased out A high intensity discharge lamp (HID): produces light directly from an arc discharge under high pressure. Metal halide, high pressure sodium and mercury vapor are types of HID lamps. IDA in Partnership with NOAO, NSF and IYA Dark Skies Awareness

HID continued Low-Pressure Sodium
Also considered a high intensity discharge lamp, but it has some unique characteristics. Used in outdoor applications Most efficient form of artificial lighting Maintain their light output better than other lamps Older technology, not many manufacturers producing new product Produces up to 200/lumens per watt A low pressure sodium lamp produces light from sodium gas contained in a bulb operating at a partial pressure. The yellow light and large size make them applicable to lighting streets and parking lots IDA in Partnership with NOAO, NSF and IYA Dark Skies Awareness

Types of Luminaires Column mounted fittings: used for streets, car parking, cycle tracks and pedestrian areas (pictured: Pacific Lighting model TRL) Wall mounted lanterns: used most commonly for security (pictured: Lighting by Brandford model Glarebuster) A luminaire is a complete lighting unit consisting of a lamp or lamps, together with the parts designed to distribute the light, to position and protect the lamps, and to connect the lamps to a power supply. A full cut off or fully shielded luminaire is one that allows no light above the 90 degree angle. These two luminaires, and the two on the next page are dark sky friendly. They allow no light above the 90 degree angle. Though you may not see this exact type of lamp, for this lesson we wanted you to be aware of the four most common types of luminaire installations. IDA in Partnership with NOAO, NSF and IYA Dark Skies Awareness

Types of Luminaires Lighting bollards: used for pathway and area lighting (pictured: Architectural Area Lighting model Concrete bollard) Recessed fittings: used for pathways, or where buried in the ground for uplighting structures, trees and other incidents. (pictured: Deck-Lighting model deck light) IDA in Partnership with NOAO, NSF and IYA Dark Skies Awareness

Following six slides show shielded and unshielded outdoor lighting examples These two ball fields show a good contrast between unshielded and shielded lighting. The field on the left is producing glare and so much of its light is wasted going into the sky. The field on the right has much less impact on the surrounding area because it is only lighting the field, not the neighborhood. Which one would you rather live next to? IDA in Partnership with NOAO, NSF and IYA Dark Skies Awareness

Recessed lighting done badly, and Recessed lighting done well.
IDA in Partnership with NOAO, NSF and IYA Dark Skies Awareness

Fully shielded lighting at an airport
IDA in Partnership with NOAO, NSF and IYA Dark Skies Awareness

Unshielded lighting at an ATM
This lighting not only causes blinding glare, it is so bright it exposes any user of the ATM to anyone driving by. IDA in Partnership with NOAO, NSF and IYA Dark Skies Awareness

A typical un-shielded mercury vapor luminaire
You’ll notice that this light sags down, also known as a sag lens, and releases light everywhere. You will also notice that it is very dim. Mercury Vapor lights never burn out they just dim down like this one. However, even though the light is no longer performing the task it was intended to, the city is still paying full price for the light to be on. Just because it dims does not mean it becomes less expensive to operate. Clearly, it is performing less effciently. IDA in Partnership with NOAO, NSF and IYA Dark Skies Awareness

How shielded lighting reduces glare
The image below is a test site for fully shielded street lights. To the right; the same lights shown in comparison to the un-shielded existing lights. The above two pictures demonstrate a test installation in Ville St-Laurent ( a suburb of Montreal) Quebec, Canada. Photo at right is view of test installation from above compared with the existing drop-refractor HPS cobraheads. You will notice the section of the test area reduces glare and waste into the sky. The old style cobra heads (which were named because that is what the design looks like) spill light everywhere. IDA in Partnership with NOAO, NSF and IYA Dark Skies Awareness

Design & Measurements IDA in Partnership with NOAO, NSF and IYA Dark Skies Awareness

Designing a Lighting Audit
We need to be familiar with some more terms before we go on: Area lighting: lighting provided to illuminate open areas uniformly Annual operating costs: cost per year of electricity, maintenance including replacement parts & labor This contributes to how much energy we want to save Illumination: the distribution of light on a horizontal surface, measured in footcandles We now need to ask ourselves some questions about the area we would like to audit Significance of area lighting – What are we going to light? Everything? What are the tasks going to be in this outdoor area? Annual costs – Remember not to be penny wise and pound foolish. An incandescent light may be the easiest to acquire, but if that outdoor light is going to be on for a significant amount of time, you will be changing it often, there will be labor involved, and it is not energy efficient. Illumination is important because we need to know the surfaces around and under our luminaire. Is it dark, is it light IDA in Partnership with NOAO, NSF and IYA Dark Skies Awareness

More things to consider
Luminance: The photometric quantity most closely associated with the perception of brightness. Lumens is the overall output of the luminaire. Energy Use: The product of power (watts) and time (hours). Luminance is the measurement reflected off an object. Illuminance is the measure of light hitting an object . Energy use is very important because this will tell you how much your lighting is costing you. What is your budget? IDA in Partnership with NOAO, NSF and IYA Dark Skies Awareness

Power Density or Light Footprint
Power density is a measure of electrical power per unit area, measured in watts per square foot or square meter. Many building codes prescribe maximum power density values for various areas of use in an effort to promote the use of energy-efficient products. Unit Power Density is the energy for lighting, divided by the outside area. Unit Power Density (W/sq.ft.) = Total System Input Wattage (W) ÷ Total Area (Square Feet) One activity that students can participate in is determining the power density of a luminaire. The equation is listed above. You will make assumptions of the task area to be lit. If you are working in the parking lot area, you may wish to consider using the entire parking lot measurements in your equation. Just be consistent. Can you make any assumptions about the target area? Is the light in the street? Is light from the campus shining on other property? IDA in Partnership with NOAO, NSF and IYA Dark Skies Awareness

Pole Mounting Height Luminaires on poles can provide illumination in every direction at distances of two to two and half times the mounting height from the pole. Thus, luminaires on a single pole can serve an area of about four times the mounting height - squared. For example, a 50-ft pole can cover about 40,000 sq ft and a 150-ft pole about 369,000 sq ft. Inspect your campus or your neighborhood for pole mounted lights in nearby streets, parking lots, parks, or stadiums. Make observations about the light pattern of the pole mounted luminaires. Is there overlap from the street lighting to the parking lot lighting? Determine the pole height, then using the calculation of (pole height) X 4 = service area. How many lights are currently serving that area? New luminaire design has superb optical control. So you don’t need poles closer together to control the lighting of an area. IDA in Partnership with NOAO, NSF and IYA Dark Skies Awareness

Thank You Good luck with your activities, and remember “dark skies” does not mean “dark ground.” You are now unofficial lighting geeks. IDA in Partnership with NOAO, NSF and IYA Dark Skies Awareness

Let’s get to work! It’ll be fun, really! IDA in Partnership with NOAO, NSF and IYA Dark Skies Awareness

Activity One - Vocabulary
The instructor will have a glossary of lighting terms that the students should be familiar with before beginning any of the activities. Presentations from the activities should include the use of these terms Knowing the language of lighting terms will enhance the understanding of the activity For lighting ordinances to be enforceable, they need to be written with the proper language. For students it is important to know the vocabulary because many of these terms are used in multiple areas of study: math, engineering, and science. It is up to the instructor if they wish to give the vocabulary test before or after the all the activities are completed. For adults in an action group, if they are looking to write or revise an outdoor lighting ordinance/lighting code they will need to use the proper terminology that is familiar in the industry. Otherwise, the code will be difficult to enforce. IDA in Partnership with NOAO, NSF and IYA Dark Skies Awareness

Activity Two – Energy Audit
Audit the types of outdoor lights on the buildings at your school. Ultimately, you will be making recommendations on how to be more energy efficient with outdoor lighting. The purpose of the audit will give the students or the action group a place to begin. We will assume for the purposes of this activity that you are in a situation that already has outdoor lighting and you wish to make it better: targeted, more energy efficient and less expensive. You can not make recommendations without a thourough knowledge of what is currently there. The activity is expained in the workbook. IDA in Partnership with NOAO, NSF and IYA Dark Skies Awareness

Activity 3 - Measurements
Choose 2 different types of luminaires from the audit. For each lamp prepare at least 2 of the following measurements and observations listed in the workbook. In your workbook there is a complete listing of the equations necessary to complete each of these calculations. The instructor has the option of assigning more or less measurements based on time and availability of resources. IDA in Partnership with NOAO, NSF and IYA Dark Skies Awareness

Activity Four – Master Plan
Produce a revised lighting scheme for your school campus or neighborhood. Using the material you have learned, determine: If all the lights in audit are now necessary Review what task/purpose a lamp is used for Recalculate the energy consumption of the new plan. Have we saved money? Students (individuals or teams depending on the instructors preference) will present their revised lighting scheme for the campus to the class and give explanations for the existence of each lamp. They should have a drawn up lighting scheme on grid/graph paper to show to the class. For adults in a community they can then use this revised lighting scheme when they go to a planning & zoning meeting, or city council meeting. An instruction option: Interview or consult with a lighting engineer or designer in your area for feedback on your design. IDA in Partnership with NOAO, NSF and IYA Dark Skies Awareness

More Plan Considerations
Design a visual master plan for your campus: What are the goals for the plan Show a diagram of the area Consider these issues (you are welcome to make your own assumptions) and address each in your final presentation. How will it be used? A lot, a little? Ball Park? Walk/Cycling path? Restrooms? Nearby parking lot? Sculpture? Fountain? What are the hours of use? What safety precautions are in place? Has glare been reduced or eliminated? What type of luminaires are you recommending and why? What is around your park/campus? Residential, open space, businesses, mixed use? IDA in Partnership with NOAO, NSF and IYA Dark Skies Awareness

Introduction to Outdoor Lighting

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