Some of you might be surprised to find out that I have been a member of the International Darksky Association for about eight years now. That’s right, I’m an outdoor lighting freak who also is a member of an association dedicated to preserving our dark skies. Does that sound weird to you? For me it has been a good marriage of solid lighting know-how with earth-friendly philosophy and technique. You can even read a couple of my previous blogs on dark sky topics here and here.
But lately I’ve been getting some admonishing comments here on my blog and on my Facebook page calling me a “light polluter.” Not true, by a long shot. Unfortunately, Einstein was right when he said, “A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.”
Let me say this loud and clear: low voltage LED landscape lighting is not an issue for dark skies. Period. It’s not even a minuscule issue. People who suggest that what I and my company do is creating light pollution really need to do more research on the matter.
What really causes light pollution and sky glow? Here’s a few:
- Billboard signs that use eight 12,000 lumen metal halide lamps to illuminate them, shining straight up into the sky. That’s 96,000 lumens!
- LED billboard lights operating 24/7 that are blinding at night to drivers (think of Times Square).
- Unshielded street lights at 10,000+ lumens each.
- Lights at gas/oil drilling sites using tens of thousands of lumens each so they can operate 24 hours each day.
These are the dark sky bandits, not the low voltage landscape lighting at your neighbor’s house. (A lumen is a measure of brightness. As a guide, a 40 watt incandescent light bulb produces about 450 lumens. New HID headlights on later model cars produce approximately 3000 lumens each.)
Multiply that ONE billboard at 96,000 lumens (and they have a very blue/white 5000K color temperature) in a geographic area that may have hundreds or even thousands of them. If you want to crusade against something, pick up your picket sign and go for THAT; I’m behind you 100%. An average NightScenes lighting system produces less than 10,000 lumens, total, over the entire project! Because we care about light trespass and sky glow, we are also careful to adjust them so the fixture is not shining straight up into space, being aimed appropriately at their intended focal point. The fixtures we use are only equivalent to 20 or 35 watt halogen lights, so there really isn’t enough punch in them to reach beyond the tree top. And of course the tree blocks a vast majority of light. If I am accenting a home, I aim the 4 watt LED fixture with glare protection that I’m using to accent the intended area. Some of that light will reflect off of the home but we are talking about very little light when we’re using such low lumen fixtures.
One guy actually challenged me about Christmas lights. Really? Now we’re talking about temporary lighting. There are no restrictions on Christmas lighting in the United States, with the exception of when to have them removed in some communities. As a matter of fact, holiday/specialty lighting is exempt altogether from the lamp efficiency laws that went into effect in January 2012. Even so, our company uses only energy efficient, environmentally friendly LED holiday lighting. I don’t expect that the gentleman who was concerned about Christmas lights affecting his ability to see the stars to be driving after dark unless he’s not using his headlights. Those things are BRIGHT and also temporary!
The truth is that light pollution is a real thing that should concern everyone. Take it seriously, but be realistic without going over the edge. We all need light at night. Very few of us go to bed at dusk and rise at dawn. Our lifestyles keep us outside well past dark, especially in the winter months, and we want to be able to move around safely. What everyone desires is responsible outdoor lighting. Lighting that everyone, including star gazers can appreciate. Lighting that allows us to feel safe and secure on our property and in public. Lighting that allows us to enjoy our landscapes and outdoor living spaces past dark o’clock without interfering with our view of the Milky Way.
I had the opportunity to ask Mr. Bill Wren of the McDonald Observatory, in front of a large crowd of dark sky enthusiasts in the Texas Hill Country town of Marble Falls, if low voltage LED landscape lighting was a dark sky concern. Mr. Wren told the crowd very clearly that this type of lighting does not really contribute to sky glow and is not considered a problem to this issue. The lighting that my company designs and installs is meant to enhance the night, not interfere with it.
We are very serious about excellent outdoor lighting design and its effect on the planet. We are a friend to the International Darksky Association and star gazers, and plan to continue to be for many years to come.
Being a fanatic in anything is not the best approach, can we agree on that? Let’s all take the time to learn about the things that we are concerned about and make rational decisions based upon facts. I’ll continue to design outdoor lighting systems that make a minimum impact on the night time environment while helping people be safe, feel safe and be comfortable at night. I will endeavor to educate people on responsible outdoor lighting. Please do me a favor and don’t call me a light polluter and do go after the real light polluters out there.
For responsible and beautiful outdoor lighting, please contact us here.
I know you have to make a living but, sorry, those vanity lights are pollution.
I see that everywhere in my neighborhood. Yes there are worse offenders. But lighting up the entire front of your house WITH LIGHTS THAT POINT UP, is not part of the solution.
Mount those lights at the top pointing down, and I will be sympathetic.
Thank you for your input but I have to disagree with you Paul. I have even consulted with the folks at the Davis observatory and they agree that low voltage LED landscape lighting is not a dark-sky problem. Using low lumen, LED fixtures that are properly aimed (even upward) does not contribute to light pollution in a meaningful way. Go ahead and attack the billboard folks, street lighting and gas stations who are the real light polluters of the world. Fanaticism is never good in any circumstance. Good and thoughtfully designed landscape lighting around a home has been proven to reduce crime, which is a much bigger problem that shining a 150 lumen LED fixture upward. I wish you a great day sir.