Environtmental and Global Health » Light Pollution

Light Pollution Solutions

Akbar Uciha — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 11:12:03 +0000

CHARACTERISTICS AND USE OF LUMINAIRES:

The criteria to follow in choosing the luminaires to achieve efficient outdoor lighting, can be summarized in these three basic rules:

NEVER BE LIGHT FROM THE MOUTH OF EXCEL REFLECTOR

The beam of light produced should not extend outside the area that we need light, as it is energy that is lost, causing glare, eyestrain, etc..

CLOSING THE GLASS MUST BE FLAT AND TRANSPARENT

Convex or prismatic glass scatters light to produce significant energy loss and glare.

THE MOUTH OF THE REFLECTOR MUST always points towards the ground, SHUT THE GLASS IN HORIZONTAL POSITION.

When the center of the illuminated area is displaced from the vertical fixture, use an asymmetric reflector, which produces a horizontal beam inclined to maintain the mouth of the reflector.

Another acceptable solution, if the lamp reflector is symmetrical, is to provide it with a cage or a visor to cut the top and side flow, reflected back into the ground, trying to further that his inclination not exceeding 45 º.

A simple way to ensure that the model is efficient luminaire to choose is limited to making the choice between those in the extensive list of certified lighting of different makes and models, which facilitates the Technical Office for the Protection of Sky Quality, the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands, plus much other interesting information about this issue (this has been our main source for the realization of the Newsletter and this page).

LAMP

The main features to consider when choosing a lamp,

than the voltage, the total power consumed and the color of light produced (spectrum) are:

*Light output: The amount of light produced for each watt of electricity consumed (expressed in lumens per watt or candelas per watt).

*TIME OR HALF-LIFE: The time that, on average, we will take the lamp to function and is expressed in hours.

PRICE: By itself it should not be decisive, since a high-performance lamp, having lower power and longer battery life, it is cheaper in the long run although their initial cost is higher.

REDUCE THE LEVEL OF LIGHT FROM MIDNIGHT

By turning off some of the luminaries who in many cases are completely unnecessary to be almost no movement of people, is another measure that contributes significantly to reducing energy consumption and light pollution.

To this must be taken into account when installing, which is fitted with dual circuit wiring that allows us to turn off or on half of the lamps (even and odd lights or lights with double lamp).

OPTIMIZATION OF A LIGHTING INSTALLATION:

In addition to the above aspects, there are others that should be taken into account to optimize performance and cost of an outdoor lighting installation, such as, for example, the recommended light level depending on the way to illuminate the height above ground to the luminaire or the distribution of light they provide, not to mention aesthetic commitment to efficiency-sometimes you have to go and the reduction of architectural barriers or obstacles (avoid poles on the sidewalks when the lights can installed on the facades).

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Consequences of light pollution

Akbar Uciha — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 11:08:29 +0000

Energy waste:

The light is not exploited, which often exceeds 25% and in some cases exceed 50% (balloon-type lamps), we also have to pay. It forces us to use higher wattage lamps because we are only using part of it, lost the rest unnecessarily. This excess of consumption that should supply the power plants, leads to an increased fuel consumption and, consequently, increased emission of pollutants into the atmosphere, among other things responsible for the greenhouse effect that is driving up the average temperature of our planet and acid rain that destroys forests.

Glare:

Light falling directly from the lamp in our eyes have an intensity far above that which reaches us reflected by the ground and the obstacles it presented, making them look worse since the opening of the pupils is closed until further adapted to this light intensity.

This annoying glare produces eyestrain us, reduces our perception and, consequently, increases the risk of traffic accidents, ie, reduce road safety.

It also adversely affects the nightlife of wildlife, especially some birds (a notorious case is that of the offspring of shearwater in its first flight become disoriented and crash due to the glare of the people, hurting and dying in many occasions).

Intrusion into the privacy of persons:

By illuminating facades and windows with no light at the ground there are very annoying and facilitates the indiscretion of the pedestrians.

Difficult and obscure vision reaches of the starry sky: This is a really unfortunate result for all and especially for the astronomer, as this wonderful show, inexhaustible source of knowledge and beauty, which undoubtedly is the vision the rest of the Universe which we belong, has deteriorated so because of the pollution, that until we have lost the habit of looking at the sky at night, then left to call attention.

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Light Pollution

Akbar Uciha — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 11:02:26 +0000

What is light pollution?

Is all the light emitted or escape above the horizontal of the luminaires in an installation of outdoor lighting. It produces a halo or glare on populations, to illuminate dust particles or water the air contains suspended. When there are clouds, the basis of these is illuminated.

We will extend this definition considering how light pollution to all the light that leaks out of the area you want to light, that is, all the wasted light energy, for direct or indirect harmful effects on the environment.

Causes of light pollution:

A sample of some highly polluting luminaires.

*The use of lighting (lamps, projectors and spotlights, etc) that due to poor lighting designer or inappropriate placement, a large part leak out of the lumen area of light is needed.

*Excessive lighting also produces significant and unnecessary loss of light by reflection from the ground and other objects sobreiluminados.

*An over-lit area, causes neighboring areas tend to imitate, equaling at least that level of enlightenment, resulting in a “chain reaction” that exacerbates the problem. This is because the human eye needs a certain time for adaptation to different light levels, so that when we move from an area with an excess of light to another reasonably well lit have the false impression that the lighting of the latter is poor or inadequate.

*The lack of sensitivity of people and above all responsible entities is mainly due to a lack of information coupled with the fact that common for a long time to live with this problem, we have become accustomed to it and no longer perceive it as such. All this leads to often, when choosing a fitting model, lacking own rational criteria, used the easy to imitate other populations with lighting pollutant, or that only takes into account criteria supposedly aesthetic, forgetting that its main function is to illuminate well.

*This photo shows an example of two characteristic types of lights pollutants: central lantern lamp without reflector (bad design) and symmetrical reflector projector, excessive tilt and without screen or visor weighting (inappropriate use). Both have major energy losses and produce a significant glare.

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Global – Light Pollution

Jemima Jones — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 13:14:11 +0000

Light pollution caused by inefficient use of Towards the sky and poorly designed lighting, which sends light into areas where it is not necessary: it. The use of projectors and laser weapons, advertising uncontrolled lighting, and lack of rest period decorative lighting that also helped to produce this problem.

We must warn that there is also light pollution by using excessive light intensity, and / or ratings that do not need to carry out activities under the area illuminated.

This is important to indicate that the severe damage caused by light pollution is not limited to places where there is environmental-stocks, industrial parks, commercial areas, street-but the light is spread by the atmosphere and the effect was felt by tens of kilometers atau more from the source.