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Gloucester Lighting. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly By Mario Motta. What threatens the night? Light pollution!. What’s light pollution?. Light pollution Any adverse effect of artificial light * Sky glow * Glare * Light trespass * Light clutter
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Gloucester Lighting The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly By Mario Motta
What’s light pollution? • Light pollution • Any adverse effect of artificial light • * Sky glow • * Glare • * Light trespass • * Light clutter • * Decreased visibility at night
What else is light pollution? • Light pollution • Any adverse effect of artificial light • * Loss of community • * Loss of safety & security • * Damage to human health • * Energy waste • * Air & water pollution • * Disruption of nature (e.g. birds, turtles)
Why so much bad lighting? • * Lack of awareness • * The public • * Government • * Builders, contractors, owners, operators • * Even the lighting community! • * Apathy, inertia
Why protect the night environment? • * For the night around us • For people • For wildlife • For plants • * For the night above us • For its beauty • For world cultures • For astronomers & stargazers • Dark skies are natural skies
Unshielded vs. Shielded Prohibited under current bylaw Allowed under current bylaw
Problem: “old” fixtures were originally designed for flame light sources 500 LUMENS ---40 WATTS incandescent and 9 watts compact fluorescent) WILL ILLUMINATE A DOORWAY
“Brightness” and greater lumens emitted per watt increasing with technological advances Candle, gas, and oil “flame” light sources = less than 200 lumens 100 watt incandescent / 23 watt compact fluorescent = 1,800 lumens High Intensity Discharge bulbs = 8,000 to 124,000 lumens
FULL CUTOFF FIXTURES: The “Gold Standard”: No light at or above the fixture and restricted light output in the “Glare Zone”
30 to 50% of all light pollution is produced by roadway lighting that shines wasted light upwards and outwards.
Cobrahead Streetlight innovation: Drop lens vs. Flat lens Retrofits underway in New York Communities in advance of NY State Legislation: East Hampton Town, East Hampton Village, Riverhead, Southampton, Brookhaven, and other municipalities As well as entire states of Washington, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California.
“In Process” streetlighting conversion in Calgary, Canada to Full Cutoff fixtures, and with a reduction in wattage, saving $1.7 million tax dollars every year. (ROI 4 yr)
Night Vision Impaired by Glare Humans can see in a broad range of lighted environments, but not at the same time: -- sunny beach: 30,000.00 footcandles -- bright moonlight: 0.02 footcandles Glare interferes with night vision “adaptation” from dark to light to dark (E.g. Gas stations at 100 fc) The Adaptation period takes longer as we age, because the membranes in the eye are not as elastic. --Dr. Joan Roberts
GLARE: when a visible light source is brighter than the surroundings, reducing our ability to see well at night.---Technically called “Veiling Luminance”. The eye cannot adjust when the ratio of bright to dark is greater than 20:1. In a dark environment, “glare” can occur with a bare light bulb over 500 lumens (40 watts incandescent). Types of GLARE: Disability, Distracting, and Nuisance(Lighting Research Center, Dr. Peter Boyce)
GE Powerflood Turnpike fixtures: NO MORE new utility pole installations !!! 16,000 of these fixtures currently installed all over Long Island will be phased out.
How much is enough light? • * The more, the better is a myth • Use IESNA or CIE recommended levels • * Consider location • Use environmental lighting zones • * Consider task • Use good transition lighting • See the effect, not the source
Glare and light trespass Prospect Street
Glare from utility pole mounted floodlights into right-of-way disables vision of drivers and obscures pedestrians Bass Ave., Glare Bomb, and public safety hazard
Little light falls on Parking lot. Most hits drivers. Is this Safe?
Parking lot light not creating Hazard Bass Ave, Shielded light has no glare, Drive safely
Salem. All glare light, street dark. Cannot even read sign under light
Street dark. Lights point upward, look good in daylight only
Main St, Glare and poor public safety. Worse with rain or snow
East Hampton, NY, Main Street “Before” post top fixtures changed Glare was debilitating to drivers and pedestrians, causing accidents
85 Montauk “Carriage Light” Conversions Bulb moved up under opaque cap The Long Island Manufacturer, Magniflood, re-designed their own fixture
Reduction of 100 watts each fixture gives better illumination • Light bulb recessed into cap conceals glare • Headlights able to light pedestrians in the center of the road • Reduction of glare, light trespass, and skyglow
Light points up and sideways, not on street Bank. Can you see the car right under the light?