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PROTECTING YOUR TOWNSHIP PROTECTING YOUR TOWNSHIP

FROM UNDESIRABLE FROM UNDESIRABLE

OUTDOOR LIGHTINGOUTDOOR LIGHTING

Presented by: Barry Johnson and Stan Stubbe

The Pennsylvania Outdoor Lighting CouncilPA Chapter of the International Dark-Sky Association

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TopicsTopics

1. AN ORIENTATION

2. IMPORTANCE OF GOOD LIGHTING

3. CREATING, ENACTING AND ENFORCING

AN EFFECTIVE LIGHTING ORDINANCE

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Good Lighting – An OrientationGood Lighting – An Orientation

• Where We Are, Where We’re Going

A Disturbing Trend

• Good Lighting Defined

• A Brief Case Study

Lighting TrendsLighting TrendsLight pollution and billions of dollars of wasted energy

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Lighting TrendsLighting Trends

Pittsburgh York You are here!

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Lighting TrendsLighting Trends

LA Basin 103 Years AgoLA Basin 103 Years Ago

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Lighting TrendsLighting TrendsLA Basin 100 YEARS LATER

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Lighting TrendsLighting TrendsTypical Suburban Sky Glow

King of Prussia, Once Farmland

The World at Night

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The US in 2025?The US in 2025?

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WHAT IS GOOD LIGHTING?WHAT IS GOOD LIGHTING?

• Good lighting starts with:

• Using the right amount of light

• Placing the light only where needed and wanted

• Shielding the light source (bulb) from peoples’ view

• Shutting lights off when not needed

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WHAT IS GOOD LIGHTING?WHAT IS GOOD LIGHTING?The right amount of light:

• Not too much or not too little for the seeing task

• Legally defendable

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WHAT IS GOOD LIGHTING?WHAT IS GOOD LIGHTING?Good lighting means placing the light only where it is needed or is wanted, to prevent light trespass and sky glow.

Courtesy RAB Lighting Courtesy RAB Lighting

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Sky glow blocks seeing stars Sky glow blocks seeing stars Natural light from the stars

Light pollution from below

FLOODLIGHTS POSTTOPS PARKING LOTSHOME LIGHTING

SKY GLOW

AIR POLLUTION AND MOISTURE PARTICLES

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WHAT IS GOOD LIGHTING?WHAT IS GOOD LIGHTING?

Good lighting aims and shields the source to prevent “glare.”

“Glare is light that causes annoyance, discomfort or loss in visibility

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WHAT IS GOOD LIGHTING?WHAT IS GOOD LIGHTING?Good lighting shields the light source from view.

Shielding blocks light from going where it doesn’t belong and covers the bulb from view.

Unshielded Shielded

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FULLY SHIELDED UNSHIELDED

STREET LIGHTSSTREET LIGHTS

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PERIOD LIGHTINGPERIOD LIGHTING

SHIELDED UNSHIELDED

ACORNS

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PERIOD LIGHTINGPERIOD LIGHTINGUnshielded Acorns

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WALL PACKSWALL PACKS

Shielded Unshielded

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FLOODLIGHTSFLOODLIGHTSUNSHIELDED LIGHT UP AND DOWN

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Billboard & Sign LightingBillboard & Sign Lighting

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LED Sign Up-Lighted Billboard

Glare to Spare

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Barn Light25

Barn LightBarn Light, aka Dusk-to-Dawn Lightaka Dusk-to-Dawn Light

UNSHIELDED POSTER CHILD

FOR GLARE AND ENERGY WASTE

KEEP THEM ON THE FARM

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UNCONTROLLED GLAREUNCONTROLLED GLAREBarn Light

Some light even reaches the ground!

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WHAT IS GOOD LIGHTING?WHAT IS GOOD LIGHTING?

Lastly, good lighting is on only when needed

It is to shut of at the close of business or when no one is watching to see what’s being lighted.

Programmable Timer Motion Sensor Midnight Off Photocell

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Commercial Parking Lot

1,000-Watt Floodlights Aimed Out and On All Night

Lighting the Sky and Nearby Homes

A Brief Case StudyA Brief Case Study

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Glare as Seen from Neighbor’s Bedroom

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Light Pollution on Neighbor’s Wall

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Brief Case StudyBrief Case Study

•Predicament

• Neighbors have sleepless nights

• Neighbors bug Township for relief

• Township has ineffective ordinance

• Business owner uncooperative

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Brief Case StudyBrief Case Study

Solution

• POLC helped township create effective lighting ordinance

• Owner applied to expand operation

• Township required site lighting be replaced per new ordinance: fully-shielded fixtures turned off after hours.

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BEFORE AFTER

1000-watt floodlights 400-watt full-cutoff fixtures

Light on the pavement not in the sky

Brief Case StudyBrief Case Study

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Before After

Looking out bedroom window

Brief Case StudyBrief Case Study

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Before After

Neighbor’s Bedroom Wall

Brief Case StudyBrief Case Study

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Brief Case StudyBrief Case StudyOutcome

• Happy neighbors

• One less hassle for municipality

• Business owner saves over $3,000/per year in energy cost.

• Light pollution greatly reduced

• Carbon footprint lowered by 55 barrels of oil

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SUMMARYSUMMARY

• Bad lighting is on the rise

• Good lighting means:• the right amount of light

• in the right place

• shielded & aimed down

• on only when needed.

• A good ordinance can make a big difference

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WHAT’S NEXTWHAT’S NEXT

IMPORTANT LIGHTING ISSUES

• Goals of good lighting

• Lighting terminology

• Lighting myths

• Negative lighting impacts

• Promoting quality lighting

• Legal implications