Have you ever looked up at the night sky, hoping to see the stars twinkle, but instead all you saw was a hazy glow of light? Or ever having trouble seeing clearly while walking or driving at night because of overly bright streetlamps or headlights that blinded you? These scenarios are common in places that are exposed to large amount of artificial light.

Light is vital for life. However, too much of anything is bad. Excessive and inappropriate use of artificial light creates light pollution, which has made it hard to see the stars at night.

Nowadays, it’s only possible to enjoy a truly dark sky in rural areas like small towns and farms far away from cities. Sources of light pollution include outdoor lighting fixtures, streetlights, buildings, and some public spaces.

What are the common types of light pollution? 

Skyglow 

Sometimes you might have noticed a bright, hazy glow that obscures the stars.  That’s skyglow, and it’s caused by all the artificial light we use in urban areas. The light scatters in the atmosphere, creating a sort of “light dome” over the city that can make it hard to see the natural beauty of the night sky. 

Glare 

Like a vehicle’s bright light shining into your eyes, glare can make it difficult to see the road ahead. In fact, glare can cause visual discomfort and even temporary blindness, which is especially dangerous for drivers and pedestrians. 

Light trespass 

Light trespass is exactly what it sounds like. If you’ve ever experienced a light shining into your hotel room window or a streetlight peeking through your room, you’ve been affected by light trespass. 

Overlighting

 
A group of bright and excessive light sources from buildings or streetlights creates a dazzling and distracting effect. For Eg: When streetlights don’t have something to cover the light and point it downwards, they can create a lot of unnecessary light that goes everywhere, instead of just where it’s needed. 

Did you know that 83% of the world’s population lives in areas where the night sky is almost 10% brighter than its natural state? This includes 99% of people living in Europe and the United States. 

Light pollution can have severe and far-reaching consequences on both human well-being and the natural world. It is caused by excessive and poorly designed outdoor lighting, which leads to an artificial increase in the brightness of the night sky. 

Light pollution has several consequences, including: 

• Disrupted sleep patterns and increased stress levels for humans 
• Negative impacts on human health 
• Confusion in migratory patterns and breeding cycles for wildlife 
• Altering the natural behaviors of nocturnal animals 
• Waste of energy and money 
• Contribution to greenhouse gas emissions

How Lumos Controls act against light pollution 

Today, individuals and groups are taking various steps to address light pollution such as using energy-efficient lighting and advocating for Dark Sky policies. By doing so, we can not only save energy and money but also preserve the beauty of the night sky and protect the environment. 

Lumos Controls goes beyond the standard smart-lighting requirements and helps you combat light pollution. With Lumos Controls, users can adjust the intensity and color temperature of their lights with the touch of a button.  In addition, Lumos Controls can help reduce the amount of unnecessary light emitted into the sky by occupancy/vacancy sensing, scheduling, plug load controls, task tuning, further contributing to a sustainable future. 

Lumos Controls has successfully completed several projects in various settings, such as warehouses, sports centers, parking lots, and commercial spaces. We have implemented a range of lighting control strategies in these projects to mitigate light pollution, as detailed below. 

Dimmable lighting  

More light” is not necessarily” better light”. Just like turning down the volume on your TV or phone makes the sound quieter, dimming controls make the lights less bright. This means that less electricity is used, and less light is emitted, which can help to minimize light pollution and save energy. 

Lumos Controls provides dimmable lighting solutions that give precise control over the light level in a space. This includes the ability to adjust the brightness of individual lights and groups of lights to create the desired lighting effects. 

Occupancy or vacancy sensing  

Occupancy or vacancy sensors can help reduce light pollution by only turning on lights when they’re needed.  For example, in a parking lot, occupancy sensors can detect when a car or person enters the area and turn on the lights only in that specific location. This helps to reduce light pollution by not illuminating the surrounding areas unnecessarily. 

Imagine a city that uses high-end trim settings on its streetlights, which turn on at specified levels only when there are people or vehicles around. At other times, the streetlights would be off or dimly lit. This scenario can be achieved by using 0-10V controllers (such as the Radiar AF10) connected to wired microwave sensors. 

The 0-10V controllers allow the streetlights to be dimmed, which not only reduces light pollution but also saves energy. The wired microwave sensors detect when people or vehicles are present in the area, and then send a signal to the 0-10V controllers to turn on the streetlights at the appropriate brightness level. During periods of low activity, the streetlights can be turned off or set to a low brightness level to further reduce energy consumption and light pollution. 

Warmer color tones  

A small color change can bring a huge difference! Use warmer colors, such as yellow or amber for outdoor lighting fixtures or streetlights. Choose light bulbs with temperatures below 3000 Kelvin and steer clear of bright and blue “daylight” tones that exceed 6000 Kelvin. This reduces the amount of light that scatters in the atmosphere and creates glare, which is a major contributor to light pollution.  

Lighting zones 

Instead of having uniform lighting throughout the entire property, you can designate certain areas as low-light zones or eliminate unnecessary lighting altogether. This helps to reduce light spill and glare, preserving the natural darkness of the night sky.  

Lumos Controls intelligent lighting controls system can be programmed to adjust lighting levels based on time of day or occupancy while meeting the specific needs of your property 

Avoid uplighting  

You might have seen the lights pointing upwards such as on trees or some architectural facades. To reduce light pollution, it is important to avoid uplighting wherever possible. This can be achieved by using downward-facing light fixtures, which only illuminate the intended area and minimize unnecessary light spill. Shielding the light source can also help to direct light where it is needed and prevent it from escaping into the sky. 

A step in the right direction 

The excessive use of artificial light is causing the stars to become less visible, disrupting sleep patterns, and altering the natural behaviors of nocturnal animals. Lumos Controls offers solutions to combat light pollution by adjusting the intensity and color temperature of lights, using occupancy/vacancy sensing, scheduling, plug load controls, and task tuning. By taking action against light pollution and adopting sustainable lighting practices, we can save energy and money, preserve the beauty of the night sky, and protect the environment. 

Want to start your journey towards smart, environmentally friendly, and energy-efficient lighting? Contact our lighting experts today