What Is Intrusive Residential Outdoor Lighting?
Starry, starry nights have given way to 21st century "sky glow" in recent years, and artificial night lighting has become a source of conflict. Advocates for less light and more night have succeeded in inspiring more sensitive lighting design and operation, and restrictions on exterior lighting. Intrusive lighting is a form of trespass; if a neighbor is disturbed by light from another property, it's an intrusion. Does this Spark an idea?
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Intrusive Outdoor Lighting
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Roads, sidewalks, public buildings, sports fields and houses use lighting of all types for security, activities and atmosphere. Sky glow, where the night sky is artificially illuminated; glare that causes dark shadows; and light trespass, where light extends beyond the property or area are all forms of intrusive (or obtrusive) lighting. Light that interferes with neighbors' quality of life is considered intrusive. A bedroom or yard may be invaded by uninvited light, affecting people's quality of life on their property.
Light Pollution Sources
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Whether it lights up a bedroom or interferes with a view of the night sky, light pollution is an intrusion. Billboards, security lights for residential, commercial and industrial sites, and exterior lighting on public buildings wash the night time sky with light. Light pollution can reach as far as 120 miles from the source. Much of this light can be reduced with available and affordable equipment, without compromising the effectiveness of the lighting for its purpose.
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Regulations
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Many municipalities have ordinances for exterior lighting that include provisions for trespass lighting, but a lack of consistency is confusing for the lighting industry. The International Dark Skies Association and the Illuminating Engineers Society have prepared a model ordinance for lighting. Proposed regulations are based on lighting zones ranging from no ambient light to high intensity zones. A curfew is proposed in the model ordinance to extinguish lights or reduce illumination by 30 percent, with some exemptions.
What You Can Do
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Unnecessary and too-bright lighting is one of the main causes of intrusive lighting. Check the standards for the lighting task in question, and dim or switch off lights when they're not necessary. Restrict the angle of upward lighting to near or above its horizontal line. Point the main beams of light at low angles -- no more than 70 degrees -- where people may cross them. Spotlights with shrouds and filters diffuse the light, and uplighting and pathway lights are efficient without being intrusive.
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References
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