1 PROTECTING YOUR TOWNSHIP FROM UNDESIRABLE OUTDOOR LIGHTING Presented by: Barry Johnson and Stan Stubbe The Pennsylvania Outdoor Lighting Council PA Chapter of the International Dark-Sky Association

2Topics 1.AN ORIENTATION 2.IMPORTANCE OF GOOD LIGHTING 3.CREATING, ENACTING AND ENFORCING AN EFFECTIVE LIGHTING ORDINANCE

3 Good Lighting – An Orientation Where We Are, Where We’re Going A Disturbing Trend Good Lighting Defined A Brief Case Study

Lighting Trends Lighting Trends Light pollution and billions of dollars of wasted energy 4

Lighting Trends Pittsburgh York You are here!

6 Lighting Trends LA Basin 103 Years Ago

7 Lighting Trends LA Basin 100 YEARS LATER

8 Lighting Trends Lighting Trends Typical Suburban Sky Glow King of Prussia, Once Farmland

The World at Night 9 The US in 2025?

10 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

11 WHAT IS GOOD LIGHTING? The right amount of light: Not too much or not too little for the seeing task Legally defendable

12 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

13 Sky glow blocks seeing stars Natural light from the stars Light pollution from below FLOODLIGHTSPOSTTOPSPARKING LOTSHOME LIGHTING SKY GLOW AIR POLLUTION AND MOISTURE PARTICLES

14 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

15 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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17 FULLY SHIELDED UNSHIELDED STREET LIGHTS

18 PERIOD LIGHTING SHIELDED UNSHIELDED ACORNS

19 PERIOD LIGHTING Unshielded Acorns

20 WALL PACKS Shielded Unshielded 30

21FLOODLIGHTS UNSHIELDED LIGHT UP AND DOWN

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Billboard & Sign Lighting 23 LED Sign Up-Lighted Billboard Glare to Spare

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Barn Light 25 Barn Lightaka Dusk-to-Dawn Light Barn Light, aka Dusk-to-Dawn Light UNSHIELDED POSTER CHILD FOR GLARE AND ENERGY WASTE KEEP THEM ON THE FARM

26 UNCONTROLLED GLARE Barn Light Some light even reaches the ground!

27 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

28 Commercial Parking Lot 1,000-Watt Floodlights Aimed Out and On All Night Lighting the Sky and Nearby Homes A Brief Case Study

29 Glare as Seen from Neighbor’s Bedroom

30 Light Pollution on Neighbor’s Wall

31 Brief Case Study Predicament Neighbors have sleepless nights Neighbors bug Township for relief Township has ineffective ordinance Business owner uncooperative

32 Brief 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.

33 BEFORE AFTER 1000-watt floodlights 400-watt full-cutoff fixtures Light on the pavement not in the sky Brief Case Study

34 Before After Looking out bedroom window Brief Case Study

35 Before After Neighbor’s Bedroom Wall Brief Case Study

36 Brief Case Study Outcome 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

37 SUMMARY 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

38 WHAT’S NEXT IMPORTANT LIGHTING ISSUES Goals of good lighting Lighting terminology Lighting myths Negative lighting impacts Promoting quality lighting Legal implications