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Outside Light: Use Best, Not Brightest14 December 2011
It is possible to have a safe, secure outdoor lighting strategy
while also being a good environmental steward
For an area to be as safe and secure as it can be, as much light as possible must be shining on that area- or so conventional thinking goes. Safety, security and environmental friendliness are not often concepts used together when the discussion centers around outdoor lighting.
"Safety, security and the environment don't necessarily work against each other," says Helen Diemer, principal and president of The Lighting Practice. "I think it's all about the execution in terms of how you create the safe environment and what choices you make for it to be low impact on the environment. For me, it's starting with the big idea. What are you trying to accomplish? What environment are you trying to create? What are the right tools to do that? What is the right light to do that?
The challenge of outdoor lighting, even when specified for safety and security, is keeping the impact on the environment to a minimum. Whether it's sky glow, light trespass, glare or wasted energy, the effect that lighting can have on the environment can be substantial.
"I think it's really an issue of people not using light in the most effective way," Diemer says. "It's sometimes like hitting the problem with a sledgehammer."
The goal for exterior lighting should be to illuminate about 30 feet around a person. People need that much space between themselves and potential adversaries to have time to react.
By: Desiree Hanford, Contributing Editor, Building Operating Management, December 2011
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