Written by Guy Walton - 9 Jun 2023
A national park or outdoor space with Dark Sky Reserve status offers exceptional starry nights and is specifically protected from artificial lighting. When choosing lighting for your Dark Sky Reserve, the goal is to minimise light pollution and preserve the natural darkness of the night sky. Efficient and environmentally sensitive lighting benefits wildlife and wellbeing, saves energy and enhances our view of the incredible night sky.
To help control the spread of light pollution and to assist you in choosing the right lighting, here are a few useful tips to make your outdoor lighting Dark Sky friendly:
Before installing outdoor lighting, consider the purpose of the light and what its impact will be on the surrounding area, including wildlife and neighbours. Familiarise yourself with any specific guidelines and regulations from the organisation responsible for managing the dark skies reserve. Different reserves may have different criteria and recommendations for lighting.
Use direct light only where it is needed. Consider pointing your floodlights downwards or change to specially designed downlights to reduce wasted stray or upward light that can cause nuisance to others. Select lighting fixtures that have a shield or hood that directs light downward, minimising light spillage into the sky. This helps to focus the light where it’s needed and prevents unnecessary light pollution. Our range of lighting bollards are the perfect solution for discreet and atmospheric lighting for a Dark Sky Reserve.
It is rare that lighting needs to be permanently on. It’s important to choose lights with timers and/or motion detectors to ensure light is dimmed when possible and off when not needed. Our solar lighting bollards are ideal for outdoor lighting as they can be configured for 10% illumination when switched on and maximum illumination when motion is detected. This is also a safety precaution as the sensors will detect any intruders.
When choosing Dark Sky friendly lighting, opt for fixtures that have lower brightness or intensity levels and avoid obtrusive light or bright bulbs that emit excessive light. Our Bosco solar light seems to vanish during the day, but comes to life in the dark. The solar version has a PV panel in combination with state of the art built-in control electronics and energy storage. The solar energy is stored and released to the LED module as efficiently as possible.
Short wavelength (cool blue) light produces more sky glow and is most harmful to wildlife and human health. Avoid high-intensity floodlights or bright bulbs that emit excessive light. Look for lighting solutions with a warmer colour temperature (around 2700k-3000K) rather than cooler temperatures, as they create a more natural and less intrusive ambiance. Our bollard lighting has various colour options including 2200, 2700, 4000 and Amber which is bat-friendly.
In addition to these safety benefits, avoiding light intrusion also has a number of other benefits. Dark Sky Reserves use less energy because they don’t need as much artificial light, leading to reduced energy consumption. There’s also improved air quality as light pollution can contribute to air pollution by scattering pollutants into the atmosphere. Dark Sky Reserves are ideal for stargazing and other astronomy activities and by reducing lighting levels, you can help to preserve our night sky and to make it easier for people to enjoy the beauty of the stars.
If you’re looking for the perfect Dark Sky friendly lighting, get in touch to find out more about our range of wired and solar bollard lighting.
Written by Guy Walton - 9 Jun 2023
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