For many years, I have been concerned with the outdoor lighting programs offered by the public utilities. In Loudoun County, Virginia, these are Dominion Virginia Power and Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative (NOVEC).
Beginning around 1997, when I acquired my very first computer and began to learn about the communications possibilities it afforded, I began to write letters and send E-mails to the utilities and also to local, state and federal agencies, in an effort change the approach used to provide area lighting.
The following photo is from an insert promoting 'security lighting' that came with our NOVEC electric bill for November, 2000.
The camera that captured this image did a magnificent job in portraying what words often fail to convey. The most prominent item in the photo is the light, itself - not the house and grounds. The bright light did to the camera exactly what it does to the human eye - it caused the camera to expose the scene based upon the light from the source, rather than the light reflected from what is supposed to be made easy to see.
So, obviously, an intruder could hide in the shadows created by such a light, and security would be lessened, rather than enhanced. Further, the human eye, once exposed to a bright light source, takes quite a while to adjust itself to darker conditions, and this lag in sensitivity adjustment is a serious safety issue.
You can see this effect at work by fueling up your vehicle at night under the garishly over-lit canopy of a typical service station, and then driving out into darkness. It will take some time for your eyes to adapt and recover their sensitivity, and your accident risk will be increased.
It's worth noting here that pilots of aircraft are trained to work in subdued cockpit lighting and their instrument lighting is subdued as well - all so that we can see outside the aircraft and avoid collisions with other aircraft and tall objects such as mountains, towers and buildings.
The dark-adapted human eye is incredibly sensitive, and we can operate safely with very low light levels, indeed.
NOW THE GOOD NEWS !
In the June, 2002 issue of 'Rural Living' magazine, this banner headline appeared:
"Beginning this summer, all security lights that NOVEC installs will be dark-sky friendly and are similar to the one pictured here. In response to numerous requests from customers, beginning this summer all new security lights installed by NOVEC will be "dark-sky friendly." This means that the new security lights help cut glare and reduce sky glow. These new lights will do a better job of aiming light only where it is needed - on the targets of safety, security, and visibility, not up into the sky. Unless a specific request is received from the local governmental body to use our old-style lights, from this point on, NOVEC will install only security lights that are designed to be "dark-sky friendly." In addition, customers can pay a fee to have their existing security lights replaced or retrofitted to be "dark-sky friendly."
The image shown appears to be a General Electric fixture, and I believe this choice was made because many of us members of the International Dark Sky Association had been working with GE Outdoor Lighting personnel, many of whom are also IDA members, to create a whole line of dark-sky-friendly fixtures for various outdoor lighting applications. I had suggested that GE marketing get in touch with NOVEC, as the lack of good fixtures (please see References, below) has been one of the major reasons so many users of outdoor lighting have been reluctant to join the dark sky movement.
Here is the text describing the SKYGARD fixture from the GE Web Site:
"GE Reduces Light Pollution With Innovative New Fixture Accessory"
"HENDERSONVILLE, N. C.
GE Lighting Systems, Inc. introduces the SkygardTM which significantly reduces outdoor glare, light trespass and skyglow. The SkygardTM provides safe lighting for outdoor yards, rural homes and urban developments where reduced glare and full cut-off lighting is required. The complete unit pack includes the hood, optical, lamp, photoelectric control, prewired cable and mounting hardware.
With this new innovation from GE Lighting Systems, security provided by outdoor lighting no longer has to cause irritating glare or invade the privacy of neighbors."
HOW WE ALL WIN
- New fixture will eliminate most of the light trespass problems that cause so much social strife and friction between neighbors.
- New fixture uses a 100-Watt bulb, replacing the old fixtures that typically used 175-Watt mercury vapor bulb (the one that produced enormous and fiendishly blue-white glare).
- Safety will be enhanced.
- Energy savings will be substantial, resulting in lower operating costs to NOVEC and also reducing air pollution caused by coal-burning power plants that supply much of the electricity used for outdoor lighting. Air pollution is harmful to our health.
- NOVEC has over 100,000 customers and serves a very large portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia, so the good effects of this program are wide-spread and not limited to Loudoun County.
- NOVEC is one of a number of members of Old Virginia Electric Cooperatives (ODEC), whose members serve a very large portion of the entire Commonwealth. If such programs are adopted by all members of ODEC, then the good effects will be absolutely enormous.
- NOVEC will have a marketing advantage concerning 'Energy Choice', through which consumers will be able to select the suppliers of their electricity.
CONCLUSION
First, let me apologize if it seems that I've directed attention to myself - but it's hard to tell a story without citing the factors that were involved in its making.
Most of all, I would direct your attention to the fact that many, many private citizens and individuals in companies such as NOVEC, organizations and government agencies are all working to provide solutions to problems such as glary, unsafe, energy-wasteful outdoor lighting.
We all owe a huge debt of gratitude to these wonderful and dedicated people, and need to continue to work together in the cause of making progress toward a more beautiful, safer and healthier World for all of us and our descendants.
Thank you for your visit to this page, and may you enjoy the fruits of this cooperative and on-going effort.
Robert K. MacDowell
Waterford, Virginia
July 21, 2002
REFERENCES AND LINKS
Old Security/Area/Street Light and New SkyGard Compared. Photos!
NOVEC Home Page From here, navigate to Residential, Services, Street Lights and Security.
NOVEC
If you are in the NOVEC service area and would like information on street or area lighting, please contact Customer Field Service at (703) 754-6750, Extension 6750.
You may also use the toll-free number 1-888-335-0500. Once connected, use option 3, key in extension 6750. You will be connected to Customer Field Service.
Customer Field Service may also be contacted via e-mail at cfs@NOVEC.com
Visit ODEC Service Territory page to see just how huge this area really is. From here, check out the rest of the site, read the President's Message and write Jackson E. Reasor, President and CEO by using the 'Contact Us' Link at the bottom of the page.
IDA's section on Good Lighting Fixtures and Where to Get Them