Old and New Security/Area/Street Lights Compared
Just a few days ago, I received a set of digital photos from Mr. Anthony Burns, Manager, Marketing Programs, General Electric Lighting Systems that show amazing contrast between the typical old-style 'security' or 'area' light and their newly-introduced SkyGard.
The GE SkyGard is the fixture that Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative (NOVEC) has chosen to replace the old-style 'glare bomb' that is so intrusive and wasteful of energy.
Not only has NOVEC chosen this fixture, but they have elected to use 100-Watt High Pressure Sodium lamps instead of the traditional 175-Watt mercury vapor lamps, thus saving substantially on electrical usage and helping us to reduce air pollution (Ozone and other pollutants).
Less Wattage equates to less heat generated, too. So, in addition to all other benefits, we may also improve our global warming situation. (George Washington University is studying the 'Urban Heat Island Effect' in its program called 'Loudoun Environmental Indicators Project - LEIP')
Now let's hope that Dominion Virginia Power and those who select fixtures for uses such as Streetlights will join us in making this their choice.
NOVEC, alone, has over 100,000 customers; if all other electric utilities would join in, we would be talking in terms of millions of customers around the Commonwealth of Virginia.
And if the trend spreads around the whole USA and the rest of the World, imagine the social and environmental benefits!
We can do this and reduce lighting costs at the same time. Everyone wins!
Following are a few of these images. It's obvious which lighting fixture is the SkyGard ;-> The lamps in both of these fixtures are 175-Watt mercury vapor. Please note that it is difficult to take accurate photos under this type of light and the photos are compressed to provide quick loading.
Note how much light is on the ground, and how much area is covered under the fixture, without any real glare.
The 'glare bomb' across the driveway is turned off in this scene, so you can see just how much light the SkyGard really puts on the ground.
Imagine a neighbor of yours had one of these...you can scarcely see the SkyGard because of the glare from the other unit.
'Glare Bomb' in foreground is typical of 'security lights' and street lights installed by electric utilities almost everywhere. One such light can needlessly ruin the scenic value of a tremendously large area.
This obnoxious light was installed before 1996 on private property about three miles from our back porch. It is in an area served by Dominion Virginia Power (they won't admit it's theirs). Here is an example of how just one such light can ruin an otherwise pristine viewscape for anyone unfortunate enough to be able to see it. I took this photo just after sunset on August 3, 2003.
A close-up of the new SkyGard fixture.
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Note: The download (.pdf) brochure from GE gives specifications and shows that the fixture can be ordered with different ballasts and bulb Wattages to suit your application; also the shield is available separately and it will fit a number of existing fixtures, so it may be possible to shield an existing 'glare bomb' at substantially less expense than a full replacement if that is desired. We would opt for a new fixture with reduced Wattage, as NOVEC has wisely done.
Please also note that these fixtures and the shield alone are not expensive, compared to many other lighting items.
One source that we know of is Outdoor Lighting Associates. Here is a link to their Web Site: Click Here to Visit Outdoor Lighting Associates
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