BE A STAR Award

Part 1

Determine if each light is necessary. Ask yourself what function each light fulfills. Every light should have a clear purpose. Is the light needed? How does it impact the area, including your neighbors, wildlife and the environment? Consider using reflective paints or self-luminous markers for signs, curbs, and steps to reduce the need for permanently installed outdoor lighting. Take the light out of service if it no longer serves a purpose.

Part 2: Shield and Direct Lights Only Where Illumination is Needed

The Better Lights for Better Nights diagram below is a great starting point to learn about fixtures that can shield and control light direction versus fixtures that allow light to go upwards or on adjoining properties. Acceptable light fixtures shield the light source/bulb/LED from normal viewing points and do not allow any light above a horizontal line drawn through the lowest point of the illuminating elements of the fixture. The best fixtures tuck the bulb up in the fixture, minimizing glare and light trespass.

The illumination from a properly installed light fixture should project below and out to the sides of the fixture, like a cone with the peaked top of the light at the fixture. An acceptable fixture that is mounted at an upward angle would normally change it into an “unacceptable” fixture. There are situations where an ‘acceptable fixture’ would require additional shielding: for example, one mounted up on a hill may require the addition of a shroud or shield to keep it from shining directly on other properties.

Low output landscape lighting directed upward and shielded so that no one sees the source of the light from any other property is acceptable if the lights are turned off when no one is actively using them. Remember, both plants and animals need natural darkness to be healthy.

Using a smaller wattage bulb that is low enough to not create glare for light sensitive individuals can improve visibility on your property. Shielding the bulb from view may be done with a durable shield (sheet metal works well), heat resistant paint, or by replacing the fixture with one that hides the light source.
Take a tour and view your property from neighboring areas. Look at it from a nearby hill if possible. If your lights look star-like, you are paying for light to go on your neighbors’ property. Shield your lights and reduce wattage, and your pocketbook and your neighbors will be happier!

If ‘No’, then your lights may need some adjustments. Please see the examples and suggestions for acceptable light fixtures and installation in Part 2. Resubmit questions Q2A and Q2B.

Part 3: Turn Lights Off When You Are Not There or Use a Motion Sensor or Timer

Professional studies have shown lighting an unoccupied area can attract criminals. It is also a waste of energy. Turning off lights forces criminals to bring their own flashlights, causing them to be more noticeable if anyone is there to see them. It also allows wildlife to exist in the natural light of the stars and moon. Timers, motion detectors, and half-night photocells can provide illumination, if needed, for an area or facility.

If ‘No’, consider the installation of a timer or motion sensor, or include an explanation in Part 6 of why it is necessary to keep outdoor lights on in your particular situation. Resubmit Q3A.

Part 4: Reduce the Amount of Light - Lumens Matter

The human eye adjusts to the brightest light visible, and thus is ‘blinded’ to dimmer objects or areas. As a result, significantly less light than is the modern habit is best to enhance night vision. Remember that a very bright light will make surrounding unlit areas seem impossibly dark, and mask whatever is in them.

What you cannot tell from the “Better Lights for Better Nights” handout at the beginning of this application is the amount of light that each fixture produces. The amount of light produced is measured in lumens. Too many lumens (i.e. too bright a light) for a particular application will cause light to bounce off of the surfaces it shines on and reflect up in the sky, in the eyes of people trying to see nearby, into the habitat of nearby wildlife, etc. The light may draw in birds and insects that then will not be able to escape and proceed with their natural activities. Reduce the lumens (the amount of light) to let your eyes work as they should.

Did that just say lower the lumens? You bet. When you reduce the amount of light you not only cut the glare and allow people to see better, but by putting light only where it is needed you can get the same amount of usable light with about half the electricity cost of an unshielded light. That's a win-win!

Part 5. Select Lights with a Warm Color

Living things need light in the blue wavelength (white light) during the day, especially through the morning hours, but blue light should be avoided after dusk. With current technology, the best way to tell a light is blue-rich is to look at the color temperature of the light. Warm colored lights usually produce less light in the blue wavelength. The color temperature of a light may be listed on the package just as 'warm' or 'cool', or the manufacturer may indicate the Kelvin(K) rating for a light. Old-fashioned incandescent bulbs are rated around 2700K, which is described as a warm color. Many of the bright white LEDs are rated at 4000K and above. Newer 3000K LEDs may be extremely blue-rich. These bright white, blue-rich light suppresses the production of melatonin in living organisms which can, over the long term, damage the health of that organism.

Know when a particular light will be used and take into consideration what the color of the light does to living things. Remember, blue light should be avoided after dusk. You may find it interesting to research the lighting studies led by Dr. George Brainard that focus on the type of lighting used inside the International Space Station and its effects on the astronauts.

Replace the bulbs in your outdoor light fixtures with bulbs rated at 3000K or less (less is better). Consider one of the new LED bulbs that are also self-shielding. Afterwards, review Q5 again to determine if your property might qualify for the award.