Joe Levi:
a cross-discipline, multi-dimensional problem solver who thinks outside the box – but within reality™

Got (too much) Light?

image When we think about lighting we usually think about energy efficiency and lumens but we don’t take much time to think about light pollution.

Light pollution is the side-effect of artificial lighting, and is responsible for any number of things including screwing up migratory patterns of birds and insects, loss of “a good night’s sleep” for many people, and has been the bane of astronomers since the first telescope was invented.

The International Dark Sky Association is an organization that is trying to raise awareness about light pollution, its adverse effects, and its solutions, and to stop the adverse effects of light pollution, including;

  • Energy waste, and the air and water pollution caused by energy waste
  • Harm to human health
  • Harm to nocturnal wildlife and ecosystems
  • Reduced safety and security
  • Reduced visibility at night
  • Poor nighttime ambience

One of the ways to accomplish this is to use special lighting solutions such as the lamp pictured to the right. This enclosure does two thing: it prevents light from “escaping” upwards (to be reflected by surrounding objects and refracted in the sky), and directs the light to where it’s wanted.

image Lighthouses have been using this concept for hundreds of years to concentrate and direct light out to sea.

When applied to current lighting technologies, the result is more light where you need it, with less light lost to places that you don’t need it (or don’t want it). Thus, you can use a lower lumen bulb to accomplish the same results, while consuming less power.

While you’re at it…

If you need lamps, LampsPlus.com has almost every variety of bulbs (lots of CFLs, but no LEDs yet) and fixtures imaginable, and for a limited time you can Take $40 Off Your Purchase of $250 or More at LampsPlus.com!

If you’re looking for LED bulbs, the best place I’ve found is SuperBrightLEDs.com. LEDs are still relatively expensive, but they’re to the point now where you can get the same amount of light output from an LED lamp as you can from a similarly sized CFL or incandescent. I’m partial to their candelabras (which use 3 watts of power to create the same light as the traditional 30 watt bulb).

Related Articles

Share

You may also like...

2 Responses

  1. Jamie says:

    Hi Joe,

    I found some great LEDs at http://www.Eaglelight.com and also on Amazon. I bought the replacement bulbs and also a great color changing LED light with an infrared remote control that is just the coolest and funnest light I’ve ever seen. But for the basics, I was very happy with Eaglelight quality and their customer service and delivery speed.

    Thanks for the LampsPlus credit – I’ll defeinitley try that too!

    Jamie

  2. Adam says:

    Thanks for the mention, Joe! We do have a great selection of light bulbs. We posted recently about dark sky at the LAMPS PLUS blog.
    We also have a great article with tips on dark sky issues.

    Thanks again for the mention!

Leave a Reply