When was the last time you saw a starry night? Populated areas expel a great deal of light, which pollutes the night sky resulting in the appearance of barely any stars. In much of Charleston’s lowcountry, there is too much light pollution to see the stars. The IDA (International Dark-Sky Association) started the Dark-Sky movement aimed at reducing light pollution. This movement recognizes the safety and security benefits of Charleston Commercial Outdoor Lights, but emphasizes balance to reduce environmental impact.
So why should anyone worry about light pollution? The negative effects of light pollution go beyond just the distorted view of the night’s sky. Migratory animals circadian rhythms are being disrupted and ecosystems are being harmed because of this. Seas turtles are led by moonlight to the sea and an improper outdoor light placement can draw these animals to their demise. People around the world are taking part in this Dark-Sky movement and responsible businesses are following suit.
Below are 5 best practices for businesses and commercial lighting contractors to reduce the effect of light pollution.
With a professional outdoor lighting contractor, you get a custom design to selectively illuminate outdoor areas and reduce unnecessary lighting.
Only qualified outdoor lighting contractors carry the properly shielded outdoor lights fixtures and prevent spikes in light pollution.
By only lighting the most necessary areas of the property such as illuminating walkways and building perimeters, you prevent added light pollution.
The right plan and the right fixtures will do a lot to help prevent light pollution, but the technical application of the fixtures is key. A commercial outdoor lighting contractor will have the knowledge and experience to illuminate the property without any glare or uplighting into the sky. Facilities professionals, grounds maintenance companies, and hotel building managers work with NiteLites for commercial light-emitting diodes (LEDs) for their specific warmth and brightness of light.
Blue light (4500K and up) disrupts the circadian rhythms of local wildlife and even humans. Professional landscape LEDs with a color temperature of around 2700-3000K is the perfect warm white for architecture and landscapes.
NiteLites of Charleston Commercial Outdoor Lights is a long-standing corporate member of the IDA and encourages businesses to be responsible with their outdoor lighting. Working with landscape architects, high-end builders, HOAs, developers, property managers and luxury pool builders they create responsible lighting and beautiful curb appeal. NiteLites is a professional outdoor lighting contractor and is a part of the responsible movement aimed at reducing light pollution, while maintaining the benefits of outdoor lighting.