Strathcona County’s
Dark-Sky
and
Energy Efficient Lighting
COMMUNITY HANDBOOK
Preserving a natural ‘dark-sky’ environment
through the use of responsible
community lighting
Community Handbook • i
Cover photo by Yuichi Takasaka
“Beaver Pond” on Ingraham Trail, North East of Yellowknife
This publication was created by Strathcona County in conjunction with
the Beaver Hills Initiative and Light Efficient Communities Inc.
www.strathcona.ab.ca
www.beaverhills.ab.ca
www.lightefficientcommunities.com
Strathcona County –
Lighting The Way Of The Future
Strathcona County is a leader in delivering programs and services that advance
social, environmental and economic sustainability. In July 2010, adding to
its previous efforts and achievements, Strathcona County became the first
community in Alberta to endorse a Light Efficient Community policy.
The ‘Light Efficient Community’ approach to lighting the night-time
environment parallels ongoing efforts by the Beaver Hills Initiative,
Strathcona Wilderness Centre and the Beaver Hills Dark Sky Preserve to
protect and conserve unique areas in and around Strathcona County.
As part of the policy implementation process, the purpose of this handbook
is to inform Strathcona County citizens about the best residential lighting
practices for the community, and to introduce the new, locally developed
policy. The handbook aims to assist both rural and urban citizens with
their choices in night-time lighting, thus conserving natural dark skies and
enhancing the livability of the community.
Through the application of good lighting practices, Strathcona County
and its citizens will:
• improve their night-time environment and quality of life
• reduce energy costs and waste
• return a natural heritage of dark skies to the community
• serve as an example to other communities for the adoption
of similar lighting practices
Community Handbook • 1
Living in a
Light Efficient Community
Strathcona County’s first efforts to improve the illumination
of public spaces can be seen in the shielded, downward
directed outdoor lighting for Centre In The Park. Interior
lighting makes use of efficient LEDs in the central glass
stairwell. The downtown redevelopment area in Sherwood
Park includes the new community centre, library, County
Hall, and a number of private residential and commercial
buildings. The elegant design of light fixtures for Centre In
The Park illustrates how dark-sky friendly lighting can bring
a touch of style to our public realm.
2 • Dark-Sky and Energy Efficient Lighting
What is a Light Efficient Community?
A Light Efficient Community uses light responsibly, lighting the night-time
environment only when and where it is essential. It uses only the right
amount of light necessary for the task. This minimizes energy waste, lowers
power-related costs, and reduces its carbon footprint. Citizens take pride in
preserving a dark sky, while enhancing its health, safety and quality of life.
What does a Light Efficient Community look like at night?
A Light Efficient Community has safely-lit streets that provide maximum
visibility while minimizing light pollution and glare. Lights are turned off
when not in use. Citizens who must light their property at night use well-
directed lighting, often connected to timers or motion sensors. Decorative
property features are lit by energy-efficient, shielded fixtures. A starry sky is
visible from most areas of the community.
What if I live in a rural area?
You may well be accustomed to having a night-time environment that is
more natural. Using effective outdoor lighting can still make a big difference.
Bright, unshielded lights can draw unwanted attention to your property
and also disturb wildlife in the area. Farm and yard lights should use as
low wattage as possible, be directed downward, be shielded, and may be
connected to timers or motion sensors.
What are the results of becoming a Light Efficient Community?
A Light Efficient Community creates a healthier living environment that is
less vulnerable to energy price increases, and more mindful of the negative
effects of excessive artificial lighting. Neighbourhood lighting levels are
aesthetically pleasing, not intrusive or disturbing. Citizens enjoy a more
natural night-time sky, as well as improved views of the Milky Way and
Northern Lights.
Why does this concern me?
Improving the lighting in Strathcona County is an important undertaking that
affects the whole community. The diversity of land use in Strathcona County
requires a ‘big picture’ approach that addresses the needs of residents, visitors,
developers, and users of parks, open spaces and buildings. Citizens can take
simple actions that make a difference to their neighbourhood lighting.
Community Handbook • 3
Dark-Sky and
Energy Efficient Lighting
Community lighting levels should be safe and provide good visibility.
Research in science, engineering and crime prevention shows that bright,
poorly directed light can create black-out areas and glare, providing
opportunities for intruders. Well-directed lighting with appropriate wattage
results in uniformly lit ground areas and a darker night sky.
‘Light pollution’ is the excessive or obtrusive use of lighting that
compromises visibility or has a negative impact on the environment. Light
pollution increases ambient light levels and results in ‘sky-glow’. This blurry
orange glare is most noticeable in populated areas but can also be seen in
rural areas.
Dark-sky and energy efficient lighting improves visibility and conserves the
night-time environment by reducing ambient light levels, energy costs and
power consumption, carbon footprint and greenhouse gas emissions, as well
as negative impacts to the health of people and wildlife.
International Dark-Sky Association - poorly directed, unshielded sidewalk lighting
4 • Dark-Sky and Energy Efficient Lighting
Effective lighting:
• directs light to exactly where it is needed
• uses light only when it is needed
• provides the right amount of light for the task
How can you help?
Problem: Solve by using:
Light waste sensors and timers on all outdoor lighting, turn off lights when
not in use, and choose efficient bulbs
Light trespass s hielded, carefully directed lights to prevent glare for
neighbours and cyclists
Light clutter only as many light sources as necessary
Up-light fixtures that keep the light directed downward
Over-illumination the lowest wattage bulb that is appropriate for the task
Good lighting and innovative design at Centre In The Park
Community Handbook • 5
Responsible Lighting Choices
Which lights should I use?
Use fully-shielded lights that only emit light downward and not above the hori-
zontal plane of the fixture. These are referred to as Full Cut-Off (FCO) lights.
How bright should I light?
Use low intensity lighting for more uniform visibility. Full Cut-Off lighting
requires less wattage because it directs the light more effectively.
Unacceptable
Unacceptable / Discouraged
/ Discouraged
Fixtures that produce glare and light trespass
Fixtures that produce glare and light trespass
shield too small
ineffective
Unshielded Floodlights
or Poorly-shielded Floodlights
Unshielded Bollards
Unshielded Streetlight
Unshielded Wallpacks
& Unshielded or exposed
Poorly-shielded Wall shield
polished
reflector
Mount Fixtures ineffective
Unshielded Barn
Light
Unshielded
‘Period’ Style
Fixtures
Drop-Lens & Sag-Lens Fixtures
w/ exposed bulb / refractor lens
Drop-Lens Canopy
Fixtures
Louvered
‘Marine’ style Unshielded PAR
Fixtures Floodlights
Rendered for the Town of East Hampton, NY by Bob Crelin ©2/05
6 • Dark-Sky and Energy Efficient Lighting
acceptable
Acceptable
Fixtures that shield the light source to minimize glare and light trespass and to
Fixtures that shield the light source to minimize glare and
facilitate better
light trespass vision
and to at better
facilitate nightvision at night
Full Cutoff Fixtures
flat lens
Fully Shielded
Walkway
Bollards
Fully Shielded
Wallpack & Wall
Mount Fixtures Full Cutoff Streetlight
Fully Shielded
Barn Light
Fully Shielded
Fully Shielded Fixtures ‘Period’ Style
Fixtures
bulb shielded
in opaque top
Fully Shielded
Decorative Flush Mounted or Side
Fixtures Shielded Under Canopy
Fixtures
bulb shielded
in opaque top
Shielded / Properly-aimed
PAR Floodlights
Rendered for the Town of East Hampton, NY by Bob Crelin ©2/05
Where can I find the right lights?
There are increasing choices for Full Cut-Off fixtures and International
Dark-Sky Association (IDA) approved fixtures at hardware stores. As
demand increases, so will availability and competitive prices. Some fixtures
ed by themay already carry the IDA seal of approval, guaranteeing that you are
y Societybuying a dark-sky friendly fixture. If your local store hasn’t heard of this,
have them visit www.darksky.org or www.energystar.gov
kysociety.org
You may freely copy and distribute this document.
Community Handbook • 7
Satellite image of Earth at Night by Craig Mayhew and Robert Simmon, NASA GSFC.
Cost Savings Through
Sustainable Lighting Practices
Residential light pollution accounts for 28 per cent of total urban light
pollution costs*. Just think of the difference residents can make by taking the
simple measures outlined in this handbook! Thomas Edison once remarked,
“We will make electricity so cheap that only the rich will burn candles”.
If Edison was alive today, he might be recounting the costs.
Outdoor lighting that shines directly upward wastes an estimated 17,400
gigawatt-hours per year across North America. At an average of $.10 per
kilowatt-hour, this waste adds up to $1.74 billion a year. Every year, 9.1
million tons of coal, or 32.3 million barrels of oil are wasted generating the
energy for this lost light - almost 600 million gallons of gasoline wasted*.
Urban centres across North America and Europe have started to cut
municipal energy costs by using better lighting practices. Retrofitting
streetlights using Full Cut-Off fixtures has resulted in thousands, and
even millions of dollars in annual savings for participating municipalities.
Additional savings can be realized by converting to energy-saving LED (light
emitting diode) lighting, as LEDs can be specifically controlled and adjusted
to meet varying lighting level requirements.
Lighting improvements must be addressed through multiple actions within
the community in order to have a significant impact. Use of electricity now
and in the future will require good planning. By implementing the policy, the
citizens of Strathcona County can effect change.
*Mills, E. 2002. “The $230-billion Global Lighting Energy Bill” International Assoc. for Energy-Efficient
Lighting and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory June 2002
*Visit www.darksky.org for more information.
8 • Dark-Sky and Energy Efficient Lighting
Health and
Night-Time Lighting
Darkness helps us to get a good night’s sleep. However, especially in urban
centres, we are ‘lighting up the night’ and have created an abnormal balance
between day and night. Although some of us would like to be able to
function around the clock, humans have been diurnal (i.e. awake during the
daytime) creatures throughout history.
Strathcona County’s lighting policy strives to improve the health of all life
in the community by adhering to the natural cycles of night and day. Recent
studies have linked unnatural night-time lighting levels with adverse effects
on human health, including sleep disturbance, depression and even some
types of cancer.*
In 2009, the American Medical Association developed a policy in support of
light pollution controls, as a result of a growing number of studies linking
night-time lighting to health problems.
Night vision
The human eye takes time to
adapt to changes in lighting levels,
especially when adjusting to dark
areas after exposure to bright
lighting. Glare decreases contrast,
sensitivity, and colour perception,
inhibiting adaptation to the dark.
Glare can create public health
International Dark-Sky Association - Glare can create
hazards, including those associated public health hazards, including those associated with unsafe
with unsafe driving conditions. driving conditions
Aging eyes are more susceptible to the effects of glare, which causes the
pupils to respond by letting in less light, thus compromising vision. Some
night-time lighting, though intended to provide safety, can make it difficult
for the eye to focus and may cause halos around objects.
*Chepesiuk, Ron. “Missing the Dark: Health Effects of Light Pollution,” Environmental Health
Perspectives. Vol.117, Num. 1, January 2009
Visit docs.darksky.org/Docs/AMA%20Light%20pollution.pdf
For more information and research studies on lighting and human health, visit www.darksky.org
Community Handbook • 9
Lighting for a
Safe Community
We don’t see the same way as an owl or a cat so it is natural to take
precautions in the dark. Our night vision is better if we eliminate glare and
are not blinded by our own lights. In fact, night-time lighting often provides
a false sense of security and wastes precious energy and dollars.
Here are some points to consider for night-time lighting.
1. Landscape or decorative lighting
• Are my fixtures directing light downward and not above the horizontal?
• How bright do they need to be?
• Are there times when darkness is better?
Unshielded fixtures create glare and waste light. Use fully shielded fixtures, direct lights downward and not
above the horizontal plane of the fixture.
Did you know that most residential break-ins occur during daylight
hours? The presence of light tends to decrease the fear of crime at
night, but studies show that increased lighting is not a significant factor
in preventing crime. Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design
(CPTED) promotes “the proper design and effective use of the built
environment in order to lead to a reduction in the fear and incidence
of crime and an improvement in the quality of life.” Strathcona County
uses CPTED principles in reviewing development applications.
10 • Dark-Sky and Energy Efficient Lighting
2. Safety: walkways, stairs, entrances or porches
• What do I want to light up, when, and why?
• What is the lowest wattage to do the job?
• Can timers, dimmers or motion sensors save me money?
Improperly shielded lighting
reduces visibility and creates
glare. The image on the
right shows how residents
can improve the visibility of
their stairs, entrances and
walkways by using properly
shielded, downward directed
outdoor lighting.
International Dark-Sky Association (Southern Arizona Section)
3. Security
• Is lighting the right tool for security on this part of my property?
• Could glare and dark shadows conceal intruders?
• Does my lighting give vandals just enough light to work within
instead of deterring them?
• Am I creating light trespass or glare for my neighbours, pedestrians,
cyclists or motorists?
• Are motion sensors suitable for my property?
Martin Morgan-Taylor
LEFT: Glare and dark shadows can conceal intruders. RIGHT: Visibility is greatly improved with well-directed lighting.
Community Handbook • 11
Impact Of Artificial Light
On The Environment
Strathcona County has a unique urban and rural character. The natural
areas, wetlands, lakes, urban parks and forests all contribute significant
biodiversity to the community. Plants, animals, birds, insects and amphibians
that live in the community are affected by night time lighting.
With new technology and increasing adaptability of lighting design,
safe lighting can be provided at a lower cost and with less energy
consumption than in the past. Public participation as a Light Efficient
Community will build a sense of responsibility and prove in a visible
way, that individual actions really do make a difference.
12 • Dark-Sky and Energy Efficient Lighting
Did you know?
• The study of the biological effects of darkness on livings things is known
as Scotobiology.
• Most plants detect the season by duration of darkness. Flowering,
development, seed formation, and the onset of dormancy can be
compromised through the cumulative effects of light pollution.
• The sleeping, hunting and breeding habits of nocturnal animals, as well
as activity patterns and social interaction, can be seriously disturbed by
light pollution.
• In North America alone, over one hundred million migrating birds die
annually due to poor lighting practices. Birds are attracted by light sources
and become disoriented, exhausted and unable to fly out again into the
darkness. Visit www.flap.org
• Insects, a staple diet for birds and animals, can be attracted or misdirected
by artificial lights. This can result in an imbalance in the ecosystem as an
unlimited ‘fast-food’ smorgasbord is created for predators.
• You can help preserve a healthy night-time environment by closing drapes
over illuminated windows, turning porch lights off, and keeping your
property as naturally dark as possible while keeping it safe.
Community Handbook • 13
Bringing Back the Stars
Over Strathcona County
Do you have a special memory of camping under the stars in a beautiful
natural area? Did the stars seem almost close enough to touch? This wonderful
connection to the ‘bigger picture’ can also be captured in our urban landscapes
where those same stars still shine…hidden by an unnecessary curtain of
artificial sky-glow.
The night-sky has inspired people to express their wonder and curiosity about
our universe through poetry, music, art, and the sciences. Its changing seasonal
‘pages’ store our cultural history of sky stories and myths in a giant celestial
library! What stories did your own ancestors know about the night sky?
Glittering stars of our northern constellations, spectacular aurora, rare views
of noctilucent clouds…the latitude of Strathcona County and its proximity
to protected places, such as the Beaver Hills Dark Sky Preserve, gives citizens
the opportunity to experience spectacles unseen in other parts of the world.
By using good lighting practices, these free celestial adventures can remain a
part of our cultural heritage.
Photo by Douglas P. Hube - Rare and beautiful ‘noctilucent’ clouds occur at very high altitudes in the earth’s atmosphere.
Local sightings in Strathcona County’s northern night sky are most often reported during the month of June.
14 • Dark-Sky and Energy Efficient Lighting
Lights down, stars up!
Let’s bring back the stars over Strathcona County
and make night-time a ‘friendlier dark’.
Did you know?
• Sirius is the brightest star in the winter sky, twinkling in the collar of
Orion the Hunter’s ‘dog’.
• Arcturus, Vega, and Altair mark the corners of the huge ‘Summer Triangle’.
• In the autumn you can see the white smudge of Andromeda Galaxy under
a clear dark sky, without binoculars!
• The constellation of Leo the Lion prowls the spring sky, harbouring
galaxies only revealed with a telescope.
• Magnificent aurora is often visible from dark sites in Strathcona County,
especially in the spring and fall. Dress warmly and turn your yard lights
off to be dazzled by this gift from nature! Visit www.aurorawatch.ca
• The International Space Station (ISS) can be seen regularly transiting our
southern sky…and it’s really bright! Remember to wave, there are people
up there! Visit www.heavens-above.com
• Using binoculars, you can see double stars, beautiful star clusters, galaxies
and nebulae from a dark backyard, balcony or urban park.
• The sky is a calendar, a clock and a compass. To learn how to find the
constellations, visit www.skymaps.com
Community Handbook • 15
How Dark
Is Your Sky?
The community effort to bring back the stars over Strathcona County will
produce measurable effects. Astronomers measure the actual darkness levels
with ‘sky quality meters’, but you can simply look up and count the stars!
This is a wonderful activity for all ages and a good reason to step out and
get some fresh air.
A good dark-sky test is to count the stars visible in the Little Dipper, including
Polaris, which is about halfway up our northern sky. If only the three
brightest stars are visible, your ‘piece of the sky’ is suffering badly from the
effects of light pollution.
Start your own project by keeping an annual star count from your backyard
or nearby park. Kids could have a ‘Starry Birthday Party’ sleepover and
count the stars annually. Your ‘Starry Growth Chart’ will be a record of
how your community is bringing back the stars by using smart lighting
methods. To become part of a world-wide effort to preserve dark skies,
visit www.globeatnight.org
POLARIS
16 • Dark-Sky and Energy Efficient Lighting
‘TIPI’ by Alan Dyer – Astotin Lake 2006
‘Star Parties’ at Elk Island National Park have enabled thousands of visitors to enjoy unforgettable experiences under dark skies.
The Beaver Hills Dark Sky Preserve
The Beaver Hills Dark Sky Preserve was declared in 2006 in accordance with
the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada guidelines. The partnership includes:
• Royal Astronomical Society of Canada
• Parks Canada (all of Elk Island National Park)
• Cooking Lake and Blackfoot Provincial Recreation areas
• Strathcona Wilderness Centre
• Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village
• Sherwood Fish and Game: Ketchamoot Creek Recreation
and Conservation Area
Visit edmontonrasc.com/public/bhdsp.html
Community Handbook • 17
Through information and links in this guide citizens can stay informed with
current research on the effects of artificial lighting on human health, safety,
wildlife and culture.
References & links FSC LOGO
www.strathcona.ab.ca
www.beaverhills.ab.ca
www.lightefficientcommunities.com
www.strathcona.ca/wildernesscentre
www.rasc.ca
www.edmontonrasc.com
www.darksky.org
www.darkskysociety.org
docs.darksky.org/PG/PG3-residential-lighting.pdf
www.britastro.org/dark-skies/simulator.html
www.nrcan.gc.ca
darkskysociety.org/handouts/birdsafebuildings.pdf
corona-gw.phys.ualberta.ca/AuroraWatch
spaceweather.com
List of supporters
Beaver Hills Initiative
Light Efficient Communities Coalition
Beaver Hills Dark Sky Preserve
Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, Edmonton Centre
International Dark-Sky Association
Elk Island National Park
Strathcona Wilderness Centre
Printed on paper with 55% recycled fibre. (30% post-consumer)
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Light Efficient Communities
