Require energy efficient, Dark-Sky compliant new or replacement outdoor lighting fixtures on city-owned/private buildings and facilities.
Best Practice of this action
Rating Guideline
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Summarize the policy or practice for fixtures on city-owned, or school or other governmental buildings. |
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Summarize policies for fixtures adopted by the city and at least one other entity (the school board, another governmental unit within the city). |
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Requirements (within State code) for private buildings, OR: installation on public facilities of photo controls on all outdoor light fixtures; installation of timers with seasonal schedules to control when lights turn on and off; score under 4 in the Bortle Dark-Sky Scale. |
Resources
- The best reference for outdoor lighting efficiency standards is the Model Lighting Ordinance developed and continuously revised by the International Dark-Sky Association and the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America.
- For outdoor lighting standards see the light pollution reduction credit (p. 80) of the LEED for Neighborhood Development (version 4) Rating System Document. The Leed for Cities and Communities metric is to achieve a sky glow at or below 4 in the Bortle Dark-Sky Scale where the Milky Way is still visible in residential areas, or a Sky Quality Meter reading of 21.2 or greater.
- Use the International Dark-Sky Association Outdoor Lighting Basics guide to promote reduced/smarter outdoor lighting. See the GreenStep Dark Skies best practices for more.
- Bird-Friendly Development Guidelines (City of Toronto, 2007) provides design tips on reducing night-time light pollution and the benefits to birds. See also Bird-Safe Building standards in the State of MN B3 Guidelines, and the Audubon Society's Lights Out challenge through which a city can work with building owners and managers to turn off excess lighting during the months migrating birds are flying overhead, so as to help provide them safe passage between their nesting and wintering grounds.
Order Number
1
Action Type
Finite