5 minute read
Tech's Role in Delivering Dark Skies
Can a new technology from Lumileds assist with reducing light pollution and its impact on wildlife and our view of the stars?
Lumileds has unveiled a new technology which minimises the blue component of LED modules. Could it be part of a technological solution to the problem of light pollution?
On the face of it, it appears that the NightScape technology is a breakthrough. After all, blue light content is a critical factor as it has been shown to have a significant impact on the circadian rhythms and behaviours of humans, plants, and wildlife.
It is increasingly the focus of attention for local authorities, municipalities, policy makers and legislators.
Communities across the world are grappling with how to reduce the impact of artificial light at night and municipalities and governments are addressing the issues of light pollution and wildlife impacts with lighting ordinances that proscribe both the design of light fixtures and the nature of the light that they emit.
Some local authorities – such as Maui in Hawaii – even limit blue to under 2 per cent of new exterior light.
Designers often want warm colour temperatures of 3000K and 1800K for outdoor applications but these can still have relatively high percentages of blue light content and cannot come close to achieving less than 2 per cent.
Phosphor-converted amber, or a 3000K white LED and an amber filter or amber optics are options, but both have significant downsides.
NightScape Technology is the first white light to significantly reduce the percentage of blue content between 400nm and 500nm to less than 2 per cent.
It is now possible, thanks to this advanced LED technology, to start with the right light for night-time illumination.
The technology is available in Luxeon 3030 HE Plus and Luxeon 5050 Square LED emitters, two workhorses of the outdoor lighting industry. Over time, the technology can be applied to Lumileds’ full range of white LEDs.
These products with NightScape Technology will have a correlated colour temperature of 1850K and blue light content of just 1.8 percent in the 400500 nanometer range of the visible light spectrum.
One of the first firms to harness the technology is UK firm Forge. It has partnered with Lumileds, the global leader in innovative LED technology, to provide outdoor lighting solutions dedicated to preserving dark skies.
The partnership sees the creation of turnkey solutions for professional lighting products, combining Lumileds’ Luxeon NightScape technology with Forge’s rapid product realisation capabilities.
The disruptive effects of blue light from LEDs on human melatonin levels and sleep regulation are well documented, says Forge, but as the world comes to a greater understanding of the devastating effects of this blue component on nocturnal wildlife, legislation has been implemented to seed real change.
In the UK, the Institution of Lighting Professionals’ GN08/23 gives comprehensive guidance on mitigation steps to help preserve bat populations.
The regulatory shifts being made have placed the onus on manufacturers to limit blue wavelength emissions and tackle light pollution head-on.
The British Astronomical Association’s Commission for Dark Skies suggests that 90 percent of the UK population has no access to the celestial night sky. Forge says the NightScape technology provides a unique spectral distribution that delivers high-quality white light at the highest flux while emitting less than 2 percent of blue light in the 400-500nm spectrum.
‘This technology is a revolutionary moment for outdoor lighting and its ability to support the nocturnal environment,’ says Forge Managing Director, David Scott-Maxwell.
‘NightScape is a world-class LED innovation and Forge can rapidly integrate it into lighting products. Our global experience in LED product manufacturing delivers finished components, assemblies or luminaries, wherever and whenever they are needed which means that we can drive forward the adoption of this important new technology around the world.’
Allan Horne, director, EMEA Distribution for Lumileds, adds: ‘Lumileds Luxeon NightScape technology and the partnership put us on the cusp of creating sustainable and compliant lighting solutions that will keep customers and end users ahead of the curve as regulation evolves.
‘This truly is a powerful collaboration and sets a new standard for intelligent, sustainable exterior LED lighting.’ ■
BROUGHT TO BOOK
Nick Dunn and Tim Edensor’s new book on Dark Skies brings together engagements with dark skies from a variety of disciplinary backgrounds, empirical studies, and theoretical orientations.
The book addresses a significant gap in knowledge in relation to perspectives from the arts, humanities, and social sciences. In providing a new multi- and interdisciplinary field of inquiry, this book brings together engagements with dark skies from a variety of disciplinary backgrounds, empirical studies, and theoretical orientations.
Throughout history, the relationship with dark skies has generated a sense of wonder and awe, as well as providing the basis for important cultural meanings and spiritual beliefs.
However, the connection to darks skies is now under threat due to the widespread growth of light pollution and the harmful impacts that this has upon humans, nonhumans, and the planet we share.
This book examines the rich potential of dark skies and their relationships with place, communities, and practices to provide new insights and understandings on their importance for our world in an era of climate emergency and environmental degradation. The Open Access version of this book is available at www. taylorfrancis.com.
