Which do you think came first, the house or the lamp post? Oops!

What are these flood lights lighting exactly?? Next time, ask a lighting designer.

This would not happen with a lighting designer overseeing the installation!

Don’t let this happen to you!

Happy New Year

First came the idea of a Christmas tree. Trees have been a symbol of good luck since the Middle Ages. Plants and trees that remain green all year are said to have special meaning in the winter time. In many countries, it was believed that evergreens would keep away witches, ghosts, evil spirits and even illness.  The Christmas tree tradition is said to have began in Germany in the 16th century, where they would nail a small evergreen tree to the highest beam of all new houses being built. They started bringing the good luck tree into their homes when it got cold and would decorate it around Christmas time. Many people believe that the Protestant reformer, Martin Luther first added lighted candles to a Christmas tree. It is said that Luther was awed by the brilliance of the twinkling stars in the sky one night while walking towards his home, so he decided to recapture this brilliance by wiring candles to a tree inside his home.

In America, most settlers thought the Christmas tree tradition was odd and it wasn’t until the 1830s that German settlers in America displayed decorated Christmas trees. Prior to this time New England Puritans believed Christmas was very sacred and felt that the decorating of a Christmas tree was a form of “pagan mockery” which many people protested. It was really not until 1846 that the Christmas tree was more widely accepted in America, when  Queen Victoria and Prince Albert were sketched in the Illustrated London News with their children around a Christmas tree. Queen Victoria’s popularity with her subjects and with East Coast American Society helped to turn the idea of a Christmas tree into a fashionable and desirable custom.

In 1882 Edward Johnson, an inventor who worked under Thomas Edison, lighted a Christmas tree in New York City with electric lights for the first time. Johnson invented the first string of Christmas lights that was mass produced in the 1890′s. By 1900, department stores joined in on using electric Christmas lights to decorate their window displays for the holiday season. Around the year 1918, a young man named Albert Sadacca was touched by a tragic story of a fire started in someone’s home from the lighted candles on a Christmas tree. Sadacca invented “safe” Christmas lights and soon started using multicolored bulbs that became widely produced. He soon had a multi-million dollar business, and shortly after he formed a company called NOMA Electric Company with his two brothers. This became the largest Christmas lighting company in the world.

As the Christmas lights traditions spread from New York City around the country, the displays grew into much more than simply decorated trees. Large displays began popping up all over the U.S., which is partly attributed to the idea of holiday decorating contests promoted by companies like General Electric. Today, about 150 million Christmas light sets are sold in America each year.

Sources:

http://www.holidayleds.com/articles/history_and_meaning_christmas_lights_america

http://www.history.com/topics/history-of-christmas-trees

http://inventors.about.com/od/cstartinventions/a/Xmas_Lights.htm

• Cataracts can cause a scattering effect, extreme sensitivity to glare and also block out some of the light.
• Macular Degeneration affects the part of the eye that perceives detail. Damaged blood vessels can cause “black” areas in the center of the field of vision.
• Glaucoma causes a buildup of pressure in the eye and cuts off nutrients to the retina. This mainly affects the center of the field of vision and causes problems with night vision.
• Diabetic Retinopathy causes bits of the retina to die. It gets worse overtime and can lead to blindness.

There are many ways to improve the lighting in a space designed for those with age-related vision impairments. Positive changes should be made by raising general light levels slightly higher than the average recommended levels. This will create uniformity of light across all surfaces such as walls and ceilings, creating soft, subtle transitions between spaces, and keeping light levels similar within all spaces of the building. Efforts should be made to minimize glare from electric lighting and windows that reflect on glossy floor finishes and other shiny surfaces. These types of finishes should not be used in senior living environments. Use high contrast in color and/or texture to create edges for stairs, doorways, and baseboards. High contrast should also be used for any signage found throughout the building to provide improved wayfinding. Task oriented areas such as kitchens, hobby rooms, and libraries require adjustable lighting placed close to the task, in addition to the room’s general lighting. The beam spread of light should light the surface evenly. A non-glare nightlight or steplight that gives off about .5 foot-candles of warm light onto the floor should be used in main living and hall areas. When specifying light sources for any space for the elderly, it is recommended to stay away from the blue end of the spectrum  because it tends to cause more discomfort and glare, and can also interrupt sleeping patterns if exposed to them at night.

GOLD AWARD

SILVER AWARD

1) Light trespass: unwanted light that escapes into adjacent areas

2) Over-illumination: excessive use of light

3) Light clutter: clusters of light sources

4) Sky-glow: glowing effect seen over large cities

Light Pollution is not only a problem because it wastes energy, but it also negatively affects the astronomy industry, wildlife, and human health. The astronomy industry is impacted by sky-glow over cities worldwide, which can be seen most prominently in United States in the satellite image below. Step outside onto the streets of a major city and you will find it nearly impossible to spot more than a few stars in the sky.

Source: http://www.surviveandthriveboston.com/2010/04/light-pollution-sacrificing-th.html

Wildlife habits are negatively altered due to excessive night lighting, especially in their ability to distinguish between day time and night time.

Humans are predominantly affected by light pollution at night due to over-illumination and poorly-directed lighting which cause glare and can distract drivers, while also causing harsh shadows that can pose security threats. This problem is especially concerning for senior citizen drivers.

In most cases, simple solutions exist in the form of LEDs, low pressure sodium bulbs, reflectors, shields, dimmers, sensors, timers, and window treatments. These are things that can be changed relatively easily and can result in cost savings even at a small scale. One specific example of an easy change is replacing T8 fluorescent bulbs with T8 LEDs which generate the same amount of light at a lower wattage.

These types of simple solutions can be particularly effective for outdoor lighting. Outside areas need some light during the night hours for safety reasons. Parking lot and garage fixtures should be specified as shielded fixtures that direct all of the light output downwards, not passed the 90 degree angle mark. IES has created BUG (backlight, uplight, glare), a rating system for assessing lighting fixture control of light distribution.

Source: http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dpz/zoning/lightingbrochure.pdf

Lighting can also be put on a control system that will automatically turn lights on and off at specific times of day. Cities such as Chicago have implemented guidelines for outdoor lighting to be dimmed at certain times or turned off a half an hour before sunrise. All of the New England states, with the exception of Massachusetts have passed bills regulating outdoor lighting and reducing light pollution. Multiple bills have been proposed in Massachusetts, but none of them have been passed. Though this is discouraging to many, it should not stop homeowners and business owners from making small, incremental changes in lighting to reduce energy costs and decrease light pollution. Contact Lux Lighting Design for help in assessing lighting needs, reducing light pollution and cutting energy costs.

Table 1: Clear, Frosted and Soft White Incandescent Bulbs

By January 2012, all medium screw-base bulbs will have more informative labeling that will help consumers understand and compare types of light bulbs. The estimated yearly cost, life expectancy, light appearance, brightness and amount of energy used will all be included in this new labeling system. There will also be new packaging requirements that will describe the type of bulb in terms of lumens rather than watts. For example, it may say “1500 lumens light bulb” rather than “72-watt light bulb”. See Table 1 above.

We can provide an onsite walkthrough for any project that requires improving the quality of the existing lighting and using updated technology for more energy efficiency and less maintenance costs. Please contact Doreen at info@luxld.com or visit our website.

Sources: The Alliance to Save Energy &  American Lighting Association