Impacts of Outdoor Lighting: Considerations to Reduce Energy, Save Money and Minimize Light Pollution for People and the Environment

Graceson Ghen, Hawaii County Manager, Hawaii Energy Efficiency Program

Graceson works closely with Hawaii Island businesses to provide energy efficiency consultation and assist with processing financial incentives. He also supports residential projects and assists with conducting community outreach and educational events.

He has more than 20 years of hands-on trades experience including energy-efficient retrofits such as lighting, motors, control systems, as well as renewable energy and electrical systems for on-grid and off-grid applications that include photovoltaic (PV) and solar thermal.

Graceson obtained a Bachelor of Science degree through the Global Environmental Science program at UH Manoa. He also earned a Master of Arts in Geography with a focus on Cumulative Effects Assessment within Hawaii’s Environmental Law and Planning processes.

Sheldon Plentovich, Hawaii and Pacific Islands Program Manager, U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Sheldon Plentovich is an Ecologist who helps to restore ecosystems on Pacific Islands. After a misguided detour as an engineering major, she earned her BA, MS and finally PhD in Wildlife Conservation at University of North Carolina Wilmington, Auburn University and University of Hawaii, respectively.

She is the Pacific Islands Coastal Program Coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service based on Oahu. She implements innovative habitat improvement projects on Pacific Islands that restore island ecosystems. On Oahu she leads projects focused on restoring, protecting and expanding nesting habitat for Hawaiian Green Sea turtles, Hawaiian seabirds and Hawaiian yellow-faced bees.

When not working, Sheldon enjoys the peace of being alone in nature, preferably with her surfboard in tow.

Leora Radetsky, Sr. Lighting Scientist, DesignLights Consortium

With over 20 years of experience in the lighting industry, Senior Lighting Scientist Leora Radetsky provides lighting science input for the DLC’s technical requirements. Drawn by a desire to make a difference in the industry through market transformation, Leora came to the DLC with experience as a research scientist at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s (RPI) Lighting Research Center and director of customer education at a prominent lighting software company. A recipient of an Illumination Engineering Society (IES) Regional Technical Award from the Northeast region, Leora is also Lighting Certified by the National Council on Qualifications for the Lighting Professions, and a member of IES and the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers. In addition to a Master’s degree in Lighting from RPI, Leora holds a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Engineering with an Emphasis in Illumination from the University of Colorado.

Richard Wainscoat, Astronomer, University of Hawaii

Richard Wainscoat is an astronomer at the University of Hawaii. He grew up in Australia, receiving his PhD in astronomy from the Australian National University. He was attracted to Hawaii by the excellent observatory sites on Maunakea and Haleakala, and the powerful telescopes that are located atop those mountains. His research is focused on Near-Earth Objects, which are asteroids and comets that come relatively close to Earth. Impacts from larger objects will have catastrophic consequences to life on Earth, so worldwide efforts are now being made to find objects that may hit Earth in the future so that they can be deflected. He leads the Near-Earth Object search program with the Pan-STARRS telescopes on Haleakala. The Pan-STARRS survey is a leading discoverer of Near-Earth Objects and new comets. He also leads the University of Hawaii’s efforts to keep the observatory sites on the Island of Hawaii and Maui dark, and to protect them from light pollution, and serves on several IES and CIE committees. He is also a photographer and an astrophotographer.