The use of artificial light at night has far-ranging impacts for humans, plants, and animals alike.

Sky Glow

Sky glow from artificial light is likely a familiar sight to you – it is the cumulative scattering effect of man-made light sources that brighten the night sky and decrease your ability to see stars. The light pollution that causes sky glow may have consequences beyond suboptimal stargazing, including disrupting the circadian cycles of plants and animals, impeding the ability of nocturnal creatures to navigate their environment, reducing agricultural yields, interfering with astronomers ability to study the sky, and more.

LUNA Objective: 

Reduce sky glow from artificial lighting by requiring LUNA products to meet uplight, dimming, and CCT thresholds.

Light Trespass

Light trespass occurs when light spills or “trespasses” into locations where it is not wanted or needed. An example of light trespass is illumination from streetlights entering the windows of a house or apartment. Light trespass also contributes to habitat disruption for animals and plants. While appropriate levels of light and shielded, optimized light distribution can alleviate many complaints of obtrusive light, these solutions also represent an opportunity to reduce light pollution and outdoor energy usage.

LUNA Objective: 

Begin to eliminate disruptive light trespass by requiring LUNA products to meet dimming best practices and by offering efficacy allowances for products that use shields.

Glare

Glare occurs when light is scattered in your eyes from a particular angle of a light source or when light is too bright against the background. This can be painful or irritating, and it can also be very dangerous. When glare from a streetlight disrupts the vision of a driver or reflects off of a shiny surface, visibility is reduced and accidents on the road are more likely to occur.

LUNA Objective: 

Continue to participate in standards development for glare so that appropriate and effective glare requirements can be incorporated into future versions of the LUNA program.

Negative Effects on Ecological Systems

Although artificial light has enabled us to increase our work and recreational activities outdoors at night, it has radically altered the nocturnal environment for many species. The widespread adoption of artificial lighting presents a growing threat to biodiversity in general, and nocturnally active wildlife in particular.

LUNA Objective: 

Continue to develop strategies to minimize the adverse effects of artificial light at night, including the use of sensors and controls, light spectrum, and shielding.

Energy Savings

We cannot ignore the clear opportunity for energy savings when light is used only where and when it is needed. According to the International Dark-Sky Association, approximately $3 billion worth of energy is lost to sky glow each year. Installation of LUNA-compliant outdoor lighting introduces an opportunity to significantly reduce that number.

LUNA Objective: 

Create a faster path for energy efficiency programs to meet their energy efficiency goals by reducing the amount of wasted energy consumed by outdoor lighting.