All You Need to Know | Dark Sky-Friendly Lighting
With the growth of industrialized societies worldwide, light pollution has become a global issue. According to the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA), the widespread use of artificial light at night can adversely affect the environment and energy consumption.
Here at Barn Light Electric, many of our fixtures are rooted in RLM-inspired designs which are a natural for dark sky-friendly lighting. The classic warehouse shade, with the bulb tucked high inside, focuses the illumination downward, away from the sky, and produces less glare.
The Grand Canyon Association recently purchased our Porcelain Enamel Post Mount Lights for installation near the South Rim Trail, the El Tovar Hotel, and the Bright Angel Canyon shown above. The staff chose the Union Double Post Mount because of its warehouse-style shade that directs light downward.
They also chose a custom gray color for the interior of the shade which lessens the intensity of the light reflection. For more about this specific project, check out this recent blog feature.
For homeowners, outdoor lighting offers a degree of safety when walking from the garage to the door or for outdoor activities at night. But few want their landscape lit up like a city. As one customer searched for exterior barn lights for his new Florida home, he wanted not only high quality, American-made lights, but fixtures that were dark-sky friendly to eliminate harsh, blinding light.
“We wanted USA-made which is often difficult to find, and we wanted the light beam to be focused downward,” Ernest says. The Avalon Gooseneck Light fulfilled his wish list. Ernest customized these American-made gooseneck lights with 10″ shades, a Textured Black finish, and a matching black G26 gooseneck arm.
The Bomber Gooseneck Light, shown above, is another example of a dark sky-friendly outdoor light. It’s generous shade, available in four sizes, hides the bulb well inside.
Out in Malibu, California, Maggie Pierson, of Maggie Pierson Designs, tackled a renovation for a friend which included outdoor entertaining spaces and an outdoor shower. Maggie fell in love with the Wilcox Gooseneck Light, a fixture with both modern and vintage details. The bulbs are tucked high within the deep bowl ensuring focused lighting in a dark-sky friendly fixture.
In addition to shade design, consumers should consider the color of light when installing exterior fixtures. Because blue light is cooler and brighter, the IDA recommends bulbs with a warmer temperature of no more than 3000 Kelvins. For more about color temperature, check out this recent blog post!
