Shedding Light on a Modern Dilemma

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With the remarkable power of modern outdoor lighting, our electrical industry faces the challenge of addressing obtrusive light.

What is Obtrusive Light?

Obtrusive light can be defined simply as unwanted light. This encompasses light that falls onto neighbouring properties, known as spill light or light trespass and glare or excessive light from luminaires which hinders vision. All outdoor lighting must comply with Australian Standard AS4282. This standard sets the guideline for mitigating the obtrusive effects of outdoor lighting and provides recommended limits for relevant lighting levels to contain these effects within tolerable levels.
 

The following definitions are from AS4282-2019:

Obtrusive Light:
Spill light which, because of quantitative, directional, or spectral attributes in a given context, gives rise to annoyance, discomfort, distraction or a reduction in the ability to see essential information, e.g., signal lights.

Spill Light (stray light):
Light emitted by a lighting installation which falls outside the boundaries of the property on which the installation is sited.

Threshold Increment (TI):
The measure of disability glare expressed as the percentage increase in contrast required between an object and its background for it to be seen equally well with a source of glare present. Note: Higher values of TI correspond to greater disability glare.

Upward Waste Light Ratio (UWLR):
The proportion of the luminous flux emitted by the luminaire above the horizontal in the installed position.
 

The Renelite range offers three outdoor lighting products that offer the correct lighting optics to comply with the obtrusive lighting standard AS4282

Galaxy – Wattage Range 250 - 1600w
Ideal for sporting and large outdoor applications, the Galaxy is designed for horizontal application or a maximum tilt of 10 degrees. This range has already supplied multiple sports sites including tennis, lawn bowls, netball, polocrosse, speedway, AFL and NRL fields.

Riva Pro & Sirius - Wattage Range 30 - 300w
Ideal for carparks and general area lighting. These ranges are designed for a maximum tilt of only 30 degrees. With features like 140 Lumens per watt, IP66 and IK10 they can be supplied in many applications.
 

With the rise of powerful, efficient lighting systems poses a new challenge: lighting pollution. This phenomenon, often underestimated, affects not only our visual environment but also poses complex electrical engineering challenges.

What is Lighting Pollution?
Light pollution is the excessive or misdirected artificial illumination of the night sky which has significant impacts on both the environment and humans.

It is caused by three factors: Light emitted upward that subsequently reflects off clouds and atmospheric particles, direct glare and indirect reflection off surfaces. One of the biggest consequences of lighting pollution is its disruption of natural ecosystems and wildlife behaviour. Many species rely on the natural cycles of light and darkness to regulate their activities, such as feeding, mating and migration. For us, excessive artificial light at night has been linked to disrupted sleep, increased stress and potential risks to cardiovascular health. Economically, it translates into wasted energy and higher electricity bills.

Street lighting is one of the major contributors to light pollution. In Australia specifically, it’s estimated that 30 per cent of all exterior lighting is actually wasted (ABC 2020).

Our recommendations for less impactful outdoor lighting are:

• Directing light downwards towards the ground
• Shielding the light source so it doesn't produce glare
• Using light only where and when it is needed

It becomes crucial to strike a balance between the benefits of artificial lighting and the preservation of the country's unique natural nightscapes. By adopting innovative solutions and raising awareness, we can work toward mitigating the detrimental effects of lighting pollution and obtrusive lighting, ensuring a sustainable and harmonious coexistence of light and darkness.
 

Lighting Design Program – AGI32

Both Omega and Middy’s have access to the AGI32 lighting design program.
The AGI32 lighting design program allows the user to place appropriate calculation points (in grids or lines) as defined by either of these standards, calculate, and then run a compliance test to determine whether the lighting design passes or fails, according to the standard selected. The obtrusive light command makes placement of the lines and/or grids of points, as well as running a compliance test, easy.
Contact us to help with your next outdoor lighting project:

Glen Stevens, Omega Email: glens@omegapower.com.au
Tony Turnbull, Middy’s Email: tony.turnbull@middys.com.au