Outdoor Lighting

Outdoor lighting provides safety, security, aesthetics, and economic development opportunities. There are many valid reasons to light the outdoors. However, it is important to understand how much outdoor lighting is enough and how to balance the need for light while minimizing light pollution and increasing energy efficiency.

The LRC investigates effective outdoor lighting techniques and equipment that provide cost-effective energy improvements and minimize wasted light, light pollution, glare, and trespass. The Transportation Lighting Program at the LRC explores the interaction between vehicle, roadway, and signal lighting and offers new guidelines or cost-effective use and safety. Also see Security Lighting and Automotive & Street Lighting.

Publications

Articles

ASSIST Technical Paper: The Potential for Outdoor Lighting for Stimulating the Human Circadian System - An ASSIST technical paper evaluates the potential for outdoor lighting systems to stimulate the circadian system in humans. After evaluating four light sources, researchers determined that three of the four would not meaningfully stimulate the circadian system after one hour of exposure under two typical street lighting conditions.

ASSIST recommends: Outdoor Lighting: Visual Efficacy - This issue by ASSIST discusses a new, unified system of photometry that would more accurately characterize different light sources at any light level, facilitating the specification of effective lighting systems for different applications, including those used outdoors at night.

OSP Methodology – Glow and Trespass - For those interested in using OSP to evaluate glow and trespass for their outdoor lighting installations, the following instructions explain the calculation procedure.

Outdoor site-lighting performance: A comprehensive and quantitative framework for assessing light pollution - A scientific paper published in Lighting Research and Technology.

Outdoor Site Performance (OSP) - Academic paper detailing results of LRC's Outdoor Site (Lighting) Performance, or OSP, published in "The Lighting Journal" from the U.K.'s Institution of Lighting Engineers (ILE).

NLPIP Lighting Answers: Light Pollution - A general guide that discusses the three elements of light pollution (sky glow, light trespass, and glare) and gives examples and recommendations for minimizing or eliminating the undesirable effects of each element when designing and using outdoor lighting.

NLPIP Specifier Reports: Parking Lot and Area Luminaires - A detailed report discussing critical performance and application issues for parking lot and area lighting luminaires, including an evaluation of commercially available luminaires.

View more Outdoor Lighting publications

Books

The Outdoor Lighting Pattern Book - By Russell P. Leslie, AIA, IES, and Paula A. Rodgers, IES. A hardcover guide to the development of effective and attractive outdoor lighting designs.

Related Programs

Transportation Lighting - Vehicle, roadway, signal
NLPIP - Product testing

Projects

Lighting Research Center Develops Framework for Assessing Light Pollution - Scientists in the Lighting Research Center (LRC) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have developed the first ever comprehensive method for predicting and measuring various aspects of light pollution.

Decision-making Tools Address Light Pollution for Localities Planning Street Lighting - The LRC developed a series of documents to provide municipalities, specifiers, designers, and other lighting decision-makers about street lighting and light pollution.

Revising the Lighting Requirements of the New York State ATM Safety Act - The LRC proposed modifications to the lighting requirements of the NYS ATM Safety Act that maintain a perceived level of safety at ATMs while minimizing visual discomfort and light trespass.

Smart Luminaire for Roadway Lighting - The LRC designed a new roadway luminaire that combines energy efficiency with light control.