Effective Lighting Glare

Effective Outdoor Lighting

Effective outdoor lighting has many benefits. However, the way that many outdoor lights are designed and installed neither takes into account the nature of the human eye nor current scientific knowledge. Poorly designed or installed outdoor lighting wastes billions of dollars each year in energy costs. It also reduces safety, jeopardizes security, diminishes property values, irritates neighbors, damages our immune systems and interferes with plants and wildlife. The cure is easy. Let’s look at the problems and then the solutions.

Glare

There are two basic types of glare. Disability glare may literally blind you, because the human eye adjusts itself to the brightest object in sight, which then limits its ability to see other things. If there’s a big difference in light intensity between the lit area and the surroundings you won’t be able to see either very well.

Discomfort glare doesn’t necessarily prevent you from doing what you want to do, but does cause constant adaptation of your eye to the varying light levels. That in turn causes discomfort and reduces your ability to see. This is especially dangerous when you need to focus your attention on driving and don’t need to have your ability to see reduced by lights alongside the highway.

Glare	Safety	Security	Light Trespass	Health & Enviroment	Energy Dollars
Solutions	Fixtures	Security Lights	Resources	Better Lighting Guide	Bibliography

Glare and over-lighting are at the core of the problems dealing with safety and security. Glare occurs when bright, direct light hits your eye. If you can see the source of the light or the light reflector, it’s producing glare. A good light will shield the bulb so that you see a lit area below the light instead of a dazzling light source.

Effective Outdoor Lighting

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Stadium lights? No. This is a pair of standard spot lights above a residential garage door.

You can eliminate this glare by adding Parshield Glare Visors or by installing a fixture that doesn't send light into your glare zone but sends the light below your eyes where you walk.