Besides retrofitting the lamps, companies focusing on the design of light have come up with novel ways to solve the light pollution problem through technological advancements in lighting technology. Lumican is one such company from Canada that has turned to creating dark-sky friendly lighting solutions.
Their quest to design dark-sky friendly exterior lighting began back in 2015 and today they are selling these night-friendly lights which have been certified by multiple organisations. Furthermore, they have also been recognised as a brand partner of the International Dark-Sky Association, who contributes to night-sky conservation efforts (Kart, 2018; International Dark-Sky Association, 2020).
But what makes them dark-sky friendly lights?
In order to contribute to night sky-conservation efforts it has released a dark-sky friendly light range entitled Lumicana, consisting of the Cobrahead Large Chassis and Cobrahead Small Chassis (Lumican, n.d.).
Figure 1. Cobrahead Large Chassis
Figure 2. Cobrahead Small Chassis
These lights are able to adhere to the highest set light pollution guidelines in addition to Light Efficient Communities (LEC) and American Medical Association (AMA) guidelines which is directly linked to improving the impacts of light on the environment as well as human health (Lumican, 2018). This is achieved through two main components of heat transfer cooling technology and light shielding.
1. Heat Transfer Cooling Technology
According to Lumican, the key to reducing the pollutive effects of light is in managing heat produced (Kart, 2018). Hence, these lights are designed with its unique cooling technology —the Heat Sync Hive— which compared to traditional lights are significantly more effective in dissipating heat which is a key influencing factor in maintaining the desired lighting colour and maximum efficiency (Kart, 2018). This directly addresses concerns of LED-induced blue light emissions that is especially problematic in light pollution.
2. Light Shielding
Similar to other proposed solutions, Lumican also believes in directed lighting. This means that light should only shine where needed to prevent unwanted light glares or light trespass into places such as people’s residences. Lumican achieves directed lighting through shields that incorporate a rim or ring around the light source giving it the appearance of an eyeball (Kart, 2018).
While Lumican is not the only company producing dark-sky friendly products, it is a prime example of available options that cities can adopt as they shift towards a reduction of street light pollution. Other available options include light company Selux who is also listed as a brand partner of the International Dark-Sky Association.
Till next time!
Trudie
References:
- International Dark-Sky Association. (2020, May 14). Brand partners. https://www.darksky.org/about/brand-partners/
- Kart, J. (2018, May 23). Dark sky friendly lighting lets you see the stars. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffkart/2018/05/23/dark-sky-friendly-lighting-lets-you-see-the-stars/#3f91293f7c3e
- Lumican. (2018). [Diagram]. Lumican. http://lumican.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Lumican-Cobrahead-Large-Chassis-V19.pdf
- Lumican. (2018). [Diagram]. Lumican. http://lumican.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Lumicana-Cobrahead-Small-Chassis-V14.pdf
- Lumican. (n.d.). Dark sky series. https://lumican.com/darkskyseries/
- Lumican. (2018). Cobrahead Large Chassis. Lumicana. http://lumican.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Lumicana-Cobrahead-Large-Chassis-V19.pdf