Light Pollution and LED Lighting

12.08.2014Summer SchoolHarz University

Light Pollution and LED Lighting

Christian ReinbothDipl.-WiInf.(FH)

HarzOptics GmbHWernigerode

Agenda

Topics for today:

● (I) A (very) short introduction

● (II) Light and the environment

● (III) LED lighting – a solution?

● (IV) Light pollution in the Harz

Please feel free to ask questionsduring or after the presentation

(II) Light and the Environment

Street Lighting -an environmental problem?

Energy consumption

● In Germany ~ 4.000.000.000 kWh/year

● ...which releases 2,5 million tons of CO2

● In Europe ~ 35.000.000.000 kWh/year● ...or roughly the output of 17 Biblis NPP

Other ecological problems

● Steady increase of light pollution● Disposal of outdated mercury arc lamps

Boulder Glacier,Washington State

Photo © www.globalwarmingart.com

Increase of extremeWeather Events

Photos © NOAA, DoD

Economic damage from floods in the United States:22 billion US$ in the 1960s; 234 billion US$ in the 1990s

Predicted Sea Level Rise

Graphics © www.globalwarmingart.com

Recent predicions suggest a sea level rise of between 0,5m and 1,5m during the next 100 years

The Loss of the Night Sky...

Identical view of the night sky with and without light pollution

Photo © Jeremy Stanley

...all over the World

Photo © Dark Skies Switzerland

„Urban Sky Glow“

Photo © Norbert Heinze

Milky Way? Many Germans have never seen it...

1/3 of all Germans has never seen the band of the Milky WayAmong Germans under 30 this ratio is 44% (Emnid, 2002)

When will the Milky Way become invisible in Germany?

Photo © Dan Duriscoe, US National Park Service

Loss of Cultural Heritage

10.06.2014 / ISSRM 2014 – GFN Harz e.V. / F. Knolle / C. Reinboth – Winter Tourism and Protected Areas in the Harz Mountains

Wernigerode: 4-5(Bortle Scale)

Lighting has Consequences

Photos © flagstaffotos.com.au

Street Lights as Death Traps

A mercury arc light kills about 100-250 insects per night

Photos © Prof. Dr. Eisenbeis, Uni Mainz

Domestic Insects threatened by too much Light at Night

Eichenspinner (Lasiocampa quercus)

Eulenfalter(Noctuidae)

Photos © www.entomat.be

A Danger to Human Health?

„The analysis yielded an estimated 73% higher breast cancer incidence in the highest LAN (light at night) exposed

communities compared to the lowest LAN exposed communities.“

Kloog, I., Haim, A; Stevens, R.G.; Barchana, M. & Portnov, B.A.: Light at night co-distributes with incident breast but not lung cancer in the female population of Israel, in: Chronobiology International

2008 Feb;25(1):65-81

Photos © Südwestdeutsches PET-Zentrum Stuttgart

Published on July 31st 2014

(III) What are the Solutions?

Targeted use of Lighting

Way too muchlight pollution

“Normal”light pollution

Minimallight pollution

Graphic © Florian Schweidler

„Insect-friendly“Street Lighting?

Graphics © Institut für Hydrobiologie & Gewässermanagement Wien

Mercury arc lamp Sodium vapor lamp

Clocked LED lighting is even more insect-friendly- but can environmentalists really welcome LED lighting?

LED Lighting in Wernigerode

AuLED lights have saved 46,4% energy compared to NA lighting

Marklingeröder Straße

The Dark Side of LEDs

Photo © www.wikipedia.de

Frontage lighting at the Art Museum Linz

The Dark Side of LEDs

Photo © Rolf Kaiser

Light from a hardware store in Obergrombach (16.000 LEDs)

DIALux 4.12 and QGIS 2.2


DIALux simulation with TRILUX 9701

DIN EN 13 201 (since 2004)


Entwicklung optischer KomponentenStep 1 – Generating a map of the locale with open source geodata (e.g. OSM)


Step 2 – Geomapping of all street lights in the area using GPS systems and software


Step 3 – Inclusion of geodata on bus stops, pedestrian crossings, hazard spots etc.


Step 4 – Classification of streets according to DIN EN 13 201 using all available info


Data can be transferred to other GIS such as Google Maps or Google Earth

Interior lighting design (St. Andreasberg Observatory)

Simulation of a bus stop with DIALux (Wieck am Darß)

Complex lighting scenario with DIALux (teaching scenario)

Hydrogen-powered LED lighting (ZIM project AUBELE)

Complex lighting scenario with DIALux (City of Osterode)

0 18 37 56 75 93 112 131 150

ULR = 6%(Upward Light Ratio)

0 18 37 56 75 93 112 131 150


Light = Security?

● Home Office Crime Prevention Unit (2004)

● Installation of particularly bright street lights● An analysis of mission data by police and rescue

services showed no effect on crime and security● A survey of the residents found that their feeling

of safety had, however, increased significantly

● Polizei-Fachhochschule Rheine (2007)

● Total blackout between 1:00 and 3:30 at night● The measure had no impact on public safety

● The city saved 72.000 EUR and 420t CO2

(IV) Light Pollution in the Harz

Types of Dark Sky Parks

● International Dark Sky Association

● Dark Sky Communities● Dark Sky Reserves● Dark Sky Parks

● Royal Astronomy Society of Canada

● Dark Sky Preserves● Urban Stark Parks

● Starlight Initiative

● Human Habitats● Starlight Landscapes● Starlight Natural Sites● Starlight Heritage Sites● Starlight Astronomy Sites● … & Mixed Starlight Sites

● Potential World Heritage Status through UNESCO

Permanent Measurements

Astronomical Heritage

Outreach and Education

Wurmberg Illumination

Suggested illumination levels for ski slopes according to DIN EN 12 193:

Class Illumination level Illumination equability

I 100 lx 0,5

II 30 lx 0,3

III 20 lx 0,2

Class I: Facilities for high performance sports and international sporting eventsClass II: Facilities for important national sporting events with many spectatorsClass III: Facilities for leisure sports, school sports and general training

The investor has proposed a 150 lx floodlighting.

Some concessions were made: The lighting system will only be in use during three days per week for a maximum duration of four months per year. Additionally, the lighting will be shut off after 22:30 p.m.

Light Pollution and LED Lighting

Environment

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