Guest wisewoman Posted September 19, 2012 Share Posted September 19, 2012 Hey there, So I work for the county council (no booing please!) and I was chatting to a colleague the other day. Apparently the county council have a 4-year plan which will result in the turning off of the vast majority of streetlights at midnight! You may have read that this idea has already been initiated in some areas, but the good news is that it will be phased in everywhere. Lights that will not be turned off are at places like roundabouts and road humps. The councils reason is of course financial - but it should make for some much nicer skies after midnight for us astronomers. Now we just have to become total night owls to make full use of them! Melissa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brantuk Posted September 19, 2012 Share Posted September 19, 2012 Excellent news Melissa Hinckley and Bosworth have piloted a similar thing around Groby and Ratby near me - it makes a considerable difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BAZ Posted September 19, 2012 Share Posted September 19, 2012 Good news there. As you say it makes financial sense, and helps us to boot. Would you consider working for Broxtowe, we might need you to bring us a bit of luck up this way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catman161 Posted September 19, 2012 Share Posted September 19, 2012 Awesome!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cosmic dave Posted September 19, 2012 Share Posted September 19, 2012 That's great news the credit crunch pays off ! Funny isn't it what unexpected ripples seem to happen ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest flames UK Posted September 19, 2012 Share Posted September 19, 2012 Awsome . I've already disconnected the one near my house ! Naughty I know Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Celeste Posted September 21, 2012 Share Posted September 21, 2012 Cool, I remember you telling me when we met at the walk in lol! Kyle's finger is much better, very bruised and battered (ripped ligaments) but thankfully not broken How's your girls shoulder? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest OurMikeGeorge Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 Leicestershire County Council have now apparently decided to stop the programme of switching off lights, and to use LED lights instead: http://www.hinckleytimes.net/news/local-news/council-invest-led-streetlighting-8137573 Will this automatically reduce light pollution in urban areas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweedledee Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 Leicestershire County Council have now apparently decided to stop the programme of switching off lights, and to use LED lights instead: http://www.hinckleytimes.net/news/local-news/council-invest-led-streetlighting-8137573 Will this automatically reduce light pollution in urban areas? Not as much as switching them off. The streetlamp near my house has stopped working . I'd also be interested to know what the consensus is on the LP of LED's. I would think they are generally better shielded than the older lights to cut off upward glare, but what about the frequencies? stash 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest OurMikeGeorge Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 I googled it and found a few reports I didn't really understand about the negative effects of the frequency, glare and scatter from light reflected off the roads, but it was mostly American. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweedledee Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 Got this from Wikipedia ... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LED_street_light Disadvantages of LED street lightsThere is a main risk from glare. A French Government report published in 2013 agreed that a luminance level higher than 10,000 cd/m2 causes visual discomfort whatever the position of the lighting unit in the field of vision.[10] The initial cost of LED street lighting is high and as a consequence it takes several years for the savings on energy to pay for that. The high cost derives in part from the material used since LEDs are often made on sapphire or other expensive substrates.[11] LED street lights may make light pollution significantly worse in some areas as they are brighter than the lights that are being replaced and thus are increasing light pollution. According to one America study they may well exacerbate known and possible unknown effects of light pollution on human health[12] The replacement of HPS street lighting with LED street lighting is leading to a major change in the colour of the urban sky glow. The higher blue content in LED lighting is likely to increase sky glow considerably affecting bird migration and disrupting diurnal animals.[13] There is progressive wear of layers of phosphor in white LEDs, that with time lead to devices being moved from one photobiological risk group to a higher one.[10] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweedledee Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 This is also interesting, entitled LEDs: Light Pollution Solution or Night Sky Nemesis?... http://www.universetoday.com/107372/leds-light-pollution-solution-or-night-sky-nemesis/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tweedledum Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 Pete, for us Mansfielders, you have seen what I have done to the lampost at the rear of our house which gives a dark garden. Andy was talking to two council workers replacing the light at the front, and they are coming down to 30 watts. Whenever they change the bulb at the back they have always ensured that the hammerited side is in the right place!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stash Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 Sorry to be a spoil sport but i believe that street lighting is needed its just the way/when its used is wrong (IMHO). As some have said shielding to project light downward not in all directions should be used together with movement detection so that if the light is not required (no human presence) they switch off. Even street/road signs could use movement detection (like the "your speed" sign's). Don't forget even if the road lighting etc was switch off you would get extra glare from cars as they would use full beam more so unless you live in a Amish community or the top of a mountain I suspect the light pollution would be worse. Especially BWM owners using those dam blue lights which blind they hell out of me when driving Perhaps we could do a deal with the Govt and say on clear moonless nights all lights should be switched off after 11pm and all houses/factories etc invoke legal blackouts - hell it would only happen 1 or 2 nights a year Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al.Grant Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 There's already a white LED street light not too far from me, think I need to take a look through it with my Astronomik CLS clip filter to see if it's going to be made redundant! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nelson Posted November 22, 2014 Share Posted November 22, 2014 Where I live I have a street light next to my garden fence and the council have changed it to switch off at midnight, great but would it not be just as good if councils instructed organisations to install lights that only light up the necessary area instead of the waste light pollution type currently used. I'm not sure if they are more efficient to run or what the financial issues are but they would certainly help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweedledee Posted November 22, 2014 Share Posted November 22, 2014 Where I live I have a street light next to my garden fence and the council have changed it to switch off at midnight, great but would it not be just as good if councils instructed organisations to install lights that only light up the necessary area instead of the waste light pollution type currently used. I'm not sure if they are more efficient to run or what the financial issues are but they would certainly help. At least turning off at midnight is a definite bonus and another option for others to suggest to their locaal council So it is always worth having discussions with the council about the various options including shielding and turning off at midnight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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