Christmas and Tunnel Lighting

It has finally warmed up a bit, and it has been nice to have a few milder days. Some folks like it cold, some like it hot. I guess it is down to you. One thing I do appreciate is a cool railway tunnel on a blistering hot sunny day. My last photograph of the year is the linear lighting inside a railway tunnel in the Peak District. The combination of coolness, water dripping from the roof and the amazing engineering of building this tunnel with it's brick lining. Incidently, I started off in civil engineering and my first job was working in a long sea outfall tunnel - 1.6 miles under the English Tunnel.  The lighting was simple fluorescent, but quietly effective as I hope you can see from the photograph.

A few blogs ago, I mentioned November 5th  night and how we enjoy the fireworks and forget that a certain Guy Fawkes wanted us to lose our parliament and what it stood for. I think we sometimes forget that Christmas is more than just a commercial opportunity for the shops and people getting stressed about presents and the like. I love giving and receiving gifts, but Christmas for me is about the most special gift ever given. So when you see the words CHRISTmas, the clue is in the first six letters!


Last week has been a busy one, with the last Executive Board meetingof 2012. I am pleased that we have appointed Elizabeth Thomas as Vice President Highways and Infrastructure and  I am sure that she will do an excellent job. This my last blog of 2012 as I am having a Christmas Holiday in Italy, and probably won't have an internet connection. I wish you a joyful Christmas and a happy new year.
Pete

Time Out!

It is only when you don't have something or it does not do what you expect that you notice it! I have already mentioned this in relating to lighting  - when it goes out that it is noticed and the users kick off!. While this week , the computer network at my work has been playing up. I have a fast machine, because I do computer aided design(CAD) and things got slower and slower. The IT team are trying to figure it out. I say all this because even emails are getting difficult. I hit the reply button and then wait a minute (yes 60 seconds)  before I can reply. I get a lot of emails, and the ILP hotline is pretty busy at the moment. There are lots of things that the Executive Board (EB) are working with at the moment. Next week is the last EB  meeting of this year, and as ususal a lot of business and items to work through.

As members, your EB does a huge amount of back office work, you don't always see it, but like the computer system, it has to work. So emails are one of our vital comminication devices and slow emails are a little frustrating!!

Sometimes though, it is good to not always just react. Sometimes just stopping and thinking about an issue can be the best way. So if you have a busy day and you have just taken a couple of minutes to stop  then here is a picture for you. Just stop and take in the view!
 I did when I took this picture -  I can still remember the warm sun, the smells and the view.

I love walking in the peak district when I have time. Next week I will be showing you some tunnel lighting pics along the one of the old railway lines. Have a good week.
Pete

Buzz Lightyear!

In the past I mentioned on this blog that I live in the country. This is relatively recent, as we moved in March 2012. One of the things that I did not fully appreciate, is that the country back roads and lanes are not grtted. So I am driving on roads, with no salt and areas where sheets of ice have formed from the water still flowing off the saturated fields. An interesting mix. I have a front wheel drive car, so not too bad, just allow more time and drive slower. My wife Trix, drives a skittish rear wheel drive mazda and she is having some interesting moments as the back end flicks out. We both are learning the rythms of country living. Glorious sunsets in the summer and  walks down leafy lanes, but in the winter, cold and dark. I miss the the street lights. I guess we all have to come to terms with where and how we live. Many of us take street lighting for granted, but we don't always appreciate how amazing it is to have something, until we don't have it. I am glad I am able to still be in a position to provide lighting were it is needed.

One of my nicknames at work is Buzz. This came about because there were two Pete's in the office and as I was always buzzing about, I got called Buzz. We are talking 25 years ago. So when I got involved with lighting and Buzz Lightyear came along, it seemed quite appropriate. I say all this because when I was diving in a quarry near Leicester - called Stoney Cove, I came across this. These lighting guys get everywhere!!

It has been a busy week. The ILP hosted a technical discussion forum between Industry Partners and lighting professionals on S/P ratios. Those of you that went to the Brighton summit can read Steve Fotios paper on this subject. Steve was at the forum and we had a most intersting time. We need to do the science to confirm why we do what we do, but translating that into practical ways of designing, and the additional information that the manufacturers would have to provide is not quite so straight forward. You will be able to read about the forum in the lighting journal, when our new editor Jill Entwhistle, has written it up as an article.

I also met with all the other other Institution President's and CEO's at an event hosted by the Engineering Council. We are all keen to encourage "engineers" to go for professional registration. We need to encourage registration at all levels. I think the ILP is working hard on this and our Membership VP - Mark Cooper and his team are  providing the infrastructure to help our members to go for professional registration.

Next week is a little quieter, before Executive Board meeting in two weeks time.

Take care in your travels

Pete

Surviving the weather

Saturday 23rd November. In amongst the heavy rain and localised flooding, the sky cleared last night and this morning the fields and hedge rows are covered in frost. I know in about two hours time that there is heavy rain and 60mph gusts coming in from the south. We are certainly experiencing a huge diversity of weather. I watched the documentary on the recent hurricane/super storm Sandy and the devastation. All the precuations the infrastructure companies took and still the weather just overpowered them. I felt sorry for the folks who had to get the utilities back on and working. People were back to torches and the good old candle for light. I am very proud that whilst what we do in terms of lighting may be taken for granted, people miss it when it is not there. I know that good lighting can either be a statement or is so subtil it is not noticed until it goes out. Both are valid, and I go back to what I said some years ago - I am proud to be a lighting professional.
Talking about coping with difficult weather conditions, I am always amazed at how well some creatures cope with the weather.  The picture is a spiders web, has to deal with all stresses and strains, sometimes the web gets broken and the spider gets out there and fixes it. I took this picture on a coast walk in Corwall after a heavy night of rains, which the spider and web survived! Enjoy

 

It has been a busy week, I went to Seeing is Believing at Bruntingthorpe Airfield. I was particularly impressed with a trenching system, that cut a 100mm wide trench to required depth, and "sucked" all the material into the lorry hopper for re-use as recycled material. The speed of the machine was staggering. New technologies like this certainly help with the vital infrastructure our highway lighting needs. Met lots of people and learnt a bit more about lighting and highway signs. A good day.  Next week I am going to a technical discussion forum on SP ratios. Survive the weather. Pete

Cupola's and seeing is believing

It's is late friday evening, been a busy week and I have an early start, so I am doing my blog tonight. Definitely some rather sad dull days towards the end of this week, so I thought I might just give you a hot sunny picture I took in Mosta in Malta. Those of you who know St Paul's cathedral will have seen the magnificant dome. The curved dome section section is sometimes called a cupola. See cross section through showing the construction.

It was blistering hot 38 degrees C, and I had parked up about a mile from the town centre and managed to get lost in the maze of streets before finally arriving at the square where the chuch   Duomo di Mosta: St. Mary o la Rotunda with one of the biggest cupola's in europe. It is huge 39m in diameter. Fantastic sun drenched architecture sitting against a nice warm sky and some european lighting units sit in front of it. I 'll be showing some diving pics of Malta in later blogs

Next week I will be going to Seeing is believing. It is mentioned on the ILP website, and is an opportunity to let other people, with highway based lighting disciplines, know about the ILP. You also might want to check the ILP website out for the competency framework document. We are busy promoting the Institution and I am involved in some of forward planning. Have a good week. Pete

Autumn and Lux Live

A wet, dull autumnal saturday morning, but the promise of sunshine later. I do like the american phrase "the fall" when the leaves turn colour prior to falling. Some amazing stunning colours that you will only see at this time of year. I am sure many of you, like me, enjoy getting out for a walk, to take in the colours and the see the leaves on trees all changing. The photograph is of one leaf, with the sun light on it, so the colour and texture is there to see and enjoy. It might not show on the blog version, but there are flies and other small insects taking in the sun and using the leaf as a refuge. Yet sadly the colours fade and the leaf will fall and provide compost.

 

 

I spent two very useful days at Lux Live and met a lot of people. Those of you that went, I hope, were as pleased as I was with the whole diversity and range of the stands with all the products that were available to look at and discuss. I was particularly impressed with the ILP stand and the number of people that came and had discussions and took information packs. I think the message that we are about promting lighting from all areas and disciplines is slowly getting out there. I learnt so much from conversations with people that know about lighting and at the same time realise that so many people need to be able show to clients and third parties,  that they have knowledge and experience and can back that up with some sort of qualification. Our core values of education,training and being able to have members that can demostrate competency is our strength. Have a good week. Pete

 

 



Fireworks, people and Lux Live

Saturday 3rd November, and it is (for many), the weekend they attend a firworks display. Some of you may even remember Guy Fawkes and an attempt to blow up parliament! Like a lot of things, people sometimes enjoy the celebration, but miss the point of what it is about. I'll come back to that observation from time to time. It brings me nicely to my photograph this week. Taking pictures of fireworks exploding into the night sky is not too difficult with a decent camera. I am staggered the way our eyes can deal with it all, the colour, light dark, movement. A black sky suddenly burst into light. So I often watch the display through my camera viewfinder, but still enjoy it. I like this photograph because it not only shows a burst of spectacular patterns, but looks like two trees made of light shining in the dark sky.

One of the things I said in my speech at the lighting sunnit, was how important people are. The ILP is about people. I say this, because I wanted to mention Jo Tutt, who worked at the ILP Head Office at Rugby and was a huge help to me in getting ready for the summit. Jo has left the ILP to go and be a teacher, so I just wanted to use my blog to say "thank you Jo for your good work for the ILP and I wish you all the best for your future career in teaching".

Finally. Next week is Lux Live. I will be there for both days. Come and see the team on the ILP stand and have a chat. I will be taking part in a discussion forum on highway lighting on tuesday, giving a paper on wednesday morning on lighting and planning, where it is going and presenting an award to the Society of Light and Lighting (SLL) young lighter competition winner. Our immediate past President Allan Howard will also be presenting a paper at the same wednesday session as myself, so we hope to see you there. It should be good and I hope to see you there.
Have a great week.
Pete

Inside my brain and motorway lighting

I normally like to start off saturday morning with this blog, but with other commitments, I am writing this tonight.  I have been busy with University City London in being a test subject in their ongoing research into understanding the relationship between light, the eye and the brain. I am excited that this research will continue to add to the scientific knowledge behind the way lighting professionals light. The better our understanding, the better the way we can design lighting schemes. So back to the research. I have been down to The Royal Hollaway  University of London at Egham to spend quality time inside a Magnetic Resonance Image (MRI) Scanner. It is an amazing experience as the scanner clanks away looking at my brain working while I am carrying out a series of visual tasks. The photograph is not one I took, but is a cross section of my brain. I wish the team well in all the calculations and interpreation that has to be done to understand what is going on, especially in my brain!!

I was also a guest of the Highway Electrical association (HEA) at their conference and awards dinner. A well organised event and superb dinner in the spectacular setting of the Celtic Manor Hotel. After the afternoon technical papers, (two presented by ILP past presidents) I took the opportunity to enjoy the view from one of the hotel balcony's. Looking across the river Severn estuary is stunning. Well done to the HEA . Later that night I drove home across the newer of the two Severn crossings, and was inpressed by the quality of lighting and the fantasic engineering of the bridge.

 

Just a quick hobby horse on motorway lighting. I drove the long stretch up the M5 from the M4 towards Birmingham with no lighting, just headlights and being blinded by overbright xenon headlights as other car overtook me. What a joy when I got near to the M42 and some motorway lighting. It is a personal view, but I find driving on lit motorways so much easier and less tiring. Enough said.

 

Next week, the Executive Board will be meeting to discuss a range of issues. This will be the first full meeting for Kevin Grigg - our  New Assistant Honorary Treasurer. He has survived council and an executive board meeting with the Vice Presidents, so we have eased him into the role gently!!

Have a good week

regards

Pete

ps Don't foget Luxlive.

 



Rainbow, VP Highways & Infrastructure and the HEA

It's Saturday morning, and it's  cool and misty with no sign of the sun! It is on these  damp autumnal mornings that I remember warm sunny days. What a difference a bit of sunshine makes. Sadly for some the lack of sunlight can bring on a form of depression. It even has a name - Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).There are two people in my office that use the "bright white" lamps to help alleviate this condition. I really appreciate the sunshine, not just for warmth,but becuase it does affect our moods. Taking photos on a drab overcast day leaves the captured image flat and dull. Add a little sunlight and you get depth, contrast and vivid colours. We certainly try our best to emmulate sunshine with lamps, but we come a poor second. I promised a photo per blog. This is one that I took in New Zealand, on a wild windswept beach near Wellington. It is a rainbow, and it was caused partly by the spray and partly by the weather that was being blown through. Rainbows only happen when you have some sunshine. I guess when Noah saw the rainbow, he was so glad to see the sun again as it shone through the clouds.

Earlier this week, Council met and it is good see the way the VPs and Councillors are working together. It has taken a while, but I do believe that our strategy and vision for the Institution and especially the members is coming together. Just to remind you that there is a new post of VP Highways and Infrastructure and if you want a job description and think you might be interested, then contact Richard@theilp.org.uk   for a job description. I think this final VP role will give the balance we want within the Institution. We have some interseting ideas that I am sure the new VP (when appointed) will be able to progress and develop.

Next week I am going to the HEA Conference and Dinner at Celtic Manor, so I might see some of you there. Interestingly on the way to Wales, I will going to Egham for a MRI brain scan. This is the final peice of volounteer work I am doing with UCL on understanding how our eyes and brain works at low light levels.
Have a good week
Pete

sunrise and council

I have been thinking a bit about how to use this blog and have decided it will work at two levels. I think blogs should be informal and personal, so there will be two parts to each of my blogs. part one will be personal and the other about the ILP and my weekly role within it.

One thing I love to do is take photographs. I guess a picture is really all about light and the surfaces it reflects off before reaching my eye as I look through the camera's viewfinder. (I use a Nikon D90 with a range of lenses) I see things in terms of images and so each blog will have one picture that I have taken. Through the year it will built up into a diverse range of things I photograph. This  morning, Saturday 13th October, I took this sunrise from my bedroom window. I live in the country and am amazingly privileged to see some stunning and spectacular sunrises. Those of you that were at the Celebration dinner will remember Debra Searle speaking about watching sunrises and sunsets and how it touched her in relation to her faith in a creator God. A bit the same with me. I hope you like it.

The coming week has Council. This is when the Vice Presidents,Councillors and Executive Board come together to discuss strategy and progress. Out of the meeting will come new areas of strategy that will be considered and worked into the various VPs areas of responsibility. I stressed how important people are within the ILP and this is a key meeting. As members your regional Councillor will be feeding into the various strands of strategy, that will become policy and vision for the Institution. Spare a thought for the people that commit time and energy to your institution.
Have a good week
Pete

What a fanatstic ILP Summit at Brighton

First day back in the office. Still have not come down from a fantastic summit. I am overwhelmed by the encouragement and support from so many of my peers. I just want to take the opportunity via this blog to say THANK YOU to you all. I am still walking about with a big smile on my face. I have so many happy memories.

A huge thank you to Richard Frost our CEO and Jess, Jo and Anita who all worked so hard at Brighton to make it the success it was.

To the Thistle Hotel staff - fantastic venue, can't get over the quality of light in the atrium

To the Exhibiters - I am so glad I had time with Jess to see you all and say thankyou. I am delighted that you felt it was worthwhile and useful. Your support is so very much appreciated

To the speakers - wow, what a privelge to listen to you all. I know how long it takes to put a paper together, so a big thank you. To Peter Raynham and Wandering Steve Fotios and h Ed - keep up the good work

The celebration dinner - wow. food and company sooo good. 

Debra Seale MBE - You have inspired us. We re-lived that journey with you and I felt very humbled as you gave so much of yourself to us. I struggled to say thank you, as I confess I was quite emotional. Just remembering your talk now still moves me. So a huge thank you - so many people spoke about with awe and wonder.

I hope all who attended enjoyed it as much as I did.

Have a great weekend

Pete

Some final words

My year as President of the ILP draws to a close and I will hand over the baton to Pete at tomorrow’s AGM in Brighton, so just my closing thoughts on what has been an excellent year that has passed very quickly.

It has been a great honour and pleasure for me to undertake the role of President of the Institution of Lighting Professionals over the past year and to know that my fellow lighting professionals considered me worthy of the role.

During my year I have looked to the theme of sustainability in lighting and used the opportunities given to me to promoted good light practice and sustainable lighting solutions. Within this I have stressed that the task to be lit must firstly be considered before looking to the use of the right technology. Sustainability has to be balanced; looking at the task, considering social and economic as well as environmental aspects, looking to optimise existing assets whilst making selective investment in new ones.

We have a wonderfully and ever increasing pallet of light sources, luminaires and control systems to choose from but too often we see the technology being chosen before the task is assessed and then, perhaps, the wrong technology applied to the job. The industry does tend to embrace the latest technologies and forget what others exist that may well light the task more efficiently.

With some of my fellow lighters I have become infamous for regularly talking about Ultra-Efficient lighting (UEL) and competent designers. Ultra Efficient Lighting is defined as the right light, in the right place, at the right time, controlled by the right system, designed by competent designers taking a whole life costing approach. It is not related to any one technology or light source but the right ones for the task.

I am therefore very pleased to see that this is all being reflected with the latest EU Green Public Procurement (GPP) criteria for both Indoor and Street lighting. The details are discussed with the ILP’s ‘Guidance on current and forth coming legislation with the lighting sector document’ which has recently been updated and is available as a free down load from the resources section of the web site.

I would encourage you all to read this important ILP guidance document and look to your requirements under GPP.

The above is just one aspect of how the ILP is developing to encompass, advise and represent all those involved within lighting. I personally feel this is to the good of the industry and for those within it to learn more skills and improve their competencies and look to an understand technologies and approaches to lighting in other sectors and how they may be best applied within their own.

This can only be to the benefit of the ILP and members in the long term and bring all those involved in lighting further together to exchange and share knowledge and good practice which is one of the ILP’s key aims.

We still have many challenges ahead looking to how we work with our Industry Partners, kindred Associations and Professional Bodies as well as how we look to the provision of technical information to our members and I am sure that these are topics that Peter will develop late this morning.

I must thank my own employer, WSP, for their support and encouragement in taking on this role and thank the members of the lighting team for their support whilst I undertook the role. I must of course not forget the most important person, my wife Caroline who has supported me over all of the years leading up to president and over the last year coming with me to attend various Regional and National Events.

Before handing over to Pete I thank the Regions for their excellent hospitality over the year, the Exec Board: Alistair, Mark, Colin, Pete, Richard and the team at Rugby for all their support and the team’s work in progressing and developing the ILP. In my year as immediate past President I will look to support Pete to the best of my abilities.

What have we been doing for you?

Well I am now in the last month of my term as President of the ILP and it has been a very interesting year. I will look to a final sign off summary but thought it appropriate just to look at some of the work that the ILP are undertaking to help the development and understanding of lighting.

During the year we have seen the Fundamentals of lighting training course well supported and receive excellent feedback and it is viewed as an excellent introduction to lighting for those who are perhaps involved in the fringes of lighting, represent manufacturers of lighting products and for others with an interest but perhaps not looking to undertake detailed design.

We have also looked to provide information to our members in the form of lighting guidance documents and this has included:

·         Illuminating the public realm, The importance of public lighting, Guidance for resident’s and stakeholders on local authority public lighting best practice, produce in liaison with Westminster City Council.

·         Guidance on current and forth coming legalisation within the lighting sector, this document was first issued a year ago but since then we have moved into stage 2 of the Energy related Products Directive and there are now new requirements for the fluorescent and HID lamps, ballasts and luminaires that we use for all aspects of lighting. Everyone involved in lighting needs to be aware of this document.

As those members in the highway sector are no doubt aware BS5489 Road Lighting is under review and the 2012 standard will be issued later this year. There are significant changes to the application of road lighting and the BSI panel and the ILP have been working together to ensure that the right information is available to all when the Standard is launched.

This includes a review and development of a number of our Technical Reports (soon to be called Professionals Lighting Guides (PLG’s)) which will tie into and be referenced to the new Standard. These include:

·         The designation of conflict areas

·         The application of lighting profiling (switch off, part night lighting and dimming)

·         Understanding Central Management Systems

·         Mespoic vision

As I hope you can all appreciate it is important that these documents tie up and cross reference to the Standard and hence they we will be looking to issue them all at the right time.

In addition PLG’s will also be published looking at:

·         Undertaking environmental lighting impact assessments

·         A framework to aid the development of street lighting maintenance management plans

·         Festive lighting and other attachments.

Whilst mentioning TR’s / PLG’s we would be interested to know if you feel if it would be beneficial to have these issued as electronic documents to members and if this would be a benefit to your membership. Please let me know.

Well done London 2012

Well what a wonderful fortnight it has been for Great Britain with the Olympics and what a spectacular part lighting played in the opening and closing ceremonies. Congratulation’s must go to Patrick Woodroffe and his team of 60 for what they have produced. Danny Boyle describes him as “an amazing guy who introduced us to the world of stadium lighting”. The use of LED pixel technology created by British firm Crystal CG was extraordinary effectively turning the whole stadium into a large video screen with amazing effects, images and spectacle.

We take our hats off to you, what stunning lighting displays.

We can only look forward to what Patrick has for us regarding the Paralympic opening and closing ceremonies.

We cannot also forget the brilliant team GB and their magnificent medal total, very well done to them all.

Green Public Procurement (GPP)

I have been working the latest version if the ILP’s legislation in lighting document which will be available on line shortly. The research has been interesting as from April 2012 we are now in stage 2 of the Energy related Products (ErP) Directive which places performance requirements on the lamps, control gear and luminaires we use within lighting and now includes HID lamps for the first time.

However it is the considerations regarding the ‘EU GPP criteria’ for street lighting and also indoor lighting that I have found to be most interesting. We still have the requirements for using products that meet the ErP requirements and the need to look at whole life costing of any installation being designed, however we are now seeing criteria being laid down for the designer, tender and installer.

This is discussed in the new ILP document but in essence the core aspects are:

The designer shall demonstrate that the design will be undertaken by personnel with at least three years’ experience in lighting design and/or having suitable professional qualifications in lighting or membership of a professional body in the field of lighting design.

The tender shall demonstrate that the installation will be undertaken by personnel with at least three years’ experience in installation of lighting systems and/or having a suitable professional qualification in electrical or building services engineering, or membership of a professional body in the field of lighting.

There is also a requirement in that the tenderer shall ensure that the lighting equipment (including lamps and luminaires and lighting controls) is installed exactly as specified in the original design and that the control system has been commissioned.

This can only be to the good of the lighting industry as a whole and we continue to watch the development and introduction of the GPP approach and all that it encompasses.

Looking forward to attending ‘Inside new lighting technologies’

The ILP’s inside new technologies seminar is almost upon us and I am looking forward to attending it as it promises to be most illuminating (sorry). It is good to see an event organised that is not just purely focused on LEDs, but looks to the other technologies we as lighting professionals can use when considering the task to be lit. In particular I am looking forward to hearing about the Plasma lamp and also control systems, the latter being a vital part of any lighting installation.

The event is also a good opportunity to network and I look forward to meeting those who are attending.

For more details regarding this event visit

https://www.theilp.org.uk/events/inside-new-lighting-technologies/

An enjoyable day at the Surveyor conference

An interesting and excellent range of papers presented at this week’s Surveyor / ILP Highway Lighting Conference in Leicester.

The key note address given by Councillor Rory Palmer, Cabinet Lead and Deputy City Mayor for Leicester City Council gave a concise and to the point address acknowledging the problems Authorities have with budgets but hit the right note by stressing the importance of calling on competent technical experts to provide innovative solutions to the problems.

Alistair Scott, the Chair of the BSi 5489 review panel then updated us with the direction of the new standard due out later this year. This was followed by Nick Smith looking at the specific aspects of the lighting of conflict areas and Steve Fotios then addressed the requirements for pedestrians to have the same visual benefits under any light source used for residential roads and the application of S/P ratios. Both Nick and Steve’s aspects that will form part of the new standard of which a draft will be issued for public comment shortly.

Peter Harrison discussed the development of the forthcoming ILP Professional Guide (PG) for seasonal lighting and attachment’s and Keith Henry (VP Technical) the PG regarding Central Management Systems, both of which are due for publication before the ILP Summit. Alistair then took to the podium again, standing in for Dave Burton, discussing how a lighting professional may look to demonstrate their competency through an approach being implemented by the ILP.

The conference finished off with Glyn Williams of Cornwall updating us on the progress of their invest to save programme, lessons learnt and savings actually achieved and what they are looking to next in the way of profiling. I then closed the conference explaining the LoTAMB (London Transportation Asset Management Board) new framework documents to aid an Authority develop a Lighting Value Management Model such that their funds can be targeted at precisely the areas and equipment that requires highest attention which can be down loaded from the LoLEG web site and will soon be issued as a national document through the ILP and LoTAMB.

Light nuisance, if we cannot practically measure intensity how do we assess a nuisance complaint?

Over the past weeks I have been discussing the measurement light nuisance with Carl Gardner the editor of the ILP’s lighting journal.

Essentially light nuisance is defined as two issues, the first is the vertical illuminance onto a window and the second is the intensity of the light towards an observer within their premise. The limitations for these are given with CIE 150: ‘Guide on the limitation of the effects of obtrusive light from outdoor lighting installations’ and the ILP’s own document ‘Guidance on the reduction of obtrusive light’’ which is essentially a distillation of the detailed CIE Standard.

Vertical illuminance (lux) is easy to measure and just requires a suitable calibrated illuminance meter, intensity (cd) however is very difficult if not totally impracticable to measure and an illuminance meter (cd/m²) cannot be used for this purpose.

In saying this measurement of intensity may be achieved by the masking of the illumination meter by a matt black tube, say a section of drainage pipe with small holes at each end aimed at the light source. The intensity can then calculated by multiplying the measured illuminance by the distance squared. This approach is prone to many errors and really is not practicable especially if you are looking to complaints regarding sources some distance away.

So how can we effectively look to measure any complaint of lighting nuisance if one of the key aspects cannot effectively be measured in the field? We can look to model it within software such as Calculux but that will require all of the ‘as installed’ installation details of the scheme to do this and again this is not practicable to collect so we are at an impasse, we have a defined limitation which causes compliant but cannot be measured.

A practical solution may be to redefine the glare aspect of nuisance in terms of luminance and then a suitable luminance meter could be used but would this be right?

And there it ends really, what do we look to do, if you are interested in discussing please comment within this Blog or alternatively please go to Linked-In where a discussion has been opened under the Lighting Designer Group following on from recent discussions within the group on sky glow.

A new feature for the ILP

A new feature for the ILP, a presidential blog site.

This is a direct result of attending an excellent event run by the ILP in London on the 13th June regarding the use and impact of social media and I would like to congratulate the YLP members who set up and ran this event for those of us who until last night were not that familiar with Blogging, Tweeting and the like.