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1barney67
George Dvorsky
gizmodo
To reduce energy consumption, many jurisdictions around the world are transitioning to outdoor LED lighting. But as new research shows, this solid-state solution hasn’t yielded the expected energy savings, and potentially worse, it’s resulted in more light pollution than ever before.
With the introduction of solid-state lighting—such as LEDs, OLEDs, and PLEDs—it was thought (and hoped) that the transition to it from conventional lighting—like electrical filaments, gas, and plasma—would result in big energy savings. According to the latest research, however, the use of LEDs has resulted in a “rebound” effect whereby many jurisdictions have opted to use even more light owing to the associated energy savings.
Indeed, as the new results show, the amount of outdoor lighting around the world has increased during the past several years. “As a result, the world has experienced widespread ‘loss of the night,’ with half of Europe and a quarter of North America experiencing substantially modified light-dark cycles,” write the researchers in the new study, which was published today in Scientific Advances.
gizmodo
To reduce energy consumption, many jurisdictions around the world are transitioning to outdoor LED lighting. But as new research shows, this solid-state solution hasn’t yielded the expected energy savings, and potentially worse, it’s resulted in more light pollution than ever before.
With the introduction of solid-state lighting—such as LEDs, OLEDs, and PLEDs—it was thought (and hoped) that the transition to it from conventional lighting—like electrical filaments, gas, and plasma—would result in big energy savings. According to the latest research, however, the use of LEDs has resulted in a “rebound” effect whereby many jurisdictions have opted to use even more light owing to the associated energy savings.
Indeed, as the new results show, the amount of outdoor lighting around the world has increased during the past several years. “As a result, the world has experienced widespread ‘loss of the night,’ with half of Europe and a quarter of North America experiencing substantially modified light-dark cycles,” write the researchers in the new study, which was published today in Scientific Advances.
2John5918
Well, I don't think the problem is LEDs per se, nor the efforts of those trying to reduce electricity usage. The problem is the world's insatiable appetite for light and electricity.
When I look out of my windows at night, situated on the top of a ridge with a view for many miles in all directions, I see only a handful of small individual lights in the distance (many of them solar powered as the grid doesn't reach them or me) unless I look northeast, in which case I see an ugly glow on the horizon which is Nairobi (early in the morning the glow is replaced by an ugly grey cloud which is the city's pollution). The stars and moon are bright and clear. Indeed in Sudan I have walked through the night by starlight on occasion.
But in the modern world, that's not how it works for most people.
Incidentally, LEDs allow me to light my home using solar power more efficiently than if I were using traditional lighting.
When I look out of my windows at night, situated on the top of a ridge with a view for many miles in all directions, I see only a handful of small individual lights in the distance (many of them solar powered as the grid doesn't reach them or me) unless I look northeast, in which case I see an ugly glow on the horizon which is Nairobi (early in the morning the glow is replaced by an ugly grey cloud which is the city's pollution). The stars and moon are bright and clear. Indeed in Sudan I have walked through the night by starlight on occasion.
But in the modern world, that's not how it works for most people.
Incidentally, LEDs allow me to light my home using solar power more efficiently than if I were using traditional lighting.
3alco261
The article and the title of this thread are, for want of a better term, misleading. The promise of LED lighting, in addition to drastically reducing the issues of dealing with disposal of florescent bulb waste products was that, for the same amount of light currently provided, the costs would go down. It did. No backfire. If something backfires it means that the effect of that something was the opposite of what was intended and this isn't the case - the cost for the same amount of lighting did go down. If the cost for the same amount of lighting had gone up then, yes, the effort would have backfired.
What the article states is that because it is now cheaper to have the same amount of lighting for less various and sundry countries have decided to maintain the amount of money they spend on lighting which means they will get more lighting for the same cost. The article is playing the old game of shifting baseline/reference and that is incorrect.
As for the other issues the author decided to tack on, it is indeed possible to address these and there are places where it is done - the Big Island of Hawaii is a good example - but all of the things needed to deal with these issues, light hoods, passive lighting systems such as Bots Dots for highway use, etc. cost money not only for installation but for upkeep and the more extreme the weather conditions where such things are used the more it is going to cost. In the current environment, at least in the U.S., the chances that anyone in a position in government will do something about those issues are nil.
What the article states is that because it is now cheaper to have the same amount of lighting for less various and sundry countries have decided to maintain the amount of money they spend on lighting which means they will get more lighting for the same cost. The article is playing the old game of shifting baseline/reference and that is incorrect.
As for the other issues the author decided to tack on, it is indeed possible to address these and there are places where it is done - the Big Island of Hawaii is a good example - but all of the things needed to deal with these issues, light hoods, passive lighting systems such as Bots Dots for highway use, etc. cost money not only for installation but for upkeep and the more extreme the weather conditions where such things are used the more it is going to cost. In the current environment, at least in the U.S., the chances that anyone in a position in government will do something about those issues are nil.
4davidgn
It seems the book to read in this vein (should anyone be so inclined) is Hallett's The Efficiency Trap.
Hallett's book, while thought-provoking (by most accounts I've seen), clearly has major problems as well:
https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:erGKAc5URFgJ:https://www.t...
Hallett's book, while thought-provoking (by most accounts I've seen), clearly has major problems as well:
https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:erGKAc5URFgJ:https://www.t...
52wonderY
For a compilation of the science, I recommend the Ecological Consequences of Artificial Night Lighting.
Also, Artificial Light in the Environment
Also, Artificial Light in the Environment
6alco261
>5 2wonderY: I see that you are listed as owning a copy. It looks interesting. What did you think of the book?
72wonderY
The Rich/Longcore book is very important. Though it's is over a decade old, it brings together ecological and health data that everyone should be aware of.
Oh, and I thought I remembered downloading the second title from the web. Here is the link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/228832...
Oh, and I thought I remembered downloading the second title from the web. Here is the link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/228832...
8barney67
More from Wikipedia:
Research suggests that since the shift to LED street lighting attracts 48% more flying insects than HPS lamps, which could cause direct ecological impacts as well as indirect impacts such as attracting more gypsy moths to port areas that have ships that could give the pests a transoceanic pathway. These moths cause forest defoliation that impacts birds and causes economic losses.
LED lamps may flicker. The effect can be seen on a slow motion video of such a lamp. The extent of flicker is based on the quality of the DC power supply built into the lamp structure, usually located in the lamp base. Longer exposures to flickering light contribute to headaches and eye strain.
The human circadian rhythm can be affected by light sources. The effective color temperature of daylight is ~5,700 (bluish white) while tungsten lamps are ~2,700K (yellow) People who have circadian rhythm sleep disorders are sometimes treated with light therapy (exposure to intense blueish white light during the day) and dark therapy (wearing amber-tinted goggles at night to reduce blueish light).
Some organizations recommend that people should not use bluish white lamps at night. The American Medical Association argues against using bluish white LEDs for municipal street lighting.
Many will not work with existing dimmer switches designed for higher power incandescent lamps.
Color rendering is not identical to incandescent lamps which emit close to perfect black-body radiation as that from the sun and for what eyes have evolved. A measurement unit called CRI is used to express how the light source's ability to render the eight color sample chips compare to a reference on a scale from 0 to 100.70 LEDs with CRI below 75 are not recommended for use in indoor lighting.
LED efficiency and life span drop at higher temperatures, which limits the power that can be used in lamps that physically replace existing filament and compact fluorescent types.
LED lamps are sensitive to excessive heat, like most solid state electronic components. LED lamps should be checked for compatibility for use in totally or partially enclosed fixtures before installation as heat build-up could cause lamp failure and/or fire.
Research suggests that since the shift to LED street lighting attracts 48% more flying insects than HPS lamps, which could cause direct ecological impacts as well as indirect impacts such as attracting more gypsy moths to port areas that have ships that could give the pests a transoceanic pathway. These moths cause forest defoliation that impacts birds and causes economic losses.
LED lamps may flicker. The effect can be seen on a slow motion video of such a lamp. The extent of flicker is based on the quality of the DC power supply built into the lamp structure, usually located in the lamp base. Longer exposures to flickering light contribute to headaches and eye strain.
The human circadian rhythm can be affected by light sources. The effective color temperature of daylight is ~5,700 (bluish white) while tungsten lamps are ~2,700K (yellow) People who have circadian rhythm sleep disorders are sometimes treated with light therapy (exposure to intense blueish white light during the day) and dark therapy (wearing amber-tinted goggles at night to reduce blueish light).
Some organizations recommend that people should not use bluish white lamps at night. The American Medical Association argues against using bluish white LEDs for municipal street lighting.
Many will not work with existing dimmer switches designed for higher power incandescent lamps.
Color rendering is not identical to incandescent lamps which emit close to perfect black-body radiation as that from the sun and for what eyes have evolved. A measurement unit called CRI is used to express how the light source's ability to render the eight color sample chips compare to a reference on a scale from 0 to 100.70 LEDs with CRI below 75 are not recommended for use in indoor lighting.
LED efficiency and life span drop at higher temperatures, which limits the power that can be used in lamps that physically replace existing filament and compact fluorescent types.
LED lamps are sensitive to excessive heat, like most solid state electronic components. LED lamps should be checked for compatibility for use in totally or partially enclosed fixtures before installation as heat build-up could cause lamp failure and/or fire.
9alco261
>8 barney67: Ok, interesting. Now, how about providing us with the rest of the research - specifically the pros and cons of earlier forms of lighting? It would be interesting to have a side-by-side comparison of the issues with respect to incandescent, florescent and LED lighting since it is obvious that all three share some of the drawbacks listed in your post (e.g florescent's don't work with dimmer switches and are not to be used with timers, all three have warnings concerning lamp failure/fire due to heat build up in enclosed spaces, all three flicker, etc.) and, I'm sure, all three have their shared as well as unique points of superiority.
10barney67
I don't have a problem with LEDs. I have them all over my house. But I never thought they were the second coming.
11John5918
>10 barney67: I never thought they were the second coming
Did anybody? Just another routine advance in technology for people to use or misuse.
Did anybody? Just another routine advance in technology for people to use or misuse.
