Is Street Lighting Damaging our Health?

Description

LEDs are efficient at lighting our roads yet people complain of discomfort. As LED technology improves, can we keep all the benefits that come from using LEDs and increase visual comfort? This CPD article supports the need for a new glare model for assessing discomfort glare caused by LED luminaires and to improve the understanding, calculation, and criteria for the evaluation of discomfort glare. A shift can be accelerated if we review and update the calculations that are used to determine street lighting standards, such as the volume of acceptable glare. Originally developed back in the 1970s, before LEDs were commonplace, the current calculations do not justify the specification of the best quality lighting option - and we’d argue, they do not ensure the safest or healthiest option either. We are calling for a change to the method of calculation to consider the opportunities of using the very latest LED and optical technology. This will ensure more human and nature-centric street lighting is specified across the world.