Outside our homes, can we see better with brighter, white lighting?

 At our November 11, 2021 Houston Group meeting, we learned that is not true. Bright lights are not safer, we don’t see better, we sleep poorly near bright lights, and they are bad for migratory birds, too.

New bright white LED lights obscure objects behind the light, and blind us to anyone in the margins.

In this demo on a desk, can you see the figure behind the bright light?

How about behind the warm, downward-facing light?

The best outdoor lighting is shielded to point downward. It is warm light, rated 2700-3000K. The warm LED lights last a long time and use less electricity. Finding these lights may be challenging because we were taught that bright lighting is better, so that is what is in the stores now. As more of us install shielded, warm lights, we can create a demand for these better lights in our stores.

Good outdoor lighting can be beautiful, with a welcoming glow.

In our neighborhoods, and outside our homes, bright lights are not better. Compare the bright lights with dark areas in between them, to the warm lights that cover the entire street area, on the same light poles.

The Houston Police Department recommends soft, shielded lighting:

https://www.houstontx.gov/police/pdfs/brochures/english/Burglary_Prevention_for_Homes.pdf

Scroll down to Exterior and Landscape on the second page, for their recommendations.

For more examples, and more information about better lighting, around our homes, in our neighborhoods, and in our cities, visit the Softlight Houston web page:

https://www.softlighthouston.com/education

Photos courtesy of Softlight Houston.