Friday, July 3, 2009

Finding the Perfect Dark Sky Fixtures For Your Home

By Cindy Sherman

Dark Sky Compliant light fixtures send light where it needs to be and minimize secondary illumination. As we've shown, choosing fixtures that work for you by saving electricity and reducing extraneous glare and light pollution will help you to decreased your energy bills, make are night skies a little darker, while protecting wildlife from unnecessary light clutter and pollution.

If you have seen how important Dark Sky light fixtures are to your home then you are probably ready to start retrofitting your space with these eco-friendly, energy saving light fixtures. We would be happy to help and are available to answer any questions your make have.

The most reliable way to know you are using genuine Dark Sky compliant light fixtures is to look for the stamp of approval from the International Dark Sky Association or IDA on any products you are looking at. There are many products available that bear this stamp. If you are unable to find this product line, there are some features you should look for in order to find night-friendly fixtures for your home. Some features to look for are:

1. Most fixtures are made with solid, opaque top- and side-covers which ensure light is not sent skyward or sideways.

2. Some of the authentic Dark Sky fixtures use a reflector to direct the light downward. The reflector in normally found in the inner top part of the casing.

3. Flat- rather than rounded-lenses at the fixture's base help to reduce glare and light spillage.

If you've already purchased outdoor lighting and don't relish the thought of replacing every fixture on your home's exterior, you may want to consider retrofitting with light shields. These cylindrical enclosures cover the top and sides of your fixture to cut up-lighting. They come in a variety of shapes and colors, and can usually be matched nicely to your existing fixtures to provide a seamless look to your home's exterior.

By installing Dark Sky fixtures you will be able to enjoy lower electric bill. Anytime you save energy you will lower your utility bills. It is estimated that $1.5 billion worth of light is wasted across the nation each year. This extreme waste is a result of the enormous amount of light that is directed upward. That is nothing but a waste.

The city of San Diego decided to do something about this waste of light. They hired a fir to retrofit the city's outdoor light fixtures to full cut-off lighting. While it did take them three years to make the money back on their investment, they are now saving more that $3 million dollars each year for the cost of energy.

Obviously the typical homeowner spends nowhere near what city governments spend on utility bills. Even though your bills are not in the millions, you can still save money. Remember, any time that you use less energy, you will spend less money. Using unnecessary light will slowly drain money from your wallet. By installing full cut-off, specifically-focused light fixtures you will need fewer lights, smaller bulbs and less money to pay your

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