Development of an Indicator System for Local Governments to Plan and Evaluate Sustainable Outdoor Lighting

Assessing the electricity energy efficiency of university campus exterior lighting system and proposing energy-saving strategies for carbon emission reduction

This paper presents efficiencies research and energy-saving strategies for carbon emission reduction of the exterior lighting system of Avşar Campus of Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam University, Turkey. Once the campus's average energy consumption for the previous five years was calculated, it was found to be 18,802 Megawatt hour/year (MWh/year), with 6,203 carbon dioxide (CO₂) tons/year emissions. Also, the annual electrical energy consumption for exterior lighting was calculated as 670,395 MWh/year, with annual emissions of 221,170 CO₂ tons/year. Inefficient lamp choices in exterior lighting systems and longer than necessary operating times have been identified as the causes of these high values. That's because High-Pressure Sodium (HPS) lamps with an installed power of 109,050 Kilowatt (kW), which have a low efficiency but a high energy consumption, provide for 70% of exterior lighting. Thus, seven unique energy-saving strategies have been designed with the aim of decreasing total energy consumption and achieving more cost savings as well as less harmful emissions released into the atmosphere. All of the strategies were designed under the following three headings: dimming method, optimization of lamps' operation times, and retrofitting lamps with new and technological ones. The study's novelty lies in the creation of seven unique energy-saving strategies for the first time in light of the three headings highlighted, as well as their adjustment to a sophisticated campus with such high energy consumption. Once all of the proposed strategies are compared to the current system, it has been discovered that strategy-7 saves 81.656% energy consumption (547,418 MWh/year), 180,599 CO₂ tons/year saving, and € 49,268 (€/year) cost-saving. Such a low energy consumption is vital for a rapidly growing and expanding campus in terms of carbon emissions, cost savings, and environmental quality.

Rethinking Sustainable Cities at Night: Paradigm Shifts in Urban Design and City Lighting

Since the establishment of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015, various perspectives on sustainable cities have been developed and adopted in order to achieve a better and more sustainable future. However, background research has revealed that these goals and targets are limited because they do not take into account the growing body of lighting-related research in diverse fields on the impact of outdoor illumination on humans, flora and fauna. Recently, exterior lighting has been also linked to environmental degradation and as an indirect contributor to the current climate change emergency. Therefore, this study aims, by using online interviews with over 50 experts who work in the field of artificial light at night (ALAN), to assess whether the SDG objectives adequately reflect the latest knowledge about sustainable cities. The Elsevier 2021 SDG mapping matrix was used to find the correlation between the keywords that define each SDG and the keywords used by a group of international experts. This work suggests there are missing targets in current SDGs, especially SDG 11, connected to sustainable cities and communities. It also offers useful guidance on how to rethink the existing approach of cities that aim for sustainability, by applying eight (8) key aspects of urban lighting for healthier and environmentally responsible outdoor illumination, by means of a correct design process, along with a five-step strategic plan of action. The crucial role of multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary collaboration with experts has also been outlined, via the inclusion of new actors such as lighting professionals and researchers, who are currently absent in this important discourse.

An Impact Analysis of Artificial Light at Night (ALAN) on Bats. A Case Study of the Historic Monument and Natura 2000 Wisłoujście Fortress in Gdansk, Poland

The artificial light at night (ALAN) present in many cities and towns has a negative impact on numerous organisms that live alongside humans, including bats. Therefore, we investigated if the artificial illumination of the historic Wisłoujście Fortress in Gdańsk, Poland (part of the Natura 2000 network), during nighttime events, which included an outdoor electronic dance music (EDM) festival, might be responsible for increased light pollution and the decline in recent years of the pond bat (Myotis dasycneme). An assessment of light pollution levels was made using the methods of geographical information system (GIS) and free-of-charge satellite remote sensing (SRS) technology. Moreover, this paper reviewed the most important approaches for environmental protection of bats in the context of ecological light pollution, including International, European, and Polish regulatory frameworks. The analysis of this interdisciplinary study confirmed the complexity of the problem and highlighted, too, the need for better control of artificial illumination in such sensitive areas. It also revealed that SRS was not the best light pollution assessment method for this particular case study due to several reasons listed in this paper. As a result, the authors' proposal for improvements also involved practical recommendations for devising suitable strategies for lighting research and practice in the Natura 2000 Wisłoujście Fortress site located adjacent to urban areas to reduce the potential negative impact of ALAN on bats and their natural habitats.

Ecological Impact of Artificial Light at Night: Effective Strategies and Measures to Deal with Protected Species and Habitats

When conserving or protecting rare or endangered species, current general guidelines for reducing light pollution might not suffice to ensure long-term threatened species’ survival. Many protected areas are exposed to artificial light at levels with the potential to induce ecological impacts with unknown implications for the ecosystems they are designated to protect. Consequently, it is recommended that precautionary methods for the avoidance and mitigation of light pollution in protected areas be integrated into their management plans. This paper’s aims are to present an overview of best practices in precautionary methods to avoid and mitigate light pollution in protected areas and to identify and discuss what ecosystems should be considered light-sensitive and how to prioritise species and habitats that need protection from artificial light, including examples of legislation covering ecological light pollution in the European Union and in Sweden. The important aspects to include when considering light pollution at a landscape level are listed, and a proposal for prioritisation among species and habitats is suggested. Sensitive and conservation areas and important habitats for particularly vulnerable species could be prioritised for measures to minimise artificial lighting’s negative effects on biodiversity. This may be done by classifying protected natural environments into different zones and applying more constrained principles to limit lighting. The light pollution sensitivity of various environments and ecosystems suggests that different mitigation strategies and adaptations should be used depending on landscape characteristics, species sensitivity and other factors that may determine whether artificial light may be detrimental. Issues of the currently used measurement methods for artificial light at night are reviewed. We also propose and discuss the principles and benefits of using standardized measurement methods and appropriate instrumentation for field measurements of artificial light concerning the environmental impact of light pollution.