What would our lives be without light? We need light to find our way around, it gives us a feeling of security. Light regulates our day-night rhythm, it allows us to turn night into day. Light is aesthetic, inseparably linked in our minds with the modern city. It influences our mood, relaxes us or wakes us up. Light is an all-round genius. Without light there would be no life.

But light can also be harmful, especially at the wrong time of day. For animals and plants, artificial light at night can even have fatal consequences and change entire ecosystems. Worldwide, evidence of the negative effects of artificial light at night on our health is growing. Our bodies need natural darkness to stay healthy. In public spaces, incorrect lighting can endanger our safety if it impairs our vision. And we must not forget the energy consumption of artificial lighting. Yes, light sources are becoming increasingly energy-efficient, but as a consequence we use more artificial light and so the total amount of energy needed for illumination still increases.

At the moment, we experience a fundamental shift in our lighting to LEDs. The small diodes are energy efficient and offer fantastic opportunities for lighting designers. As a result, we are experiencing a rebound effect: instead of producing the same amount of light with less energy, we allow ourselves more and more light, regardless of whether we really need it or whether it is harmful. As a result, our world is becoming brighter and brighter and we are increasing an environmental problem that has received little attention until now – light pollution.

One thing is becoming increasingly clear: There is no such thing as environmentally friendly light. All light, even light levels that are perceived as low by human standards, have an impact on the environment. Light does not stay where it is produced. Light emissions from cities are visible hundreds of kilometers away. Modern light planning must therefore take more into account than just energy efficiency.

Many people who plan, design, or commission lighting are faced with a vast quantities of information and marketing promises. Insects have different lighting requirements than trees and what at first glance appears to be beneficial for bats does more harm than good on closer inspection. While some people are happy about any lighting because they feel safer, others long for more darkness and even become ill from too much light.

Lighting companies advertise light that they label insect-friendly, dark sky compliant, or energy efficient. But which statements are true, which are marketing promises, where do compromises have to be made? There is no such thing as the perfect all-round lighting concept that suits every situation. Lighting planners provide qualified advice on the technical properties of light sources and lamps. Lighting designers are experts in illuminating rooms and buildings. But none of these professional groups can provide qualified advice on the ecological and medical properties of artificial light.

Why „Sustainable Lighting“?

Sustainable lighting means more than energy efficiency. It involves using light in a targeted and economical way, i.e. with the right intensity and quality, in the right place and at the right time. And turning off the light when it is not needed. The trick is to create the right mix of light and dark. There are enough technical options for this today.

Sustainable Lighting provides information about the impact of artificial lighting on health, nature and society in the form of lectures, articles, information materials and training courses. The lectures are suitable for interested citizens, but also as training for landscape/urban planners, lighting designers and medical staff. The content can be adapted. If you are interested, please contact me at info@nachhaltig-beleuchten.de.

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