So Brisbane City Council's switching to LED street lights...

[kittenshark (Cheryl-Ann Tan)]

Seems they're in the middle of trialling them now and have already decided that LEDs are all so wonderful and they're gonna switch.

I guess I'll stop importing light pollution filters now.

Not sure if writing in will help them change their minds. LEDs are much cheaper to run. I use them myself (indoors!).

Don't know if they even will use reflectors or filters or shrouds with the new lights...

Time for us astro peeps to write in and voice their concerns?

I'm all for saving energy but light pollution from full spectrum light also affects wildlife and residents' sleep patterns. Not good.

https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/envi...t-lights-trial

LED Street Lights Trial
The LED Street Lights Trial is a joint initiative of Brisbane City Council and Energex, and will help determine which types of LED are most suitable for street lighting. Moving to LED street lights will help make our city more energy efficient by reducing street light energy consumption by up to 60 percent.

The trial will go for up to two years and test 10 different types of LEDs across 17 streets. LEDs installed throughout the trial will be monitored by Council employees and Energex representatives on a quarterly basis and residents will be asked to provide feedback at different stages of the trial to help with the LED evaluations.

Streets in the trial
The following streets are a part of the LED Street Lights Trial:

Brisbane Street, St Lucia
Cricket Street, Petrie Terrace
Drake Street, West End
Dutton Street, Hawthorne
Emma Street, Holland Park West
Galleon Street, Jamboree Heights
Gaynor Road, Banyo
Hipwood Street, Norman Park
Howard Street, Brisbane City
Lilley Road, Bardon
Macrossan Street, Brisbane City
Malbon Street, Eight Mile Plains
Playford Street, Bracken Ridge
Third Avenue, Sandgate
Union Street, Clayfield
Weekes Road, Carindale
Weenga Street, Geebung.
Timings
The trial will go for up to two years, starting in September 2016.

Trial benefits
The trial will help determine which types of LED lights are most suitable for street lighting. Moving to LED lights will help to make our streets more energy efficient by reducing street light energy consumption and improve night time visibility for pedestrians and local residents.

More information
For more information on the LED Street Lights Trial:

phone Council on 07 3403 8888
email the project team: LEDStreetLights@brisbane.qld.gov.au
write to:
Asset Management Branch
Brisbane City Council
GPO Box 1434
Brisbane Qld 4001

[rrussell1962]

Bet the rates won't go down in line with BCC's reduced power bill.

[peter_4059 (Peter)]

Perhaps they can install red LEDs

[glend (Glen)]

Astronomers of Brisbane should start organising now to get the outcome you want. There are some LED light which are not too bad, others are like Airbus landing lights. The light fitting is also important, you want them to use the flat downward facing type with low wattage in all residential streets. I have one older style LED bucket type light up the top of my road and it shines over the top of many houses into the bush beyond. Get familiar with all the research on what broad spectrum LEDs do to nocturnal animals and bird breeding. There was a good article invthe IEEE journal recently on LED pollution. If you just sit there and let the Council decide you will get the lowest cost solution for the council, not the best outcome for anyone else. Find out who in the Council is managing this trial and make sure to talk to that person about astro concerns and provide info like the Coonabarabran light pollution policy document that has been endorsed by NSW Planning. Dark skies are an important resource.

[OzEclipse (Joe Cali)]

I'd ask for red LED's

[glend (Glen)]

Originally Posted by OzEclipse

I'd ask for red LED's

Have you seen the lights along the busway? Orange seems to be their favourite colour.

[peter_4059 (Peter)]

Red would be ok
Unless they are really bright
Orange wouldn't be as good
Kind of like sodium vapour loghts.

[StuTodd]

Have a look at http://www.flagstaffdarkskies.org/le...ng-dark-skies/

There are many cities looking at the 3 and 4000K white LEDs as they promise longevity and efficiency. However, they are harmful to us, wildlife and to astronomy as you know.

[skysurfer]

Originally Posted by StuTodd

Have a look at http://www.flagstaffdarkskies.org/le...ng-dark-skies/

There are many cities looking at the 3 and 4000K white LEDs as they promise longevity and efficiency. However, they are harmful to us, wildlife and to astronomy as you know.

LEDs of 4000K contain too much blue light and are more scattered than 3000K LEDs. But here in the EU (Netherlands) newer LEDpoles on the streets contain 3000K warm white leds rather than the harsh 4000K.
And most ledpoles are better shielded than their sodium or fluorescent (which is also broadband) counterparts: less glare upwards.

And leds are not completely broadband: attached the frequency / color curve of a led compared to sunlight (or moonlight which is reflected sunlight).

Leds have far less light output around 500nm which is close to OIII and Hbeta and Halpha output of leds is rather low as well, compared to really full spectrum sun or incandescent/halogen. Not as low as sodium lamps, but filtering does work, although not as good.

So moonlight still remains a far worse light polluter than ledpoles.

But that will not say that over lighting is good. Any light source, sodium, led or metal halide is not good for wildlife when there is too much.

[julianh72 (Julian)]

I've written to the project team LEDStreetLights@brisbane.qld.gov.au to register my thoughts, and I'd encourage everyone else to do likewise. I'll post back here if / when I get a response.

Following is the text of my email - feel free to adapt this to make your own thoughts known.

I note that Brisbane City Council is implementing a trial of LED Street Lights:
https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/envi...t-lights-trial

I applaud this initiative for its obvious energy-saving and reduced maintenance advantages (compared to conventional street lights).

Can you please confirm that the trial is focusing on light fittings which minimise the adverse "collateral" impacts of public area lighting, such as overspill onto neighbouring properties, and general impacts on residents, wildlife, and astronomers.

Specifically:

"Bright White" (4000K) LEDs produce an excess of Blue light (compared to natural white light sources), and the adverse impacts of Blue light on sleep patterns are well documented. There is much evidence which indicates that "Warm White" (3000K) LEDs (which have much less Blue content than Bright White LEDs) can have greatly reduced impacts on the sleep patterns of affected residents, nocturnal wildlife, etc. In sensitive areas (such as marine precincts), it may be necessary to select lights which are specifically chosen for colour, such as the "turtle friendly" lighting which is required in turtle breeding grounds on the Queensland coast.

Secondly, and just as importantly, the choice of appropriate LED luminaires provides the opportunity to ensure that the light is directed precisely where it is intended, with minimal overspill onto neighbouring properties, green space, or upwards into the night sky. Modern luminaires have the capability to be selected for very specifically targeted light patterns, and this should be a key consideration when selecting luminaires for particular situations, such as side streets versus main roads, walkways through parklands, etc.

Can you please confirm that factors such as these are key assessment criteria in the trial. I would be very disappointed to learn that the trial is focusing solely on the capital, operational and maintenance costs, with scant regard for the potential impacts on residents and wildlife.

[brian nordstrom (As avatar)]

Good onya Julian .
Brian.

Originally Posted by julianh72

I've written to the project team LEDStreetLights@brisbane.qld.gov.au to register my thoughts, and I'd encourage everyone else to do likewise. I'll post back here if / when I get a response.

Following is the text of my email - feel free to adapt this to make your own thoughts known.

I note that Brisbane City Council is implementing a trial of LED Street Lights:
https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/envi...t-lights-trial

I applaud this initiative for its obvious energy-saving and reduced maintenance advantages (compared to conventional street lights).

Can you please confirm that the trial is focusing on light fittings which minimise the adverse "collateral" impacts of public area lighting, such as overspill onto neighbouring properties, and general impacts on residents, wildlife, and astronomers.

Specifically:

"Bright White" (4000K) LEDs produce an excess of Blue light (compared to natural white light sources), and the adverse impacts of Blue light on sleep patterns are well documented. There is much evidence which indicates that "Warm White" (3000K) LEDs (which have much less Blue content than Bright White LEDs) can have greatly reduced impacts on the sleep patterns of affected residents, nocturnal wildlife, etc. In sensitive areas (such as marine precincts), it may be necessary to select lights which are specifically chosen for colour, such as the "turtle friendly" lighting which is required in turtle breeding grounds on the Queensland coast.

Secondly, and just as importantly, the choice of appropriate LED luminaires provides the opportunity to ensure that the light is directed precisely where it is intended, with minimal overspill onto neighbouring properties, green space, or upwards into the night sky. Modern luminaires have the capability to be selected for very specifically targeted light patterns, and this should be a key consideration when selecting luminaires for particular situations, such as side streets versus main roads, walkways through parklands, etc.

Can you please confirm that factors such as these are key assessment criteria in the trial. I would be very disappointed to learn that the trial is focusing solely on the capital, operational and maintenance costs, with scant regard for the potential impacts on residents and wildlife.

[glend (Glen)]

Good work Julian. In my own local fight against a nearby development i encountered the Australisn Standard for Outdoor Illumination. AS 4282-1997. It is badly out of date (like 20 years ) and does not mention LEDs at all. But it is all there is and it gets cited in every DA where lighting is used. My local government area just fell back on that Standard and showed no interest with more recent findings on LP impacts. I wish you good luck in the fight.

[gary]

See also -
http://spectrum.ieee.org/green-tech/...oods-the-blues

[GSO]

As a Brisbane resident this is not good news - will send off an email now, thanks Julian.