You are here: 12.0 Pollution > Pol 04 Reduction of night time light pollution

Pol 04 Reduction of night time light pollution

Number of credits available	Minimum standards
1	No

Aim

To ensure that external lighting is concentrated in the appropriate areas and that upward lighting is minimised, reducing unnecessary light pollution, energy consumption and nuisance to neighbouring properties.

Assessment criteria

The following is required to demonstrate compliance:

One credit

Where external lighting pollution has been eliminated through effective design that removes the need for external lighting without adversely affecting the safety and security of the site and its users.

OR alternatively, where the building does have external lighting, one credit can be awarded as follows:

The external lighting strategy has been designed in compliance with Table 2 (and its accompanying notes) of the ILP Guidance notes for the reduction of obtrusive light, 20111GN01 Guidance notes for the reduction of obtrusive light, Institution of Lighting Professionals(ILP), 2011. www.theilp.org.uk.
Buildings located in Scotland must comply with the light pollution criteria in the guidance note ‘Controlling Light Pollution and Reducing Lighting Energy Consumption2Guidance Note Controlling Light Pollution and Reducing Lighting Energy Consumption, Scottish Executive, 2007.’.
This can be demonstrated via completion of the checklists in Annexes B and C of the guidance note by a relevant member of the design team.
All external lighting (except for safety and security lighting) can be automatically switched off between 23:00 and 07:00.
If safety or security lighting is provided and will be used between 23:00 and 07:00, this part of the lighting system complies with the lower levels of lighting recommended during these hours in Table 2 of the ILP’s Guidance notes.
Illuminated advertisements, where specified, must be designed in compliance with ILP PLG 05 The Brightness of Illuminated Advertisements . 3Professional Lighting Guide 05 The Brightness of Illuminated Advertisements. 2015. https://www.theilp.org.uk/resources/ilp-technical-reports/plg05-the-brightness-of-illuminated-advertisements/.

Checklists and tables

None.

Compliance notes

Ref	Terms	Description
Shell and core
CN1	Applicable assessment criteria	Both options: All criteria relevant to the building type and function apply. Refer to Appendix D – BREEAM UK New Construction and Shell and Core Project Assessments for a more detailed description of the above shell and core assessment options.
Simple buildings
CN2	Applicable assessment criteria	All criteria relevant to the building type and function apply.
General
CN3	General	None.

Methodology

The following provides guidance on when and how to apply the criteria to the external lighting associated with a building being assessed:

Where the assessment is of an individual building on an existing site then only those areas affected by the works, i.e. within the construction zone, need to be assessed. Where the assessment is of a building that forms part of an entire new development, the criteria apply site-wide.
If the scope of the assessment covers a new extension only, then only new lighting specified as part of the extended works need to be assessed.
Flush stud lights used for safety purposes in vehicle manoeuvring areas may be excluded from the assessment.
Where light fittings are specified to comply with specific security standards and these conflict with the BREEAM criteria, they can be excluded from the assessment of this issue. In these circumstances the assessor must obtain evidence confirming the specific security standards and that they are applicable to the assessed development.

Evidence

Criteria	Interim design stage	Final post construction stage
All	One or more of the appropriate evidence types listed in The BREEAM evidential requirements section can be used to demonstrate compliance with these criteria.

Additional information

Relevant definitions

Construction zone: For the purpose of this issue the construction zone is defined as the site which is being developed for the BREEAM-assessed building and its external site areas, i.e. the scope of the new works.

Other information

The ILP Guidance notes for the Reduction of Obtrusive Light, 2011 are available free of charge from the ILP website www.theilp.org.uk.

Table 2 of the ILP guidance and its accompanying notes outlines four sets of recommendations:

Limits to the average upward light ratio of the luminaires, to restrict sky glow.
Limiting illuminance at the windows of nearby properties for which light trespass might be an issue.
Limiting the intensity of each light source in potentially obtrusive directions beyond the site boundaries.
Limiting the average luminance of the building, if it is floodlit.

In each case the limiting values depend on the location of the site of the building (for example rural, urban or city centre). A calculation of illuminance (b) or intensity (c) is not required if all luminaires are cut-off types and angled so that light in potentially obtrusive directions is blocked.