Best Practices
Illuminating a night-time landscape effectively and efficiently is an art and a science. The first line of defense for New Mexico's night sky and
night-time environment is an informed community of architects and engineers. These professionals influence the number and selection of lighting fixtures
for both new installations and renovations/retrofits on commercial and public projects, and in some cases large residential developments.
Many lighting engineers are members of the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA), a professional
organization dedicated to improving the lighted environment. The IESNA makes its design guides available for purchase by non-members.
We recommend architects, engineers, contractors, developers, and decision makers for commercial and public facilities take advantage of
these valuable resources. A selection of useful IESNA design guides and other design resources appears below.
In addition, we recommend the following general design guidelines:
Design Criteria for Good Outdoor Lighting
♦ Comply with applicable codes and outdoor lighting ordinances
♦ Design in accordance with IESNA recommendations
♦ Follow DarkSky International information and guidelines
♦ Determine if it is really necessary for an area to be lit and then apply these four elementary concepts:
1. Shield it
2. Point it down
3. Don't use more than you need
4. Turn it off when you are done and not there
Industry Design Guides from IESNA
Lighting for People in Outdoor Environments
Environmental Considerations for Outdoor Lighting
Lighting Roadway and Parking Facilities
Lighting Sports and Recreational Areas
Lighting and the Visual Environment for Seniors
Luminaire Classification System for
Outdoor Luminaires
Landscape Lighting
The Lighting Library
FAA Advisory Circular
Obstruction Marking and Lighting
To promote aviation safety
Recommended Lighting Practices-Permian Basin Petroleum Assn/Texas Oil and Gas Assn/McDonald Observatory
Drilling Rigs and
Other Oilfield Structures
LEED Credits for Exterior Lighting from U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)
Light pollution reduction
Bird collision deterrence
back to top
Next Section: New Mexico Lighting Laws
|
