Light pollution—or an excessive amount of artificial light in the environment—can cause a variety of issues. For humans, it obscures the view of stars in a night sky, disrupts sleep, and makes it difficult for motorists to drive. For other animals, it can alter their natural instincts, like cause migratory birds to veer off course.
In residential areas, tennis court lighting can present a problem when the light is distributed over unwanted areas, such as a neighbor’s property. Most consumers purchase LED tennis court lighting for reduced energy use and low maintenance. Another emerging opportunity to use LED lighting is for the reduction in light pollution or light trespass.
Light trespass is more prevalent with HID lamps than with LED, due to the drop off in LED lighting. At a certain distance from a fixture, LED lighting drops almost abruptly. On the other hand, light emitted from HID sources gradually decreases. Photometric analysis demonstrates that approximately 75% less light is distributed 25 feet outside of the tennis court using LED rather than HID. This enables LEDs to effectively light a desired area without illuminating unwanted areas, like a neighbor’s yard.
To further remedy the situation, Access Fixtures suggests the following options:
1) Instead of tilting the fixtures, keep them at a 90 degree angle facing directly down.
2) Avoid using sports lighters, which are designed to cast light over vast distances.
3) If possible, use lenses to reduce glare. Fixtures are able to capture light inside of a lens and reduce sheen.
The percentage of LED light that reaches outside of the court is minimal compared to metal halide lighting.
In residential areas, light trespass from metal halide fixtures can possibly cause an issue.
To learn more about tennis court lighting and light trespass, contact an Access Fixtures lighting specialist.