When it comes to choosing outdoor lighting fixtures for your home or business, your first priorities are naturally safety and appearance. Especially in the case of outdoor commercial lighting fixtures, you want to be sure that your clients and employees have access to well-lit outdoor spaces to prevent accidents and injuries. And with everything from antique lamp posts to rustic outdoor lighting fixtures, this safety feature can also serve as the perfect complement to the overall look of your building. However, depending on where you are located, you may have to consider area regulations as well: Albany, New York recently became the latest city to set shielding requirements for outdoor lighting fixtures.

There are a number of reasons to regulate outdoor commercial lighting fixtures: too much light causes light pollution, which blocks the view of the night sky, makes it difficult for residents to maintain their privacy, and can even interfere with the normal behavior of humans, plants and animals. Moreover, flooding streets with light is often unnecessary: the International Dark Skies Association estimates that as much as $4 billion may be wasted in the United States every year, as the light illuminates the sky rather than the streets. Because of this, numerous conservation groups recommend not only curbing the amount of lighting in a given area, but also suggest that street light posts and outdoor commercial lighting fixtures be carefully chosen.

The bill was written by several industry and advocacy groups, in conjunction with New York State Assembly and Senate members. It was signed into law by Governor Andrew Cuomo in late December. For the moment, the law only affects the outdoor lighting fixtures installed by state agencies. However, even if the new law is never expanded to include businesses and residences, the question of how much light you may be wasting is a serious question. Are your outdoor commercial lighting fixtures providing safety and beauty, or merely illuminating the sky? Choose your new lighting fixtures accordingly. See this link for more references.