Dark Sky Friendly Outdoor Lighting: Choosing Dark Sky Compliant Light Fixtures
Fully shielded shades, warm LEDs and only the lumens you need, with the photometric files to prove it at plan review.
What makes outdoor lighting dark sky friendly
Dark sky compliant light fixtures do three things: they are fully shielded, so no light leaves above the horizontal; they use warm light, usually 3000K or lower; and they deliver only the lumens the task needs, switched off or dimmed when no one is there. "Compliant" always means compliant with a specific local ordinance, and you prove it with photometric files, not with a label on the box.
Picture a desert rest stop an hour after sunset. The mountains have gone black, the first stars are out over the parking lot, and a row of green domes on their poles pools light on the walkway and nowhere else. You can see where you're walking and still see the Milky Way. That is the goal of every dark-sky code.
A classic RLM shade is well suited to this. A deep spun-aluminum dome hung level hides the LED and throws its light down. Bock builds these shades to order in Twinsburg, Ohio, in the sizes, arms and finishes a site plan calls for. None of our fixtures carries the DarkSky Approved seal, so below we explain what ordinances actually ask for, how to configure a Standard Dome or Emblem Sign to meet typical requirements, and what to send your plan reviewer.
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