EVENTS

ADSA APPROVED – Certifying outdoor luminaires as night sky friendly

Words by: ASDA

What lighting should we use?

Increasingly, councils, developers, urban planners and the public are asking this question to the Australasian Dark Sky Alliance (ADSA). There is an ever-increasing awareness of the potential negative effects of artificial light at night, inspiring a global ‘Dark Sky’ movement to minimise light pollution and regulate light in unaffected areas. With the release of the Commonwealth Government Light Pollution Guidelines for Wildlife Including marine turtles, seabirds and migratory shorebirds, and the update to the Australian Standard for outdoor lighting (AS4282 2019) the question has become even more prescient.

WE-EF LIGHTING and ADSA, both dedicated to the education of best practice outdoor lighting , have joined forces to reduce the growing issue of light pollution. The result is the “ADSA Approved” program, developing Australia’s first database for lighting hardware suitable for use in Dark Sky friendly planning.

“WE-EF LIGHTING are proud to help found this benchmark project with Australasian Dark Sky Alliance. As a manufacturer of exterior luminaires that are not only night-sky friendly but environmentally sensitive, our joint commitment with ADSA creates a sound union for better outdoor lighting Australia-wide.” – Alyona Cerfontyne, Head of Marketing at WE-EF LIGHTING Australia / New Zealand.

Based on the International Dark-Sky Alliance (IDA) Fixture Seal of Approval program, the dedicated Australian three-tiered program will provide anyone looking to install new outdoor lighting options for more dark sky sensitive solutions. These include:

1. ADSA Approved. Luminaires delivering a minimum level of performance for use in a dark sky friendly lighting design
2. ADSA Prized. A higher level of luminaire management and performance providing greater control over light pollution as well as glare and other human factors.
3. Wildlife Sensitive. For areas where the sensitivities of local wildlife and ecosystems are a priority.

The certification program has been made possible by the strong relationship between WE-EF LIGHTING and ADSA, and we are proud to announce WE-EF as being the first company in Australia to have their luminaires certified. ADSA Approved is now open for applications by all manufacturers of high-quality outdoor lighting. Submissions will be assessed independently on criteria that reflect the Australian Standards and Guidelines and an ongoing commitment to light pollution reduction. Four rounds will take place each year: 15 January / 15 April / 15 July / 15 October

For more information or to submit your application please see: https://www.australasiandarkskyalliance.org/adsa-approved

Image by Ilya Parr taken near Wodonga, Victoria