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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2023) | Viewed by 33081

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Pramod Bhusal

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Guest Editor

1. Department of Electrical Engineering and Automation, Aalto University, P.O. Box 11000, Espoo, Finland
2. Department of Optometry, Radiography and Lighting Design, University of South-Eastern Norway, 235 3603 Kongsberg, Norway
Interests: efficient and sustainable lighting systems; visual and non-visual aspects of light
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Laurent Canale

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Guest Editor

CNRS Délégation Midi-Pyrénées, 31400 Toulouse, France
Interests: LED and OLED light sources; LED lighting; life cycle assessment; lighting design
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Outdoor lighting has become an integral part of the urban environment and plays a significant role not only in the visual performance of users but also in the safety and appearance of the environment after dark. However, artificial lighting is also a major consumer of electricity and a source of greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore, poorly designed outdoor lighting systems waste energy and resources and impact negatively on human health and on the natural environment. Outdoor lighting technologies have been rapidly changing in recent years. The growth of efficient LED luminaires allows the reduction of the required energy consumption as compared to luminaires with conventional light sources. Moreover, with LED technology, when combined with smart control using sensors and control algorithms, it is possible to generate the appropriate amount of light at the appropriate time at the site where the light is actually needed. This kind of adaptable lighting system saves energy and provides the required quality and quantity of light with minimized light pollution. This Special Issue welcomes theoretical and technical studies related to the smart, adaptable and sustainable outdoor lighting systems and solutions. Submitted manuscripts should address one or more of the following themes, although other relevant topics will also be considered:

Energy saving technologies in outdoor lighting;
Adaptive street/outdoor lighting;
Innovative lighting control systems;
Outdoor lighting and sustainability;
Life cycle analysis of outdoor lighting systems;
Management of efficient outdoor/street lighting;
Decision systems for optimized outdoor/street lighting;
Intelligent outdoor/street lighting networks in smart cities;
Outdoor lighting systems with minimized light pollution.

Dr. Pramod Bhusal
Dr. Laurent Canale
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

outdoor lighting
sustainable lighting
light pollution
smart street lighting
energy efficient lighting
adaptive lighting
integrative lighting

Published Papers (11 papers)

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Research

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19 pages, 7946 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Methods to Reduce Flicker and Light Pollution of Low-Mounting-Height Luminaires in Urban Road Lighting

by Shenfei Chen, Bing Zhang, Xianxian Zeng, Yi Lin and Haitian Zhao

Sustainability 2023, 15(10), 8185; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15108185 - 17 May 2023

Viewed by 1264

Abstract

Current low-mounting-height luminaires (LMHLs) have low effective luminous flux, high surface brightness, and many stray lights, resulting in high energy consumption and light interference, and the flicker effect may threaten driver safety. Currently, the flicker effect in LMHL lighting has been relatively poorly studied. However, in prior research, a Flicker Index (FI) quantification model was developed. In this study, we have modified the FI model to incorporate visual persistence, visual masking, and driving speed of the driver, and proposed a dynamic energy ratio model for quantifying flicker effects. The notion of effective luminous flux in road lighting was introduced, revealing that the reasons for high energy consumption, severe light pollution, and strong flicker effects in regular LMHLs were low effective luminous flux and high surface brightness. We recommend a low-mounting-height lighting technique that functions in both forward and reverse directions, which can significantly enhance the effective luminous flux of lighting fixtures, reducing stray light. The lighting fixtures created were tested on a road. The findings suggest that the energy consumption of both forward and reverse lighting fixtures is only 40% of the international standard requirements, resulting in 81% more energy savings than in existing LMHLs. The surface brightness of forward and reverse lighting fixtures is only 1.18 cd/m², which is equivalent to 0.001% of the surface brightness of existing lighting fixtures. This indicates that 99.89% less invalid light is projected into the environment, indirectly reducing light pollution. Additionally, the flicker index of these fixtures is only 2% of that of existing lighting fixtures, reducing the impact of the flicker effect on drivers. This study provides insights into quantifying and mitigating the flicker effect in LMHLs, as well as presenting novel approaches and strategies for enhancing the efficiency and reducing light pollution of streetlamps. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Outdoor Lighting)

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33 pages, 7972 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Status of Lighting Technology Application in Indonesia

by Umar Khayam, Arpan Zaeni, Kevin Marojahan Banjar-Nahor, Deny Hamdani, Ngapuli Irmea Sinisuka, Pascal Dupuis, Georges Zissis and Laurent Canale

Sustainability 2023, 15(7), 6283; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15076283 - 06 Apr 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2183

Abstract

In 2019, Indonesia’s electricity consumption exceeded 278 TWH, or about 1.08 MWh/capita. This value shows a considerable increase in electricity consumption which has doubled in just a decade. Previous studies have shown that the proportion of electricity consumption used for lighting needs is correlated to the country’s GDP. This is generally around 20 to 50% of electricity production but can go up to 86% in the case of Tanzania. Indonesia is the 4th country in the world in terms of population and its lighting market as well as its lighting-related energy consumption has a strong impact on several levels: societal, environmental but also economic and energy. Having a knowledge of the lamps used by the Indonesian people is therefore particularly interesting and important, in particular in the context which presents a great societal diversity but also in a context of energy saving. Indonesia is an archipelagic country made up of 5 large islands and over 17,000 small islands with widely varying levels of population density. This island geography leads Indonesia to face challenges in the distribution and production of electrical energy, which affects the use of lamps in various types of regions. The overview of this study was done by collecting data from various sources, especially BPS (Biro Pusat Statistik/Statistic Center Bureau of Indonesia), CLASP (an NGO for clean energy), the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources of Indonesia (ESDM), PLN (Indonesian Electrical Company), etc. The data obtained from these sources provides several descriptions of general lighting conditions in Indonesia viewed from several angles, such as growth of lamp market, use of lamp types, percentage of use of lamps with energy saving (ESL), etc. Considering that Indonesia has various regional characteristics, in this study, the survey of a total of 394 respondents was conducted on the use of lamps by creating regional categories based on electrical conditions, power consumption, and electricity per capita, among others. The categories of areas observed fall into 5 types based on their population and geography: large cities, small towns, rural/village areas, islands and remote areas. The results of compiling data from these various sources show that the types of lamps used by Indonesians follow the lighting trend in the world. The use of LED lamps has a utilization percentage of around 52%, much higher than other types of lamps such as CFL, fluorescent or incandescent. Based on the survey conducted, it is known that the widely used LED power is between 1 and 10 watts with a usage time of 8 to 12 h per day. In the next few years, it is estimated that the use of LEDs in Indonesia will increase as the government has prepared various regulations and policies related to energy saving, one of which relates to lighting. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Outdoor Lighting)

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14 pages, 4808 KiB

Open AccessArticle

On-Demand Tunnel Lighting System Utilizing Daylight: A Case Study

by Lingna Shi, Yun Tu, Xiaoyu Wang, Shiyong He, Pramod Bhusal, Zeyu Hou and Chaoyu Zhang

Sustainability 2023, 15(3), 2013; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15032013 - 20 Jan 2023

Viewed by 1548

Abstract

Owing to the special tubular structural characteristics of highway tunnels, drivers typically experience a significant change in visual luminance when entering tunnels, which seriously impacts driving safety. This paper proposes a lighting scheme based on optical fiber technology to introduce natural light into the tunnel portal section. First, an on-demand lighting scheme based on the use of daylight is designed by developing an optical fiber lighting system, lighting demand algorithm, and an on-demand lighting control scheme. Furthermore, the scheme is applied to a physical tunnel, and the safety and energy-saving potential of the scheme are analyzed based on the obtained data. The results indicate that the average luminance and luminance uniformity in the tunnel portal section appear to improve with the application of the proposed scheme; the luminance uniformity is particularly increased by 0.18. The correlative color temperature (CCT) of the environment inside the cave changes in real time with the CCT value of the phase pair outside the cave. Compared with the explicit use of electrical lighting, the lighting energy consumption during daytime can be reduced by 34.7% with the application of the proposed scheme, and the highest reduction of 79.8% can be achieved at 13:00. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Outdoor Lighting)

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14 pages, 6982 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Exploring the Applicability of the Unified Glare Rating for an Outdoor Non-Uniform Residential Luminaire

by Rik Marco Spieringhs, Thanh Hang Phung, Jan Audenaert and Peter Hanselaer

Sustainability 2022, 14(20), 13199; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142013199 - 14 Oct 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1791

Abstract

The Unified Glare Rating (UGR) and the modified version (UGR’) have been developed and widely accepted in multiple standards for measuring the discomfort glare of a luminaire in typical indoor environments; however, a standardized glare metric for non-uniform outdoor luminaires is still missing. In this paper, the possibility to apply UGR and UGR’ to an outdoor residential luminaire with a non-uniform spatial luminance distribution is explored. The luminaire was characterized in a large near-field goniophotometer (NFG) and luminance images were captured at four angles specified in the CIE 232:2019 document. Some practical issues of applying the UGR’ for a non-uniform residential luminaire are discussed, such as selecting the luminous area, the blurring parameter, the viewing angles, and the background luminance. In addition to these practical issues, possible solutions and suggestions are explored, such as a different blurring parameter, viewing angle, and background luminance. In the end, employing a human visual system to evaluate the amount of discomfort glare for both indoor and outdoor applications might be preferred. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Outdoor Lighting)

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34 pages, 3999 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Rethinking Sustainable Cities at Night: Paradigm Shifts in Urban Design and City Lighting

by Karolina M. Zielinska-Dabkowska and Katarzyna Bobkowska

Sustainability 2022, 14(10), 6062; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14106062 - 17 May 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 4088

Abstract

Since the establishment of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015, various perspectives on sustainable cities have been developed and adopted in order to achieve a better and more sustainable future. However, background research has revealed that these goals and targets are limited because they do not take into account the growing body of lighting-related research in diverse fields on the impact of outdoor illumination on humans, flora and fauna. Recently, exterior lighting has been also linked to environmental degradation and as an indirect contributor to the current climate change emergency. Therefore, this study aims, by using online interviews with over 50 experts who work in the field of artificial light at night (ALAN), to assess whether the SDG objectives adequately reflect the latest knowledge about sustainable cities. The Elsevier 2021 SDG mapping matrix was used to find the correlation between the keywords that define each SDG and the keywords used by a group of international experts. This work suggests there are missing targets in current SDGs, especially SDG 11, connected to sustainable cities and communities. It also offers useful guidance on how to rethink the existing approach of cities that aim for sustainability, by applying eight (8) key aspects of urban lighting for healthier and environmentally responsible outdoor illumination, by means of a correct design process, along with a five-step strategic plan of action. The crucial role of multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary collaboration with experts has also been outlined, via the inclusion of new actors such as lighting professionals and researchers, who are currently absent in this important discourse. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Outdoor Lighting)

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10 pages, 2953 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Effect of Spill Light on Street Lighting Energy Efficiency and Light Pollution

by Theodor Terrich and Marek Balsky

Sustainability 2022, 14(9), 5376; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14095376 - 29 Apr 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2715

Abstract

Street lighting is usually designed to meet luminance (or illuminance) requirements of technical standards and recommendations with minimum possible lighting installation power consumption. However, with the expansion of street lighting in growing cities caused by increasing traffic intensity, the disturbing effects of street lighting on the surroundings are often neglected in the design of lighting systems. Light emitted outside the area to be lit (spill light) causes an increase in complaints from residents and an increase in lighting installation power consumption. Therefore, this paper proposes an analysis of the effect of spill light on the energy efficiency of the street lighting systems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Outdoor Lighting)

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23 pages, 4914 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Quantitative Assessment of Architectural Lighting Designs

by Krzysztof Skarżyński and Wojciech Żagan

Sustainability 2022, 14(7), 3934; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14073934 - 26 Mar 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2630

Abstract

There has recently been a great interest in the outdoor lighting that is energy-efficient and does not intensify a light pollution phenomenon. In architectural lighting, these demands are difficult to implement and rarely analyzed. However, it is possible to introduce and use certain parameters based on the utilization factor for the quantitative assessment of floodlighting design in terms of both light pollution and energy efficiency. This paper presents the definitions of new parameters and the results of their calculations for several typical architectural objects. Different lighting concepts were created for each object together with appropriate computer simulations. The research shows a high potential for usefulness of new parameters in the design process. The floodlighting utilization factor is characterized by relatively low values of around 35%. In addition, obtaining the recommended lighting power density value below 2.2 W/m² does not sufficiently determine the correctness of the design implementation considering the natural environment. This determines a great potential for opportunities to improve the implemented designs and provides a basis for redefining the currently used approach in architectural lighting. In order to create high-quality, sustainable solutions, all quantitative parameters should be analyzed simultaneously in addition to the esthetic visual effect issue. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Outdoor Lighting)

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31 pages, 6772 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influence of Pavement Heterogeneity and Observation Angle on Lighting Design: Study with New Metrics

by Florian Greffier, Valérie Muzet, Vincent Boucher, Fabrice Fournela, Laure Lebouc and Sébastien Liandrat

Sustainability 2021, 13(21), 11789; https://doi.org/10.3390/su132111789 - 25 Oct 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1944

Abstract

Optimization of lighting installations should be a priority in order to reduce energy consumption and obtrusive light while providing optimal visibility conditions for road users. For the design of lighting installations, it is assumed that the road has homogeneous photometric characteristics and only one viewing angle is used. There are often significant differences between the design of lighting installations and their actual performance. In order to examine whether these differences are due to the photometry of the road, this study proposes metrics to assess the influence of road heterogeneity and observation angle. These metrics have been used on many measurements conducted on site and in the laboratory for different pavements. A calculation engine has been developed to realize road lighting design with several r-tables in the same calculation or for different observation angles. Thus, this study shows that a root mean squared deviation (RMSD) calculation, including average luminance and uniformities associated with different r-tables, is directly correlated to a normalized root mean squared deviation (NRMSD) calculation between these r-tables. With these proposed metrics it is possible to optimize lighting installation while taking into account different types of urban surfaces and the diversity of users. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Outdoor Lighting)

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15 pages, 2280 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Average Luminance Calculation in Street Lighting Design, Comparison between BS-EN 13201 and RP-08 Standards

by Alexandru Viorel Rusu, Catalin Daniel Galatanu, Gheorghe Livint and Dorin Dumitru Lucache

Sustainability 2021, 13(18), 10143; https://doi.org/10.3390/su131810143 - 10 Sep 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3484

Abstract

This paper presents a study on the influence of the observer’s position in relation to the calculation surface. This is the initial observation of the research, respectively that the two standards consider the position of the observer differently. For these situations, two types of calculations were performed. For the first set of calculations, the software used was DIALux 4.13 as this software can perform calculations in line with the RP-08 standard. The second set of calculations was performed with a script that offers the possibility to change the observer’s position. The conclusion was that EN-13201 has a better approach, but both standards could be improved. The second case study refers to the influence of the longitudinal observer position in an average luminance calculation. If one considers RP-08 as a guideline for performing the calculations, the conclusions are that changing the distance from the observer to the calculation surface has absolutely no effect on the average luminance value. On the other hand, if European standards are used as a guideline, changing the distance (from the standardized 60 m, either closer to the calculation surface or further away) can influence the overall results in average luminance and uniformity. Taking into account the results of these two case studies, the conclusion is that both RP-08 and BS-EN 13201 should be updated so that the observer’s distance in relation to the calculation surface would be a variable dependent on the stopping distance calculated based on the speed limit of the road. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Outdoor Lighting)

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30 pages, 10315 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Measuring Average Luminance for Road Lighting from Outside the Carriageway with Imaging Sensor

by Alexandru Viorel Rusu, Catalin Daniel Galatanu, Gheorghe Livint and Dorin Dumitru Lucache

Sustainability 2021, 13(16), 9029; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13169029 - 12 Aug 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2314

Abstract

The main quality condition in street lighting is luminance distribution. During the carrying out of the literature, average luminance is the most important parameter to check. The standard BS EN 13201-3 imposes that average luminance must be calculated for the observer placed in the center of each circulating lane. As a consequence, according to these standards, the measurements can be done only on streets without traffic. Stopping the traffic on all lanes is very difficult. This paper proposes a solution for measuring the average luminance from outside the carriageway. The research was performed by simulations/calculations and was validated by field measurements. Imaging sensors were used to measure average luminance, while DIALux EVO 9.1 was used for the simulations. For symmetrical, opposite, and staggered lighting arrangements, average luminance measurements were performed with a digital camera positioned outside of the traffic area, with the equipment placed at the edge of the carriageway, giving similar results with standard measurements, with almost no difference. For single sided lighting arrangements, the differences became unacceptable. In this case, the paper proposes a correction function to calculate the average luminance for the observer placed on the carriageway, based on measurements with a digital camera placed outside the traffic area. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Outdoor Lighting)

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Review

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28 pages, 8891 KiB

Open AccessReview

Reviewing the Role of Outdoor Lighting in Achieving Sustainable Development Goals

by Pedro Tavares, Dmitrii Ingi, Luiz Araújo, Paulo Pinho and Pramod Bhusal

Sustainability 2021, 13(22), 12657; https://doi.org/10.3390/su132212657 - 16 Nov 2021

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 6375

Abstract

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aim at providing a healthier planet for present and future generations. At the most recent SDG summit held in 2019, Member States recognized that the achievements accomplished to date have been insufficient to achieve this mission. This paper presents a comprehensive literature review of 227 documents contextualizing outdoor lighting with SDGs, showing its potential to resolve some existing issues related to the SDG targets. From a list of 17 goals, six SDGs were identified to have relevant synergies with outdoor lighting in smart cities, including SDG 3 (Good health and well-being), SDG 11 (Sustainable cities and communities), SDG 14 (Life below water) and SDG 15 (Life on land). This review also links efficient lighting roles partially with SDG 7 (Affordable and clean energy) and SDG 13 (Climate action) through Target 7.3 and Target 13.2, respectively. This paper identifies outdoor lighting as a vector directly impacting 16 of the 50 targets in the six SDGs involved. Each section in this review discusses the main aspects of outdoor lighting by a human-centric, energy efficiency and environmental impacts. Each aspect addresses the most recent studies contributing to lighting solutions in the literature, helping us to understand the positive and negative impacts of artificial lighting on living beings. In addition, the work summarizes the proposed solutions and results tackling specific topics impacting SDG demands. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Outdoor Lighting)

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