Light nuisance for neighbours from site lighting: how to prevent complaints

Where complaints about obtrusive light come from

Light nuisance rarely comes from too much light on the site itself, but from light that ends up beyond it: light trespass onto bedroom windows, glare from a luminaire that sits directly in the line of sight of a resident or road user, and sky glow from light emitted above the horizon. One floodlight tilted 20 degrees too steeply can be enough to trigger a complaint.

In the Netherlands the obtrusive light guideline of the NSVV, the Dutch lighting society, is the usual frame of reference; it follows international recommendations for limiting obtrusive light. The guideline divides the surroundings into four zones: E1 (natural areas), E2 (rural areas), E3 (urban areas) and E4 (town centres or industrial estates). Each zone has a guide value for the vertical illuminance on the facade of a dwelling: roughly 2 lux in E1, 5 lux in E2, 10 lux in E3 and 25 lux in E4. After curfew, usually 23:00, the limits drop to between 0 and 5 lux. Municipalities often refer to these values in permits; check the current version of the guideline and the municipality's requirements before you order.

The optic decides where the light lands

The most important choice is the luminaire itself. A wide-beam floodlight with a 120 degree beam lights the site, but also the fence, the ditch and the facade behind it. A directional optic puts the light only where it belongs.

Three rules of thumb:

• Street luminaires from VIA have a Type II or Type III optic: elongated along the road, with little light behind the column. Mount them horizontally (0 degrees) on the 60 mm spigot so the light output stays below the horizon.
• Floodlights from FLUX should be chosen with a narrow, directional optic, for example 30 degrees for long throws, rather than a wide beam that you have to tilt upwards. The steeper the luminaire, the more light crosses the boundary.
• Sports pitches need an optic calculated for the court. The tennis and padel luminaires from ARENA spread the light evenly across the court without glare or spill light beyond the fence.

Shields, column height and position

Where a dwelling sits close to the site, an optic alone is not enough. A shield or louvre cuts the beam off at the top and the sides, so the luminaire is no longer directly visible from the neighbouring property. Ask for the shielding that fits the chosen floodlight when you request your quotation.

Place columns at the edge of the site and aim the luminaires inwards. A 6 metre column from TURRIS with a directional optic causes less nuisance than a 4 metre column that has to be tilted upwards to cover the same area. For paths and car parks next to housing, a post-top luminaire from POLARIS at 4 metres is often the calmest solution: low mounting height and no visible light source at eye level.

Colour temperature: warm light causes less nuisance

Cool white light of 5000K contains a lot of blue. It scatters more strongly in the atmosphere, produces more sky glow and is perceived by residents as harsher than the same number of lux in warm white. Near housing, along water and on the edge of the countryside we recommend 2700K to 3000K; we supply the VIA street luminaires in 2700K, among other options.

If the site borders a nature area or a bat corridor, the municipality may require 2200K amber. The modern post-top luminaires from POLARIS can be set to 2200K, 3000K or 4000K with a remote control. Only where colour recognition matters, such as on a sports pitch or a loading yard, do 4000K or 5000K remain the better choice.

Night-time dimming and switching times

Most complaints concern the hours after midnight, when the lighting burns at full output with nobody on site. Three solutions:

• AstroDIM: the separate driver for the VIA street luminaires automatically dims to 50 percent, for example, during the night hours, without extra cabling or a control cabinet.
• DALI-2 and D4i: combined with a lighting management system, set a dimming profile per luminaire and read out faults remotely, suitable for business parks and municipalities.
• Sensors: the compact floodlights from FLUX take a plug-in microwave sensor with daylight sensor, so a storage yard only goes to full light when there is movement.

In the Netherlands, sports facilities are also subject to environmental rules for pitch lighting: it must be off at night, usually between 23:00 and 07:00, and at other times when no sport is taking place. Check the current rules with the municipality and record the times in the time switch or the management system.

How to prevent complaints before installation

A lighting calculation prevents a lot of discussion afterwards. Have it include the vertical illuminance on the nearest facades and the luminous intensity towards the dwellings. With those figures you answer an objection from the neighbours with facts. Lichtplein prepares a lighting calculation for 350 euros excl. VAT.

Practical checklist:

• Determine the environmental zone (E1 to E4) and the distance to the nearest bedroom windows.
• Choose an optic that covers the site without tilting and without wide beams.
• Choose 2700K to 3000K near housing and 2200K on the edge of nature areas.
• Set up night-time dimming or sensors and record the switching times.
• Inform the immediate neighbours before installation.

Frequently asked questions