In this new section, Utah Skies would like to showcase examples of really good and really bad lighting. The goal being to recognize and reward those who have taken it upon themselves to install good lighting, and to prod those who have not quite gotten it yet.
| UGLY | Bad |
| Bad Residential Lights in a Pinebrook subdivision | This non-compliant light is the cause of the mess to the left |
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| Notice the uplight from each light. This is because these lights are unshielded... meaning that a large percentage of light is going into the sky. In fact, the the only dark spots to be found are UNDER the lights! | Lights like this one are a major cause of light pollution. The reason... they provide no control over where the light goes. As you can see, it's all glass construction allows the light to go up and out as well as onto the ground. |
| UGLY | Good |
| Summit County's New
Library at Kimball Junction (prior to having the lights replaced:) |
Park City's New Post Office on SR. 224 |
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| Notice the round glow from each light... even in the distance. This is because these lights are unshielded... meaning that a large percentage of light is going into the sky. | Notice the oblong glow from these lights. This is because the lights are shielded and all the light is focused towards the ground. Note how well lit the parking lot is. |
| UGLY | Good |
| "Legal Non-Compliant" Gas Station at Kimball Junction | A Totally Compliant Gas Station at Kimball Junction |
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| Notice the amount of light emanating from this gas station. This is because the lights in the canopy are not recessed. Instead, they are allowed to shine into the eyes of passing motorists creating a traffic hazard. | Notice the lack of directly visible lights. These have been recessed into the canopy. This leads to much better visibility. Notice the glare emanating from the gas station across the street. |
| In case you hadn't noticed, these stations are located across the street from one another. The contrast is pretty amazing. | |
| UGLY | Ugly |
| Light Pollution Glowing over Kimball Junction | The Lights of Kimball Junction |
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| This shot was taken in the evening. Look at this mess, you just can't help but be overwhelmed by the incredible glow emanating from Kimball Junction in the distance. | This shot was taken at about 10:00pm. Notice how many lights are visible in this image. For this photo, I was ABOVE Kimball Junction. No wonder the place glows! Also notice the light visible over the mountain tops. This is light pollution spilling out of Salt Lake City...20+ miles away! |
| Good | Ugly |
| The new Home Depot on I-40 | The new SLOC bus depot |
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| Home Depot obviously studied the county ordinances. They've done an excellent job shielding their lights. Notice how none of the lights are in your face... and the lights almost disappear the farther away you get. | This is the new SLOC bus depot. Look how terribly the lights shine. This is a text book example of glare. With a fraction of the lights installed as Home Depot, they still manage to shine more light into the eyes of drivers. |
| UGLY | Ugly |
| Salt Lake City's newest light polluter | A typical view in downtown SLC |
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| This shot was taken at about 7:00pm. Look how well-lit the upper portions of the Union Pacific building are. | This shot was taken at about 7:30pm. Notice how well lit the upper portions of the buildings are. This is an absolute waste of money and natural resources.. |
| UGLY | Ugly |
| Salt Lake City's newest light polluter | A typical view in downtown SLC |
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| This shot was taken at about 7:00pm. Look how well-lit the upper portions of the Union Pacific building are. | This shot was taken at about 7:30pm. Notice how well lit the upper portions of the buildings are. This is an absolute waste of money and natural resources.. |
Here are some incredibly bad lights. Thank god there down in Salt Lake.
| UGLY | Ugly |
| The worst residential lighting we've ever seen!!! | The Worst Business lighting we've ever seen? |
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| This shot was taken just before midnight one night in late December 2001. Is this not the most hideous display of excessive lighting you've ever seen? These people do this every night from dusk till dawn. Incredible... How'd you like to have them living next door? | This shot was taken at about 8:30pm. Notice how overly lit this dealership is. I'm surprised the paint on the cars isn't damaged. This is what is referred to as "ratcheting"... striving to install brighter lights than your competition. |
Checkout these links for some additional examples of bad lights from around the globe: