Jan Romer
Visit POLC on FaceBook
Follow POLC on Twitter
Fully Shielded parking lot lights. Off or dimmed by 11:00 p.m.. Max. CCT 3000K

Pennsylvania Outdoor Lighting Council

The Pennsylvania Outdoor Lighting Council, a not-for-profit group of volunteers founded in 1995, provides advice on solving the problems of glare, light trespass, energy waste, and skyglow caused by careless and excessive use of outdoor lighting. The goal of the POLC is to improve outdoor lighting practices in Pennsylvania by educating municipal officials and the public about good outdoor lighting. Good outdoor lighting provides the right amount of light, not too little and not too much, while minimizing glare, light trespass and energy consumption. Good outdoor lighting uses energy wisely and avoids the safety and nuisance problems of obtrusive lighting.

The Pennsylvania Outdoor Lighting Council's experienced advisers work free of cost directly with individuals, e.g., homeowners and businesses to solve outdoor lighting problems and with municipal governments to develop and enforce outdoor lighting ordinances that promote outdoor lighting quality for the comfort and safety of the municipality's residents and businesses. An important part of the POLC's work involves its Model Outdoor Lighting Ordinances which can be extremely useful particularly when a municipality lacks specific expertise with lighting issues, and seeks comprehensive and time-honored ordinance language that can be tailored to the municipality's specific needs.


Light Trespass is light going where it isn't wanted!


Courtesy RAB Lighting

Courtesy RAB Lighting
Replace traditional 60-watt incandescent bulbs with 6-10-watt LEDs.
Only use light-bulbs having color temperature rated no higher than 2700K or 3000K.
People generally find that discomfort glare increases with 4000K, 5000K light sources.

What You Need to Know About LED Lighting PDF


Click here for POLC News!

Danbury Modern Outdoor Wall Light Fixture LED Black 5" Non Glass Dark Sky Design for Exterior House Porch Patio Deck Barn (also 6" and 7 1/2" models) - available from Amazon.com.
Sea Gull Lighting 8538501-12 Crittenden One Light Outdoor Wall Lantern - replaceable bulb, standard base, 2700K or 3000K LED bulb is recommended. Note: 10 x 11.4 x 8.5 inches.,available from Amazon.com.
Mason RLM Oil Rubbed Bronze Outdoor Wall-Mount Dark-Sky Downlight - available from The Home Depot.
Oil Rubbed Bronze Outdoor LED Motion Sensor Wall Barn Light Sconce Latern - available from The Home Depot
Portfolio Dovray 8.12-inch H Oil-Rubbed Bronze Dark Sky Outdoor Wall Light - available from Lowe's.
RAB SLIM12Y/PC 12W Slim LED Wallpack, 120V Button Photocell, 3000K (Warm), 1242 Lumens, 83 CRI, Standard Operation, Bronze Finish - available from Electric Bargain Stores.
WAC Lighting Endurance Fin WP-LED119 LED 19W - 3,000K wall sconce - available from YLighting.
Evluma AreaMax LED 3000K luminaire with flat lens for street and area lighting is a robust, utility-grade luminaire (select Lens Option C=Cutoff, and either 2700K or 3000K) - available from Evluma.
XtraLight Viento - Zero Uplight wall pack - available from xtraLight.
E110X Series Architectural LED Wallpack, Medium Trapezoid, Full Cutoff, 27W LED, 120-277VAC, Dimming Driver, Type III Distribution, 3000K CCT, Bronze Finish - available from Barron Lighting Group.

You can also go to the web sites for Home Depot and Lowes and search for "dark sky lighting.   A list of light fixtures will be presented having varying dark sky merit.

More dark sky lighting choices at the International Dark Sky Association Fixture Seal of Approval Program  

NEWS:  September 9, 2021 - the City of Pittsburgh adopted an Ordinance amending and supplementing the Pittsburgh Code of Ordinances, Title Four: Public Places and Properties, Articles I: Public Right-of-Way, XI: Parks and Playground and XIV: Public Buildings by adding language to require that new streetlights and lighting in newly constructed and renovated City-owned facilities and parks comply with Dark Sky Lighting principles. (pdf) Click here.

NEWS:  November 23, 2020 - Light Trespass Success Story (pdf) Click here.

NEWS:  July 23, 2018 - Model Ordinances Revised. The POLC Model Lighting Ordinances are available in three versions: one for zoning ordinances, one for subdivision & land development ordinances and a stand-alone ordinance. For the latest model ordinances along with some existing outdoor lighting ordinances in Pennsylvania, click here.

NEWS:  April 6, 2018 - Updated section on Lighting and Health Click here.

NEWS:  January 2, 2018 - North Coventry Township's Experiences Converting To LED Street Lights Click here.

NEWS:  March 24, 2017 - PowerPoint - ADVICE FOR MUNICIPALITIES ON HOW TO DEAL WITH ELECTRONIC BILLBOARD LIGHTING ISSUES. For the Electronic Billboard PPT, click here.

NEWS:  October 5, 2016 - Light Trespass Success Story Titusville pdf) Click here.

NEWS:  February 20, 2016 - Light and Health.........Video: (5 min) from Philips Lighting - Basic concepts of Light and Health and how they are related. Click here.

NEWS:  Sample Ordinance Language for Digital Message Boards, May, 2014 click here. (PDF)


Outdoor Lighting and Light Pollution Links:


To send an e-mail to POLC click here or address to polcouncil@polcouncil.org

You can write to the Pennsylvania Outdoor Lighting Council at:

255 Plymouth Rd., Blue Bell, PA 19422-1662.


POLC is an official iConserve Pennsylvania partner


POLC is an official Schuylkill Highlands Conservation Landscape Initiative partner






This site is maintained by: Barry Johnson, a Pennsylvania Outdoor Lighting Council volunteer