IES RP-33-99

Lighting the outdoors is different than lighting an interior space. These differences present certain challenges not usually found in interior lighting. For example, some people want the dark for sleeping, star-gazing, or privacy. When this desire conflicts with other people’s need for light, the control of light becomes critical, often resulting in ordinances and bylaws. However, as this Recommended Practice explains, rules that require all outdoor lighting to be of the same design, using the same luminaire types, subject to the same maximum mounting height and aiming angle requirements, and having the same illuminances, are not the answer. Through attention to the methods recommended in this Practice, electric lighting systems need not intrude recklessly upon the night time environment while they deliver quality outdoor light wherever and whenever it is needed.