Do solar lights cause light pollution?

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If you are a environment friendly person and thinking of installing solar powered lights but wants to know first that do solar lights cause light pollution? then, this post is for you.

In this post, I have braked down what is light pollution, do solar lights cause light pollution or not? So let’s start.

Key Takeaway: No, solar lights do not cause light pollution directly.

What is light pollution?

Light pollution is a new term which has gained popularity in few years. It is different then all other pollution terms you generally hear and see.

Light pollution is excessive brightness of the sky caused by artificial lights. It creates a layer of thick brightness/glow in the sky blocking the visibility of natural sky, stars , and other celestial objects.

Basically a thick layer of brightness is created by artificial lights in the sky. Over illumination of artificial lights is the major cause of light pollution.

Light pollution looks similar to the image given below.

You can see in the picture how artificial lighting like that coming from cars and buildings have created a thick layer of artificial brightness in the skyline. Stars are not visible. This is light pollution.

Solar lights and light pollution?

Now we know what light pollution is? let’s jump back to the main question.

Since solar powered lights are also a kind of artificial lights which are used to generate light and brightness, it is natural to think about this question.

The simple answer to this question is it depends.

Solar lights are also a mode of lighting used for our surroundings, so, whenever they are put to use they emit some brightness.

The level of brightness can be low or high, depending on the type and model of solar light.

The light’s brightness is measured in lumens. The more lumens a solar light will be the more brightness it will throw out.

Only when a solar light is very bright you can experience some disturbances.

A single solar light can never cause substantial light pollution.

It can cause small disturbances like over-illumination, can attract bugs, or disturb your neighbors(if not placed in right places)!

You just have to ensure that they are not overly bright.

So it’s up to you where you install them. A situation like actual light pollution will never be caused by solar powered lights unless they are used in big quantity.

They collectively(along with other types of artificial lighting) can contribute to the light pollution in the area but alone can’t.

Conclusion

Solar powered lights are portable devices which are used for lighting artificially. Like other artificial lights their brightness is also measured in lumens.

The more bright a light will be the more lumens it will be of. Light pollution is caused by over illumination of artificial lights. Solar lights are artificial too.

Solar powered lights alone are not capable of polluting the sky. Only when they are used in big numbers, they can cause light pollution.

So, if you are thinking of installing at your home outdoors you can install them without worry. They are safe for the environment.

For more such content on solar lights you can check my page: solar lights question.