Lunar-Resonant Streetlights
Featured
Anton Willis
Kate Lydon
Christina Seely
Dustin Cram
Kate Lydon
Christina Seely
Dustin Cram
Lunar-Resonant Streetlights offer a new, ecologically responsive approach to urban lighting, by considering streetlights and moonlight comprehensively—as two parts of a single resonant system.
Lunar-Resonant Streetlights sense and respond to ambient moonlight, dimming and brightening each month as the moon cycles through its phases. At full moons, the lights shut off completely, and cities are flooded with moonlight. Utilizing available moonlight, rather than overwhelming it, saves energy
and mitigates light pollution, while intensifying the urban experience of one of the most fundamental and beautiful cycles of nature.
Lunar-Resonant Streetlights are a way for cities, rather than isolating themselves from natural phenomena, to respond to them, thereby maximizing output relative to input. Lunar-resonant streetlights are design applied cyclically, rather than linearly.
Beyond conserving energy, Lunar-Resonant Streetlights affirm our place within the space and time of the natural world, even in the densest human environments. They can inspire wonder in the natural world, as well as respect for it. Lunar-Resonant Streetlights embody the trimtab principle in human as well as technical terms: they can help deepen an experiential appreciation of the natural world, which can translate into a stronger will to sustain it.
Lunar-Resonant Streetlights question established but wasteful lighting standards, and instead suggest a more intelligent and forward-thinking solution.
Currently, urban streetlights obliterate the night sky with excessive, undifferentiated illumination. While this arbitrary lighting standard is often assumed to benefit public safety, studies have shown no link between outdoor lighting and crime or accident levels. Due to glare and haze from outdoor lighting, most humans no longer experience stars or moonlight on a nightly basis.
While we now take this level of illumination for granted, it has more to do with obsolete energy practices than with standards of vision. Early streetlights were calibrated to replicate moonlight (to which our eyes, via millions of years of evolution, are exquisitely sensitive), and were often shut off when full moons made them redundant. However, when the electrical industry grew rapidly, it needed to burn off excess power at night, when demand drops dramatically; otherwise inefficient, early generators would overheat. The solution: excessive, inefficient streetlights everywhere, a network of devices intentionally wasting energy.
This way of thinking is clearly obsolete. This proposal makes the streetlight network intelligent and responsive. Retrofitting existing fixtures with modified electronics will quickly pay for itself through energy savings.
Light pollution is only beginning to enter public discourse, but two thirds of Americans no longer see stars or moonlight on a nightly basis. The effects of this may be much deeper than most people realize. Besides isolating us from the beauty and wonder of the natural world, there is medical evidence that light pollution may increase the incidence of breast cancer and other diseases associated with the endocrine system.
Lunar-Resonant Streetlights are a solution to these emerging issues, as well as more established problems of energy consumption.
Lunar-Resonant Streetlights are ecologically responsive and ecologically responsible.
Streetlights account for 8% of the electricity used for lighting worldwide; this energy produces approximately twelve million tons of carbon emissions per year. By combining dimmable high-efficiency lighting with lunar-calibrated outputs, Lunar-Resonant Streetlights can save up to 80% of this energy, while rekindling our connection to the cycles of the sky and earth.
Astronomical cycles have played a fundamental role in the development of mathematics, art, literature and myth. The 29 day lunar phase cycle was the basis of the earliest recorded human counting and timekeeping, and the human reproductive cycle closely follows it. Few patterns in nature have more profoundly shaped our evolution and civilization.
Our simple intervention leads to subtle but powerful changes in city nights, and enriches the lives of urban dwellers. While the amount of nighttime illumination remains constant, its qualities shift. Each month as the moon waxes, the incomparable, spectral phenomenon of moonlight gradually takes over streets and buildings. At full moons, the city is entirely transformed by soft pale light.
By reconnecting people to a lost source of natural inspiration, we hope to effect change in attitudes and expectations, about how technology can engage the natural world rather than ignore it.
Lunar-Resonant Streetlight technology is proprietary, yet simple and inexpensive.
It replaces standard streetlight photosensors, which activate lights at night, with much more sensitive devices that detect a range of light conditions. Through simple electronics, the new sensor input activates a dimming control—which works on either a dimmable HID ballast or LED arrays. Lunar-Resonant Streetlight sensors and controller systems can be used in new streetlight fixtures, or to retrofit old ones. Each light intrinsically responds not only to the regular cycles of twilight, moonrises and phases, but also to temporary cloud and atmospheric conditions, which affect ambient light.
Lunar-Resonant Streetlight prototypes are in testing for feasibility, scalability and technical efficiency. The technology is verifiable, robust and cost-effective.
Initially, we will manufacture and distribute Lunar-Resonant Streetlights as a branded design product. Lunescent systems will be marketed to developers of parks, campuses and housing, and also geared towards private outdoor lighting. Unlike many invisible green technologies, Lunescent is based on a powerful experiential narrative with a resonant, built-in marketing pitch: it is a way to improve the quality of life in cities while saving energy.
Once we have established technical and market viability in the private market, we will license the (patent pending) Lunescent sensor and controller technology to major lighting manufacturers, for municipal-scale use in both new and retrofit applications. Lunescent sensors and controllers are compatible with both established HID lamps and emerging LED technology, and will be suitable for retrofits as well as new fixtures.
This two-tiered strategy will allow us to most effectively enter the municipal supply chain, in which purchasers are often reluctant to rely on new technologies and suppliers. It will also allow us to generate revenue within the next 2-3 years.
Early adopters of Lunescent technology will include progressive private and cultural building developments, municipal parks, and other mid-scale applications. The next phase of adopters will be progressive towns and cities in which light pollution is a political issue (there are over 1000 U.S. cities and towns with Dark Sky ordinances limiting nighttime illumination; this number is growing rapidly).
We are currently working on a second-generation prototype, to be tested in a full range of light and weather conditions. We require additional funds for these tests, as well as future generations of prototyping, manufacturing and market launching. Our estimated costs are as follows:
-Phase I: prototype development and testing-$50,000
-Phase 2: pilot installation and scalar testing. -$100,000
-Phase 3: full commercialization and market launch. -$200,000
We are simultaneously pursuing grants and private investment funding in order to continue technical and marketing development. Our multi-stage plan involves minimizing large-scale venture capital investment, until a viable product has been brought to market at an intermediate scale.
We are working with the city of San Francisco towards a pilot installation, to be realized within the next year. In two years, we will have a fully developed and tested product on the market. In the next few years, its market share and profitability will grow, demonstrating its viability for the municipal market.
In five years, we will be signing our first contracts with municipal governments and their suppliers, towards implementing lunar-responsive streetlights on an urban scale, both in new urban developments and retrofits.
Project members and collaborators include:
-Anton Willis, architect. M. Architecture, University of California at Berkeley, B.A. Brown University. Anton has a professional background in architecture and product design, as well as an undergraduate background in physics and astronomy.
-Kate Lydon, architect. M. Architecture, University of California at Berkeley, B.A. University of California at San Diego. Kate has a professional background in architecture, graphic design, and marketing/branding development.
-Dustin Cram, engineer. M.S., B.S. Montana State University. Dustin has extensive experience in electrical and mechanical engineering, both in the aerospace industry and in product prototyping and development.
-Christina Seely, artist. M.F.A. Rhode Island School of Design, B.A. Carleton College. Christina’s work focuses on the relationships between the built environment and nature.
-Alex Mehr, business/engineering consultant. M.B.A. University of California at Berkeley, Ph.D, B.S. University of Maryland. Alex is a business consultant for the technology sector and holds a PhD in mechanical engineering.
-Rashid Ahmed, business/marketing consultant. B.A. University of California at Berkeley. Rashid is a current MBA candidate at UC Berkeley, he has directed numerous sustainability projects for the government of Portland, Oregon, one of the most environmentally progressive US cities.
Together or independently, we have: designed sensors for aerospace applications; launched a successful engineering and prototyping business serving Silicon Valley; launched successful lines of high-design furniture and graphics products; developed lifestyle brands; and managed the implementation of free wireless internet for the city of Portland, Oregon.
These varied experiences will help us to develop Lunescent; we are also in the process of bringing on operations, management, and business development team members.
Lunar-Resonant Streetlights are a way for cities, rather than isolating themselves from natural phenomena, to respond to them, thereby maximizing output relative to input. Lunar-resonant streetlights are design applied cyclically, rather than linearly.
Beyond conserving energy, Lunar-Resonant Streetlights affirm our place within the space and time of the natural world, even in the densest human environments. They can inspire wonder in the natural world, as well as respect for it. Lunar-Resonant Streetlights embody the trimtab principle in human as well as technical terms: they can help deepen an experiential appreciation of the natural world, which can translate into a stronger will to sustain it.
Lunar-Resonant Streetlights question established but wasteful lighting standards, and instead suggest a more intelligent and forward-thinking solution.
Currently, urban streetlights obliterate the night sky with excessive, undifferentiated illumination. While this arbitrary lighting standard is often assumed to benefit public safety, studies have shown no link between outdoor lighting and crime or accident levels. Due to glare and haze from outdoor lighting, most humans no longer experience stars or moonlight on a nightly basis.
While we now take this level of illumination for granted, it has more to do with obsolete energy practices than with standards of vision. Early streetlights were calibrated to replicate moonlight (to which our eyes, via millions of years of evolution, are exquisitely sensitive), and were often shut off when full moons made them redundant. However, when the electrical industry grew rapidly, it needed to burn off excess power at night, when demand drops dramatically; otherwise inefficient, early generators would overheat. The solution: excessive, inefficient streetlights everywhere, a network of devices intentionally wasting energy.
This way of thinking is clearly obsolete. This proposal makes the streetlight network intelligent and responsive. Retrofitting existing fixtures with modified electronics will quickly pay for itself through energy savings.
Light pollution is only beginning to enter public discourse, but two thirds of Americans no longer see stars or moonlight on a nightly basis. The effects of this may be much deeper than most people realize. Besides isolating us from the beauty and wonder of the natural world, there is medical evidence that light pollution may increase the incidence of breast cancer and other diseases associated with the endocrine system.
Lunar-Resonant Streetlights are a solution to these emerging issues, as well as more established problems of energy consumption.
Lunar-Resonant Streetlights are ecologically responsive and ecologically responsible.
Streetlights account for 8% of the electricity used for lighting worldwide; this energy produces approximately twelve million tons of carbon emissions per year. By combining dimmable high-efficiency lighting with lunar-calibrated outputs, Lunar-Resonant Streetlights can save up to 80% of this energy, while rekindling our connection to the cycles of the sky and earth.
Astronomical cycles have played a fundamental role in the development of mathematics, art, literature and myth. The 29 day lunar phase cycle was the basis of the earliest recorded human counting and timekeeping, and the human reproductive cycle closely follows it. Few patterns in nature have more profoundly shaped our evolution and civilization.
Our simple intervention leads to subtle but powerful changes in city nights, and enriches the lives of urban dwellers. While the amount of nighttime illumination remains constant, its qualities shift. Each month as the moon waxes, the incomparable, spectral phenomenon of moonlight gradually takes over streets and buildings. At full moons, the city is entirely transformed by soft pale light.
By reconnecting people to a lost source of natural inspiration, we hope to effect change in attitudes and expectations, about how technology can engage the natural world rather than ignore it.
Lunar-Resonant Streetlight technology is proprietary, yet simple and inexpensive.
It replaces standard streetlight photosensors, which activate lights at night, with much more sensitive devices that detect a range of light conditions. Through simple electronics, the new sensor input activates a dimming control—which works on either a dimmable HID ballast or LED arrays. Lunar-Resonant Streetlight sensors and controller systems can be used in new streetlight fixtures, or to retrofit old ones. Each light intrinsically responds not only to the regular cycles of twilight, moonrises and phases, but also to temporary cloud and atmospheric conditions, which affect ambient light.
Lunar-Resonant Streetlight prototypes are in testing for feasibility, scalability and technical efficiency. The technology is verifiable, robust and cost-effective.
Initially, we will manufacture and distribute Lunar-Resonant Streetlights as a branded design product. Lunescent systems will be marketed to developers of parks, campuses and housing, and also geared towards private outdoor lighting. Unlike many invisible green technologies, Lunescent is based on a powerful experiential narrative with a resonant, built-in marketing pitch: it is a way to improve the quality of life in cities while saving energy.
Once we have established technical and market viability in the private market, we will license the (patent pending) Lunescent sensor and controller technology to major lighting manufacturers, for municipal-scale use in both new and retrofit applications. Lunescent sensors and controllers are compatible with both established HID lamps and emerging LED technology, and will be suitable for retrofits as well as new fixtures.
This two-tiered strategy will allow us to most effectively enter the municipal supply chain, in which purchasers are often reluctant to rely on new technologies and suppliers. It will also allow us to generate revenue within the next 2-3 years.
Early adopters of Lunescent technology will include progressive private and cultural building developments, municipal parks, and other mid-scale applications. The next phase of adopters will be progressive towns and cities in which light pollution is a political issue (there are over 1000 U.S. cities and towns with Dark Sky ordinances limiting nighttime illumination; this number is growing rapidly).
We are currently working on a second-generation prototype, to be tested in a full range of light and weather conditions. We require additional funds for these tests, as well as future generations of prototyping, manufacturing and market launching. Our estimated costs are as follows:
-Phase I: prototype development and testing-$50,000
-Phase 2: pilot installation and scalar testing. -$100,000
-Phase 3: full commercialization and market launch. -$200,000
We are simultaneously pursuing grants and private investment funding in order to continue technical and marketing development. Our multi-stage plan involves minimizing large-scale venture capital investment, until a viable product has been brought to market at an intermediate scale.
We are working with the city of San Francisco towards a pilot installation, to be realized within the next year. In two years, we will have a fully developed and tested product on the market. In the next few years, its market share and profitability will grow, demonstrating its viability for the municipal market.
In five years, we will be signing our first contracts with municipal governments and their suppliers, towards implementing lunar-responsive streetlights on an urban scale, both in new urban developments and retrofits.
Project members and collaborators include:
-Anton Willis, architect. M. Architecture, University of California at Berkeley, B.A. Brown University. Anton has a professional background in architecture and product design, as well as an undergraduate background in physics and astronomy.
-Kate Lydon, architect. M. Architecture, University of California at Berkeley, B.A. University of California at San Diego. Kate has a professional background in architecture, graphic design, and marketing/branding development.
-Dustin Cram, engineer. M.S., B.S. Montana State University. Dustin has extensive experience in electrical and mechanical engineering, both in the aerospace industry and in product prototyping and development.
-Christina Seely, artist. M.F.A. Rhode Island School of Design, B.A. Carleton College. Christina’s work focuses on the relationships between the built environment and nature.
-Alex Mehr, business/engineering consultant. M.B.A. University of California at Berkeley, Ph.D, B.S. University of Maryland. Alex is a business consultant for the technology sector and holds a PhD in mechanical engineering.
-Rashid Ahmed, business/marketing consultant. B.A. University of California at Berkeley. Rashid is a current MBA candidate at UC Berkeley, he has directed numerous sustainability projects for the government of Portland, Oregon, one of the most environmentally progressive US cities.
Together or independently, we have: designed sensors for aerospace applications; launched a successful engineering and prototyping business serving Silicon Valley; launched successful lines of high-design furniture and graphics products; developed lifestyle brands; and managed the implementation of free wireless internet for the city of Portland, Oregon.
These varied experiences will help us to develop Lunescent; we are also in the process of bringing on operations, management, and business development team members.
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