Outdoor Lighting Self-Assessment Form

Dark Sky Tally
Useful ding
Targeted ding
Low level ding
Warm ding
Dusk to Dawn ding
Outdoor Lighting Self-Assessment Form

You will be asked to document the assessment of your outdoor lighting. Your personal information will not be shared with anyone outside of our organization. Required fields are indicated with an asterisk.
Date of Assessment

MonthDayYear
Date
Address

Street Address - we will protect your privacy

Street Address Line 2

CityState / Province

Postal / Zip Code
Your Full Name

First NameLast Name
Email Address
We will not share your email address with anyone.
Total number of outdoor lights on your home
More About Shielding

If you can see the bulb from the side, the fixture is not fully-shielded. The shield should completely cover the bulb target light to only where it is needed.

Ceiling-mounted "can lights" and lights completely hidden by eaves do not require shielding. Pathway lights that do not exceed 12 lumens do not need to be shielded. 2-3 watt led bulbs with warm color (2700K) work well for pathways.

Your assessment based on the USEFUL Principle

Rows	Yes	No
Do ALL outdoor lights serve a clear and necessary purpose with light falling only where it is intended and needed?

Consider removing lights that are not useful, or simply disabling them by removing the bulbs.

Your assessment based on TARGETED Principle

Rows	Yes	No
Are ALL lights fully-shielded such that the bulb is not visible when viewing from the side?

Shielding luminaires is critical for eliminating glare and light trespass. Unshielded lights are visible for “as far as the eye can see”. The shield should completely cover the bulb to target light to only where it is needed. If the fixture is shielded but you can still see the bulb, you may be able to simply aim the light downward. Many lighting manufactures make shields that can be added to their fixtures, or some universal adapters may work. Parshield makes shields for floodlights.

Your assessment based on the LOW-LEVEL Principle

Rows	Yes	No
Is the amount of light appropriate for the intended task for EVERY outdoor light bulb? (450 lumens is recommended, 800 lumens or less is sufficient in most situations)

Consider changing the bulb to a lower lumen level or use a dimmer switch to have the option of using a brighter light only when it is necessary. Not all LED bulbs are dimmable, check this before installing a dimmer.

Your assessment based on the WARM-COLORDED Principle

Rows	Yes	No
Is the color temperature (CCT) of the bulbs in EVERY outdoor light 3000K or less?

Consider changing the bulb to a warmer Correlated Color Temperature. For home lighting, bulbs with CCT of 2700 or less is recommended.

Rows	Yes	No
Do you manually turn on any of your outside lights?

Rows	Yes	No
Are any of your lights operated with active-controls such as photocells, timers, or dimmers?

Rows	Yes	No
Are any outdoor lights activated by a motion-detector?

Rows	Yes	No
Does light from any luminary fall across your property line?

Rows	Yes	No
Were any of your outdoor lights retrofitted or otherwise changed after doing this assessment?