Testing: Headlight Attenuation
Light pollution is a concern in many areas, especially as sustainable design trends continue to rise in popularity. Light pollution is essentially wasted light imposing itself on the peace of natural darkness, reflecting off surfaces and not serving any useful purpose.
Cambridge recently completed headlight testing for its exterior tensioned mounted metal fabric systems, with results showing significant light pollution reduction for metal fabric clad parking facilities. This study was conducted to determine the percentage of light reduction for various metal fabric patterns when exposed to lighting from different angles.
Various mesh patterns were exposed to lighting from illuminated vehicle headlamps while driving up or down a spiral parking garage ramp. The mesh was exposed to lighting at upward, downward and horizontal angles. Depending on the open area of the metal fabric, calculated results show that light reduction ranging from 33% up to 54% can be attained for mesh exposed to light at an upward angle. A reduction ranging from 47% up to 58% can be realized for light pointing downward. When exposed to light at a horizontal angle, metal fabric diminishes light pollution from 35% up to 46%.
See the complete results here (PDF will open in a new window).