BALANCE: Biologically Appropriate Lighting Aligning Nature Conservation & Energy Efficiency

Recipient Location

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$10,530

Amount Spent

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Active

Project Status

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Project Update

Project has been initiated, including kick off involving all project team members and organizations. Literature synthesis, stakeholder coordination, and methodology refinement are underway to support species prioritization and spatial analysis tasks. Species prioritization focuses on key taxa sensitive to artificial light at night (ALAN), with an aim to translate findings into actionable guidance for California building standards.

The Issue

Outdoor LED lighting has rapidly expanded across California due to energy efficiency benefits, but current standards insufficiently address biological impacts on wildlife and ecosystems. Artificial light at night disrupts pollinators, migratory birds, bats, and other species critical to agriculture, biodiversity, and ecosystem stability. Existing building standards primarily regulate energy use and glare but lack science-based spectral and ecological criteria. This gap creates unintended environmental consequences while limiting California’s ability to align lighting policy with climate, conservation, and public health goals.

Project Innovation

The project integrates ecological science with lighting engineering to define biologically appropriate lighting specifications tailored to California species and landscapes. It advances beyond correlated color temperature by focusing on spectral power distribution, blue-light percentage, shielding geometry, and adaptive controls. BALANCE introduces quantitative, species-informed thresholds for spectrum and intensity reduction that exceed current code requirements. The work bridges research, policy, and market implementation by directly supporting updates to future Title 24 standards.

Project Goals

Develop biologically appropriate outdoor lighting recommendations

Inform updates to California building standards using guidance on lighting spectrum, intensity, and distribution.

Project Benefits

BALANCE delivers both energy and non-energy benefits by reducing unnecessary outdoor lighting while protecting ecosystems essential to California’s economy and public welfare. Optimized lighting controls and reduced harmful spectral emissions lower electricity consumption, operating costs, and greenhouse gas emissions. The project protects nocturnal pollinators and migratory species, supporting agricultural productivity and biodiversity. By aligning lighting design with ecological science, BALANCE improves environmental quality without compromising visibility or safety. The recommendations provide utilities, local governments, and developers with cost-effective pathways to sustainable lighting adoption. Long-term benefits include improved grid efficiency, reduced light pollution, and strengthened resilience of natural systems.

Affordability

Decreased electricity use through dimming, controls, and optimized spectra.
Economic development – Supports agriculture, lighting innovation, and standards-aligned product development.