Dynamic glazing solutions promote healthier sky heath according to new government guidelines.
What is the Government Dark Sky Policy?
The government Dark Sky Policy was formed in 2020 to promote dark sky-friendly lighting and planning policies in the UK with the aim of protecting the current and future International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) places, including the two newly designated dark sky reserves, the Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors. This policy is actually made up of multiple new policies which call for new innovative designs, which can present a new challenge to conquer using specialist glazing solutions.
These policies were implemented after a study was carried out showing that almost 100% of the British population lives under light-polluted skies. The plan consists of around 10 policy regulations to meet the legal criteria for new British lighting standards.
The framework includes:
Strengthen the National Planning Policy Framework: for the first time ever, make extensive specific references to the control of obtrusive light in the National Planning Policy Framework.
Expand the scope of the planning permission process: introduce regulations for exterior lighting that are similar to those which currently cover advertisements.
Strengthen Statutory Nuisance Provisions: remove exemptions to give local authorities a more effective method of preventing nuisance lighting.
What does it mean?
The contribution of light pollution disrupts the opportunity to see the natural night sky while simultaneously creating considerable effects on our natural environments. These harsh environments are proven to harm wildlife and can be damaging to human health, as well as the detrimental effect on the environment with the vast energy consumption.
Nocturnal animals can be harmed by light pollution due to their biological evolution, these animals become dependent on the environment. The vast amount of light illumination in the sky can affect animals, especially birds.
This is why policies such as the government Dark Sky Policy are essential, to help work towards protecting the environment and helping to push architectural design to the next level.
Which solutions can be used (electrochromic glass roofing)?
Large technological advances have been made to create opportunities for light transmission to be controlled through glass and dynamic glazing technologies that can help commercial buildings to comply with the government’s Dark Sky Policy.
Electrochromic glass is an extremely advanced technology which makes it suitable for use on a wide range of glass elevations to provide automated solar shading from within the glass unit itself.
Controlled via electrical power, the coating within an electrochromic glass unit changes the appearance and performance of the glass units when power is applied. The resulting tinted glass creates the perfect solution for solar shading in highly glazed spaces. As the colour of the glass units slowly changes from transparent to dark blue, the light transmission and G factor (a measure of solar shading) change to provide a full light and solar shading solution from within the glass unit itself, negating the need for additional shading solutions such as curtains and blinds.
Electrochromic glass reduces glare and overheating in highly glazed spaces by reducing the G factor and light transition of glass on demand. These dynamic glazing technologies can be integrated into bespoke glazing solutions such as roof glazing, in order to minimize the amount of light escaping into the sky. Click here to read our article on blinds Vs electrochromic glass.
Our team of technical sales advisors can advise on choosing the right glazing systems that comply with the government Dark Sky Policy, taking light pollution into account to achieve the most functional results without compromising on luxury design.
To speak to a member of the team about glazing specifications for your next commercial project, contact the IQ team today.
Chloe Thompson
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