Is it only the astronomers and avid stargazers who seem to have noticed that our night sky is being swallowed up in a cloud of artificial light?

Glaring streetlights, flashy billboards, automobile headlamps, overly bright landscape and outdoor lighting…. all of these factors have had devastating consequences on our environment.

“Parking lots and gas stations, for example, are now often 10 times brighter than they were just 20 years ago and light pollution continues to grow at 6 percent every year.” Paul Bogart for The Sunday Star-Ledger, A bright idea whose time has come: Turning down city lights. March 3, 2013, P6

Not only does this wasteful illumination block our view of the stars and planets, this overabundance of nightlight disrupts circadian rhythms and negatively affects all life on earth.

“Fatal light attraction” -which is produced by excessive outdoor lighting-is deadly for migratory birds, causing over 100 million bird fatalities across the United States.–www.enlightenmentmag.com, Feb. 2015

So, what can YOU do to make your home more “Dark-Sky” friendly and stop the proliferation of profuse and destructive lighting design?

1.  Become a partner with the International Dark Sky Association.  The International Dark Sky Association (IDA) is a US-based non-profit organization devoted to preserving the natural splendor and beauty of the nighttime sky.  Membership includes all 50 states in the USA and over 70 countries worldwide.

• Contact ida@darksky.org to learn more about Dark Sky awareness and support efforts to preserve and protect the nighttime environment with good outdoor and landscape lighting plans.

2.  Check around your home at dusk and after sunset.

•Make sure outdoor light fixtures are shielded and angled downward to minimize “light trespass” beyond your property.

•Install motion sensors and automated controls on outdoor security lights so they will shut off when not in use.

3.  Talk to your neighbors.

•Educate them about Dark Sky laws and help each other to light responsibly.

4.  Upgrade your home with “Dark Sky”compliant fixtures.

• These outdoor and landscape lighting fixtures are shielded to focus light downward.

•The latest Dark Sky outdoor lighting fixtures are eco-friendly and energy-efficient.

5.  Throw a Star Party

•Enjoy a view of the nighttime sky with friends.

The latest Dark Sky outdoor and landscape lighting fixtures make it easy to get on board with the International Dark Sky movement.

Check out the latest Dark Sky outdoor wall lights from Modern Forms;

“Origami” WS-W27515

“Balthus” WS-W28514

“Kyoto” WS-W22520

For more information:

International Dark Sky Association

3223 North First Avenue

Tucson, Arizona 85719

Take advantage of Custom Electrical Services and there partnership with MidAmerican EnergyAdvantage® Trade Ally Partner program.  Receive a free in business assessment on your current lighting.  Let us do the leg work and show you the HUGE savings.  Take advantage of the most current rebates available for your business.  Go green and receive some green at the same time!  LED is here to stay so start saving today!

LED lighting (Light Emitting Diode) is dramatically more efficient than standard fluorescent lighting.  With T12 fluorescent lamps drawing as much as 40 watts per lamp, LED lamps currently can draw as little as 18 watts per lamp.  That’s over a 50% reduction in energy when compared to a standard T12 lamp!  Not only do you get a 50% reduction in energy cost you can save on cooling cost too!  When replacing LED lamps with standard incandescent, high pressure sodium, and mercury vapor lights the new LED lamps DRAMATICALLY reduce the amount of heat produced.

Not only does the LED lamp save you money in energy cost you can also reduce your maintenance cost!  Currently LED lamps can last as much as 50,000 hours which is a much longer life span when compared to a standard lamp.  Paying a maintenance worker to change lamps can be expensive.  Especially for hard to reach areas that require large ladders or specialized equipment to reach the lamp needing replaced.  Even worse is having unqualified staff change your lamps.  Having unqualified people perform this task can lead to electrical shock, falls, or other injuries.

Contact us today and start saving!  Custom Electrical Services will come to your business and perform a free no obligation assessment.  We have replaced THOUSANDS of fluorescent lamps with the new LED in and around the Des Moines area the past year alone.  Businesses are starting to notice the advantages of LED and the amount of volume has gone up dramatically since!  Call today and schedule your assessment and take advantage of our MidAmerican EnergyAdvantage® Trade Ally Partnership.Thank you and look forward to hearing from you soon!

Power failures are frustrating and difficult in ways people don't always understand. Being used to having a steady power source, you don't always think of the full effects of a power outage. If the power outage is short, it can be fun to have a cookout on a grill and a family dinner by candlelight. The TV doesn't work, so you might find a movie to watch on your computer, until you realize you don't have enough battery life and there is no way to recharge it. You want to call the power company to find out what is going on, but they put you on hold and again, there's no way to charge your phone battery. You might decide to go out to eat or even stay with friends, but you, your spouse, and your children need to bathe first and there's no hot water.

Today: Backup Power Source