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The objectives of the ordinance are to prevent light trespass, reduce light pollution, reduce glare, promote energy conservation, and improve safety and security.
A Lighting Certification is needed for Rental Housing Licenses as well as for commercial and industrial buildings, and can be completed by an architect, electrical engineer, electrical contractor or lighting consultant.
Learn how to ensure you are compliant with the Outdoor Lighting Ordinance before your inspection. Single-family homes seeking a rental license certify compliance through a rental inspection. Multi-unit dwellings are required to submit a Lighting Certification to receive a four-year term license. Multi-unit dwellings will receive a one-year reduced term license if certification is not received at application, which will be extended to a full four-year term if certification is submitted within the one-year term.
Privately-owned commercial and industrial buildings 20,000 square feet and larger must comply with both the Outdoor Lighting Ordinance and the Building Performance Ordinance (BPO). The lighting requirements for the BPO include specific exterior lighting upgrades. These BPO lighting deadlines begin in 2021 based on building size. However, with the Outdoor Lighting Ordinance amortization deadline in July of 2018, owners are encouraged to comply with both ordinance requirements at the same time to capture economies of scale and realize cost savings for the exterior lighting upgrades required by both ordinances. Lighting rebates are available through Xcel Energy as well as Boulder County .
To bring outdoor lighting into compliance, owners of single-family dwellings must, at a minimum:
Fully shielded fixtures
Compliant outdoor lighting fixture 1
Compliant outdoor lighting fixture 2
Compliant outdoor lighting fixture 3
Non-compliant outdoor lighting fixture
Non-compliant fixtures are those that do not shield glare from adjacent streets or properties. To bring a light into compliance, owners need to, at a minimum, replace visible bulbs with one not exceeding 900 lumens (equivalent to a 60-watt incandescent bulb or 15-watt compact fluorescent bulb). Spot lights and flood lights must be aimed so that they don't shine across property lines. The lumen rating is commonly shown on the bulb packaging in conjunction with the wattage rating.
Frosted glass diffuses the light, obscures the light bulb and reduces glare. Full cut-off light fixtures ensure that no light projects above the horizontal, thus reducing light pollution. Full cut-off light fixtures qualify as fully shielded fixtures. If mounted at appropriate heights, the bulb is not visible from adjacent streets and properties.