Landscape Lighting Sustainability & Dark Sky Dataset

What Makes This Dataset Different

Dark Sky and environmental lighting guidance is scattered across ordinance PDFs, IES/IDA rating documents, and general sustainability articles that rarely agree on terminology. This dataset pulls the recurring concepts — BUG ratings, shielding categories, wildlife-friendly design choices, and life-cycle cost factors — into one consistent 13-field structure, so "which topics touch wildlife protection" or "which are Low cost-impact" is a filter, not a research project.

It is built from PortfolioLighting.net's own sustainability content library, restructured for reuse in design tools, RAG pipelines, and ESG-adjacent reporting rather than read start to finish.

Who Actually Uses This

Schema Preview

Two real, unedited sample records from the actual dataset — not illustrative placeholders.

[
  {
    "url": "https://www.portfoliolighting.net/sustainable/dark-sky-compliance-guide.html",
    "topic": "Dark Sky Compliance Guide",
    "general_code_reference": "Not NEC-based (local dark-sky ordinance)",
    "risk_level": "Low",
    "internal_reference_code": "PLS-001"
  },
  {
    "url": "https://www.portfoliolighting.net/sustainable/fix-light-trespass.html",
    "topic": "Fix Light Trespass",
    "general_code_reference": "Not NEC-based (zoning ordinance)",
    "risk_level": "Medium",
    "internal_reference_code": "PLS-002"
  }
  // ... 20 additional structured topics in the full dataset
]

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Key Topic Areas Covered in This Dataset

The dataset spans 22 topics; these are the recurring themes most records fall under.

Dark Sky Compliance & BUG Ratings

General dark-sky ordinance concepts and the BUG (Backlight-Uplight-Glare) rating system used to classify fixture light distribution. See Understanding BUG Ratings.

Wildlife & Bird-Friendly Design

Shielding, reduced blue-light content, and seasonal considerations for reducing lighting impact on local wildlife and migrating birds. See Wildlife-Friendly Outdoor Lighting.

Energy Efficiency & Life-Cycle Cost

Solar vs. wired efficiency tradeoffs, voltage-drop-related energy waste, and total cost of ownership considerations. See Life-Cycle Cost Analysis.

What This Dataset Is Not

To set accurate expectations before you buy:

• It is not an official ordinance text or IDA/IES certification document.
• It is not legal or design advice, and does not replace consultation with a lighting designer or local planning office.
• BUG rating guidance is general rather than product-specific — always confirm a fixture’s actual published rating.
• It does not track jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction dark-sky ordinance amendments.