Using energy saving Dark Sky fixtures to illuminate your home makes perfect sense. The Dark Sky compliant fixtures are designed to send light only where it's needed and reduce any secondary illumination. These fixtures effectively reduce extraneous glare as well as light pollution while saving energy. These fixtures help keep the night skies darker and help protecting the wildlife from the effects of light pollution and clutter.

If you have seen how important Dark Sky light fixtures are to your home then you are probably ready to start retrofitting your space with these eco-friendly, energy saving light fixtures. We would be happy to help and are available to answer any questions your make have.

The simplest way to get Dark Sky Compliant lighting is to look for the International Dark-Sky Association's (IDA) stamp of approval on products as you're perusing the selections available to you. Otherwise, there are several key features built into night-friendly fixtures you can look for. In a nutshell, you'll want to check for the following distinctive dark sky features:

1. Fixtures that are made with side and top covers that are solid and opaque. This feature insures that the light is not sent sideways or skyward.

2. Fixtures that have a reflector located at the inside top of the casing are desirable. This feature works to reflect the light down.

3. Flat- rather than rounded-lenses at the fixture's base help to reduce glare and light spillage.

If you've already purchased outdoor lighting and don't relish the thought of replacing every fixture on your home's exterior, you may want to consider retrofitting with light shields. These cylindrical enclosures cover the top and sides of your fixture to cut up-lighting. They come in a variety of shapes and colors, and can usually be matched nicely to your existing fixtures to provide a seamless look to your home's exterior.

By taking advantage of the features of Dark Sky lighting you will be able to save money on your utility bills. Any time you save energy, you will save money. It has been reported that the nation wastes around $1.5 billion in light energy each and every year. There are huge amounts of light being sent upwards where it is absolutely useless.

The city of San Diego decided to do something about this waste of light. They hired a fir to retrofit the city's outdoor light fixtures to full cut-off lighting. While it did take them three years to make the money back on their investment, they are now saving more that $3 million dollars each year for the cost of energy.

So, instead of scattering your yard with loads of lighting fixtures, you can cut back on the number you need throughout the space. And more than likely, because of the ability of these fixtures to focus your lighting downward, you'll need smaller bulbs, too. All of this adds up to lower energy bills and savings in your pocket that increase every year, especially as energy prices rise with each passing month.