Important Information About Beach Lighting

Shore lighting is critical to pedestrian safety and the beauty of shorelines. Beach lights, however, are significantly different from other public lights. Not only the pavement, but also the ports along the coastline need adequate lighting at night. The salty and wet environment adds a distinctive feature to the lights in the coastal areas. Shore lights need to be anti-corrosion and waterproof. Remember that beaches are at risk of corrosion.

What are the effects of the coastal environment on lights?

The coastal environment contains sea salt and moisture, which means a high risk of corrosion and rust in lights. As it is known, water can cause corrosion of electronics and metal at a slower rate than salt water. Salt speeds up the process due to higher conductivity. Sea salt is present in the air and is spread over a wide area by the wind. The coastal environment has higher salinity than other areas. Moisture and salty air provide catalysts for light corrosion and rust. Faults and performance changes occur more frequently. This is why lights in the coastal environment are more susceptible to rust and corrosion. What makes the situation worse are the strong winds and adverse weather conditions that can be accompanied by heavy rain. It increases the load on the lights and accelerates their failure. Not all lights have the same rate of corrosion and rust. Corrosion and rust rate of lights, wind speed, wave height, distance from lights to shoreline, material of lights etc. is about. Also, corrosion and rusting of lights is inevitable. Only here every effort is made to delay the process and extend the life of the lights.


How can outdoor lights be more durable in the harsh coastal environment?

Salinity and humidity are the biggest threats to lighting performance in the coastal environment. Solutions that enable lights to survive in the harsh coastal environment mainly fall into two paths. One is to prevent the threatening factors from the lights, and the other is to strengthen the resistance against salty and humid air.


Block threatening factors from lights

Processes (finishing and coating) are applied to prevent moisture and salty air from the lights, and to protect the lights from corrosion and rust. Finishing and coating make the lights more durable. Electrophoretic coating and powder coating are widely used to coat metal components. They are painting processes that aim to increase durability and increase resistance to corrosion. Electrophoretic coating is often taken as the initial painting process for metal components. Powder coating resists heat and sunlight. The combination of electrophoretic coating and powder coating provides double protection for the lights. However, corrosion and rust are inevitable.


Strengthen resistance to salty and moist air

Resistance to salty and moist air largely depends on the material of the lights. Zinc, copper and steel actively react with oxygen and water, promoting corrosion and rusting. Although they are cheaper, they cannot be chosen as the material of shore lights. In contrast, stainless steel is more robust than older metals but is very expensive. Aluminum is a widely used material for coastal lighting. Aluminum works effectively in corrosion prevention and ingress protection. It is also cost effective.

Find out what tests the materials of the company you decide to work with have passed. It can be a test to ensure durability. After testing, there will be no pitting, distortion, cracking, etc. should not be seen. This test is very important to ensure the stable performance of the lights in the coastal environment. But the real conditions are more severe. You have to make sure that the products are stable and high-performing.
What are the effects of lighting on the coastal environment?
You should know that beach lights play an important role in increasing visibility for pedestrians and embellishing the coastline. Bright and comfortable lighting creates a pleasant atmosphere. Pedestrians relieve stress and enjoy the beautiful scenery along the coastline. Beach lights also contribute to improving public safety and reducing crime. With adequate lighting at night, the environment and passers-by are recognizable, so accidents are less likely to occur. However, this does not mean that lighting is always beneficial to the coastal environment. Not only humans, but also other creatures such as animals and plants live in the coastal environment. We must not forget that animals and plants are more sensitive to artificial light than humans. A light level that is sufficient for us may be too much for animals and plants. Birds living in and around the coastline can be harmed or even killed by the glare in the sky.
How to prevent light pollution in the coastal environment?
It is the light pollution given to the environment known as 'sky glow'. There are three ways to prevent light pollution in the coastal environment; reducing the light level and number of lights, keeping the lights off the beach and using full cut lights.
Since most animals are more sensitive to light than humans, reducing the light level and number of lights can reduce light penetration into animals' habitats to some extent. However, the reduction in the amount of light and light level should not pose a safety risk. An effective way to avoid adverse effects on marine life is to keep the lights off the coast. This means that the lighting distribution must be carefully designed. A diffuse light scatter can deflect light onto the shore and into the sea. Where possible repositioning existing lights and preventing light pollution to coastal species. To prevent sky glare, full cut-off and fully shielded lights should be used. The spilled light is blocked by the shields and the light can only be directed downwards. Downlight should only illuminate sidewalks and roads. Otherwise, the light will be scattered and sea creatures will be adversely affected.
The salty and humid coastal environment is a major challenge for outdoor lighting. Lights are more susceptible to corrosion and rust. In order to be more efficient in the harsh coastal environment, robust and quality materials are required. With adequate lighting, pedestrians can enjoy the beautiful scenery after dark. Beach lighting also contributes to public safety. It will be placed without posing a threat to the habitats of other living things and light pollution will be avoided. Lights should be kept away from the beach. Fully enclosed and fully shielded lights should be used.
We wish you good and healthy days.