Government Waste Makes For 'Light' Reading

[patric]

The proper and most efficient way to light... is with full cutoff and fully shielded lighting fixtures. Ms. Harder explained that desirable fixtures conceal bulbs, and they direct light straight down. In a non-shielded fixture, light goes in all directions, and 30 percent of it is wasted going straight up or sideways, Ms. Harder said. In a night sky-friendly fixture, that 30 percent is where it's needed, so a bulb with far less wattage can be used to achieve the same amount of lighting, she noted. The energy savings pays for replacing fixtures and then some, she added.

She went on to say that municipalities tend to pick street lamps based on how they look during the day, rather than how well they work at night. But villages don't need to sacrifice aesthetics for good lighting, she emphasized. Manufacturers produce shielded alternatives to nearly all their fixtures, she said.

http://www.27east.com/story_print.cfm?id=159289

What a far cry from Tulsa, where AEP-recommended (and Vision 2025 purchased) "Acorn" streetlights only place about 30% of their light on the streets at angles useful to human vision.  
If you want to address millions in wasteful spending by city government, that's one place to start.