Wall-pack luminaires with high-pressure sodium (HPS) lamps are commonly used to provide outdoor illumination for all types of buildings and many parking lots, yet they are among the least-efficient fixtures made and provide poor glare control. The standard design approach makes a trade-off between good light distribution and glare/light pollution— designs that reduce glare also reduce the amount of light that reaches the ground. As a result, existing products use more energy than necessary to light up an area, and this contributes significantly to light pollution and light trespass.

Two new product prototypes were developed to reduce glare and improve the efficiency of outdoor luminaires. Prototypes of a low-glare wall sconce and a perimeter light use an advanced optical design, 100-watt (W) or 150-W ceramic metal-halide (CMH) lamps, and electronic ballasts to reduce energy use by up to 30 percent and minimize light pollution and glare. A manufacturer, Gardco Lighting, plans to introduce a commercial product based on these designs in 2006. The commercial product will feature a 70-W lamp as a replacement for a 175-W fixture.