The Zuidhoek-Nieuwkoop housing development in the Netherlands has a bat problem: there aren’t enough of them. The town is the feeding ground of a rare species, but the bright lights used to illuminate its streets at night were driving the animals away. Bats hunt in almost complete darkness, which causes them to avoid the bright lights that their insect prey is attracted to.
Enter ClearField technology from Philips Lighting (now Signify). According to the company, this technology utilizes “a special light recipe that is perceived by bats as darkness” and “a wavelength that doesn't interfere with a their internal compass.” These lights have a red hue that allows bats and humans to navigate normally.
The lights
were installed last week in an 89-house sustainable housing development.
Kate is a senior copy editor in Northern California. She holds a bachelor's degree in English with a minor in professional writing from the University of California, Davis.