THE INDIANA COUNCIL ON OUTDOOR LIGHTING EDUCATION
Environmental Impacts of Illuminated Billboards
A typical two-sided billboard is illuminated by four light fixtures on each side, each containing a 400 watt metal halide lamp. Each lamp and its associated electrical components draw 456 watts of electric current. Operating nightly from dusk to dawn it would consume 14,957 kilowatt hours of electricity each year.
About one-half ton of coal must be burned for each 1000 kwh consumed, so the typical billboard requires the burning of over 7 tons of coal annually. Doing so creates 46,400 pounds of carbon dioxide, a green house gas, 356 lbs. of sulfur dioxide which creates acid rain, 215 lbs. of nitrogen oxides which creates ground level ozone, and about .03 gram of mercury. Some health agencies report that from 0.1 parts per million to as little as .001 ppm of mercury vapor in the air causes long term ill-health effects. Coal ash also contains uranium and other heavy metals.
Indiana is 4th in the U.S. in nitrogen oxide emissions, 3rd in sulfur dioxide, 4th in carbon dioxide, and fifth in mercury. Indiana's population ranked 14th in the U.S. according to the 1990 census.
Based on information supplied by physics/astronomy professor George Nickas, ICOLE council member. George has served as an energy consultant.
Copyrighted 2000 ICOLE. Can be used for non-commercial purposes to promote outdoor lighting education, providing proper credit is given.