Yard lighting. How to make outdoor lighting in the courtyard of a private house

Lighting should harmoniously fit into the situation on the site. The main attention is always focused on the house itself, and on the elements of the landscape and landscaping. Therefore, the most economical and, most importantly, expedient solution is festive lighting of the building and functional lighting of other details of the personal plot.

Cost-effectiveness

You should not spend fabulous money on highlighting the territory of the cottage, where you visit 2 weeks a year. On the other hand, over-saving can be detrimental to the feeling of comfort on the site. The optimal solution is the installation of an electrical circuit that involves connecting additional consumers in the future or replacing the used ones with more modern models.

Practicality in operation, maintenance and repair

Outdoor lighting should be reliable and easy to use. Therefore, it is necessary to carefully consider the control scheme and provide free access to each of the key elements of the system.

Outdoor lighting at home: types and features

Thanks to modern technologies, you can implement any, even the most daring and unusual design ideas for illuminating your personal plot. Sometimes combinations of different models of equipment and methods of controlling external lighting give the most unexpected results.

One of the more popular solutions is flood lighting... It will look great on the main part of the facade, emphasizing the volume and uniqueness of its architecture in the evening. For the implementation of the flood effect, LED lamps are perfect - they will emphasize the texture of the facade and help create a real kaleidoscope of color solutions that perfectly interact with the outer palette of the building.

Accent lighting country houses and summer cottages is used in the event that it is necessary to highlight certain fragments of the facade or landscape. With the help of such lighting, you can emphasize the aesthetics of various architectural elements - columns, statues, stucco moldings, an entrance group, etc.

Contour lighting buildings and structures, as well as landscape elements and furnishings on the site is performed using LED tubes. Such illumination of balconies, railings, roof elements, etc. able to make a country house and the area around it stylish and truly cozy. At the same time, LED tubes stand out for their ease of installation, and during operation they deliver a minimum of hassle, while consuming a very small amount of electricity.

Hidden backlight highlights the protruding parts or recesses of the facade, as well as the landscape and landscaping elements on the site. With the help of hidden lighting, you can transform cornices, balconies, window sills, stairs, etc. beyond recognition.

Private house courtyard lighting

To illuminate the local area, do not use overly powerful lamps. Because of them, everything that happens in your yard will be visible from the street at a glance, and it will become almost impossible to see what is happening outside the perimeter.

Illumination of the territory of the personal plot performs two functions:

decorative;
security.

Well-chosen lighting will transform the area around your country house or summer cottage beyond recognition. Street lamps and lamps will emphasize the beauty of a design solution and help hide its flaws, and a potential intruder will think twice before getting into your yard.

By the way, it is not at all necessary that the outdoor lighting of the personal plot consumes electricity from dusk to dawn - at any time you can install motion sensors. They will allow you to turn on the illumination of the perimeter, gates, paths, recreation areas and other improvement elements only when necessary, i.e. when someone is in the yard. On the one hand, this eliminates the need to manually control the backlight, and on the other hand, it does not allow even the slightest movement to go unnoticed.

When arranging the lighting of the local area, it is best to use the effect of a smooth fill. At the same time, it is recommended to install brighter lighting devices around the perimeter and on the gates in order to limit the view from the street.

Preparation for work

To make outdoor lighting convenient and reliable in operation, you should carefully consider its scheme. To do this, you will need to decide on the choice of lighting fixtures and the method of their installation. In addition, do not forget to establish how much and what equipment and materials you need to bring the idea of outdoor lighting to life as accurately as possible.

It is advisable to lay electrical cables in the local area hidden or, at least, so as not to harm the design. The most convenient way is to lay street lighting wiring underground, and for this you have to work with a shovel. It is possible that you will like the strip foundation option. It is poured on the sides of the paths, around the playground, gazebos, flower beds, etc. Provides really reliable protection of electrical wiring and installation of lamps. However, many people prefer to lay cables in small trenches, of course, with all the protection relying on in such cases.

But not only ground lighting devices are limited to outdoor lighting of a country house. After all, you can fix them on trees growing in the yard or on elements of household structures. At the same time, do not forget that with an open installation, the electrical wiring must be well protected from damage and, like the lighting equipment, from climatic factors.

The outdoor lighting panel is connected to the general electrical network of a country house, and the required length of electrical cables is calculated from it. Modern SCHNO are complex devices equipped with everything necessary for the uninterrupted operation of the system, including indication of the operation of its individual sections and alarm signals in the event of abnormal operating modes.

Outdoor lighting system automation

"Smart" lighting for personal plots is just beginning to come into fashion, but everything indicates the highest degree of comfort of such a solution. On the one hand, you will not need to run from switch to switch to illuminate a particular sector of the yard. On the other hand, the automation that controls the backlight allows you to save a lot of money on paying electricity bills.

The most difficult thing when installing external lighting for the courtyard of a country house is with the choice, installation and adjustment of automation. Think about exactly which groups of luminaires you want to connect motion sensors to, that is, about the zones where only emergency lighting is required. The latter is always connected to the SCHNO in a separate branch.

Firstly, about safety precautions. Installation work is performed only when the power is off. All connections of the electrical network, including consumer connection points, must be reliably insulated. If you are not familiar with the principle of operation of the equipment that is part of the outdoor lighting system, contact the specialists.

Secondly, about the reliability, durability and practicality of street lighting in operation. The main sections of the system, in particular, the points of installation of lamps, sensors, as well as controls should be located so as to provide free access to them for maintenance and replacement.

Thirdly, it does not hurt to provide for the connection of outdoor lighting to the emergency power system in the event of a complete power outage. And finally fourthly, the illumination scheme of the external territory should be calculated with a certain margin. In the future, this will allow you to modernize the environment around your country house without major events.

Installing outdoor lighting in a country house requires a certain skill, as well as a whole list of special tools and materials. They can be purchased at the nearest hardware store or asked from neighbors or acquaintances. By the way, it is better to carry out installation work together - this will save both energy and time.

If you chose the materials and equipment correctly, and the installation of outdoor lighting was carried out thoroughly, the appearance of your site at night will delight you and your guests for many years without causing any hassle.

Outdoor lighting plays a very important role in the infrastructure of any settlement. It is especially important for urban areas. Moreover, great importance should be given to street lighting of the local area.

Outdoor lighting of the area around the house

Lighting of the local area should be based not only on the law established by the authorities, but also on the relevant requirements and norms. What you should know in this case, our today's article will tell you.

House territory and its features

The adjoining territory represents the honor of the land plot, which is adjacent to the apartment building.

Note! According to the law of the Russian Federation, the right of ownership or use of all owners of a particular apartment building extends to the adjacent territory.

Part of the yard near the house

According to the law of the Russian Federation regarding urban land plots, the network-wide property within the adjoining territory includes:

land plot on which a house with many apartments was erected. The boundaries for the land plot of an apartment building are indicated in the state cadastral registration;
elements of landscaping, landscaping (lighting systems);
other objects that are intended to serve this house. This may include heating points, various transformer substations, as well as garages or collective parking lots, playgrounds. But all described objects must be within the boundaries of the land plot established by the cadastre.

Therefore, in order to understand the real boundaries of the cultivated territory, which the law of the country speaks about, you need to have on hand detailed information about this land plot. To do this, you must submit an application to the appropriate state cadastral registration authority. Here they issue a cadastral extract about a specific land plot. This statement should contain the following data:

the size and boundaries of the local area;
information about the owner.

As an owner, i.e. the one who is responsible for this territory can be:

city (municipality);
the right to use is granted to the owners of this apartment building;
adjoining territory, which is owned by the owners of the house.

Any delineation of powers between residents (users) and the city (owners) must be enshrined in a special agreement, as the law says.

Note! The law also says who pays to cover the area around the apartment building.

Courtyard lighting

A copy of the contract must be kept in your HOA or management company, as well as in the local administration.
The signed contract for the ownership of urban areas contains the following information:

operating conditions of the land plot (lighting, etc.);
the right and responsibility for the leasing of territories to third parties.

But in a situation where ownership rights to the adjacent territory belong only to the owners of an apartment building, there are certain nuances.

Features of the tenants' ownership of the adjoining territory

In a situation when its tenants act as owners of a land plot around an apartment building, the law will contain the following points:

The Housing Code of the Russian Federation states that residents of city houses for a large number of apartments are required to pay the costs that go to the maintenance of common property, including the street lighting system, in proportion to their share in the common property right. This means that it is not just the municipality that pays for street lighting;

Note! The share in the right to common ownership will be proportional to the total area of the premises that belongs to the person who has the right of ownership.

according to the Housing Code, owners are required to choose one of the options for managing an apartment building. This can be the management of an HOA, the management of a specific organization or other specialized consumer cooperative.

As a result, responsibility in this situation will be assigned to one of the above persons. Therefore, before demanding the installation of high-quality lighting of the attached territory, it is necessary to establish not only what the law says in this situation, but also who has the ownership right to this land plot and is responsible for it (who pays, repairs, etc.). As stated in the Housing Code of the Russian Federation, the entire cost of maintaining the street lighting system is included in utilities, as well as the structure of the payment for housing.

What else you should know about the local area and its lighting

The law (for example, the Housing Code, etc.) states that outdoor and indoor lighting of urban infrastructures (apartment buildings, adjoining territory, etc.) must rely in their organization on certain norms and requirements. All norms established for urban adjoining land plots are spelled out, as well as for internal premises, in SNiP. Here, first of all, in the matter of organizing street lighting, the role is assigned to the level of illumination.

Illumination standards of the local area

The fact is that each object of the local area (entrance, driveway, flower beds, etc.) must have its own specific level of illumination, which is based on both the purpose of the object and the human visual system. This means that the illumination of each object in the local area should not cause discomfort to the observer, as well as create full-fledged lighting.
This means that when organizing outdoor illumination of the courtyard of urban apartment buildings, the structures branching off for this (determined by the municipality) must rely on the norm established in the SNiP. Moreover, it is strictly forbidden to underestimate the illumination level below the established limits.

Requirements for the organization of courtyard lighting

The regulatory documentation (SNiP) indicates all the requirements that must be observed and adhered to when organizing outdoor lighting in the adjoining territory of any apartment building. Today, according to the law (the housing code of the Russian Federation and other documents), these include the following requirements:

illumination should be organized for any entrance. This means that the entrance to the staircase must be lit at night;

Entrance lighting

the number of luminaires installed along the carriageway must be such that the light emanating from them is not lower than the established illumination level;

Note! The management company or other organizations responsible for the organization of outdoor lighting, based on the level of illumination, determine the style of lamps, their limitation in functionality, etc.

high-quality and full-fledged lighting should be organized for the roadway, as well as playgrounds and parking spaces.

Achieving the required level of lighting in different parts of the city can be achieved in the following ways:

installation of wall lights above the entrance to the staircase. In this case, the height of the lanterns can be different. The higher the lantern and the more powerful the light bulb in it, the larger the circle of light formed by the lighting fixture will be;
lampposts placed along the roadway. With the help of such lamps, which are placed at the top with a pillar, you can qualitatively illuminate all parts of the yard: playgrounds, parking spaces, sidewalks and the roadway.

For optimal outdoor illumination of the adjacent territory of an apartment building, it is worth using both lighting options: facade wall lamps and lampposts. In such a situation, it is possible to achieve the optimal level of illumination of the yard at minimal cost, which will be balanced by economical light sources, as well as the number of lanterns and wall lamps. In this case, darkened areas of the territory can be avoided with a high probability.

Features of the supply of outdoor lighting

For urban apartment buildings, the building itself is used as a power source for the outdoor lighting system.

Lighting in the courtyard of a high-rise building

To account for the consumed electricity in this situation, a general house electric meter is used. In this regard, the costs will be distributed to all owners. In this regard, in order to reduce costs under this item, economical light sources began to be installed for lighting streets and courtyards located near apartment buildings: fluorescent, gas-discharge and LED bulbs. From this list, the maximum energy savings can be achieved using LED light sources.
Some believe that motion sensors can help reduce the cost of paying for electricity consumed by an outdoor lighting system.

Motion Sensor

These devices have shown high efficiency at home, but on the street as an element of the outdoor lighting system of the adjoining territory of an apartment building, they showed a less successful result. The fact is that here the work of motion sensors will not be entirely correct. This is due to the fact that although the time for turning on the lighting can be programmed depending on the natural level of illumination, the device can react to the flight of a bird or the movement of pets. As a result, the frequency of false alarms in those moments when the light is not needed will be several times higher.

Note! Frequent switching on and off of lights is often more negative for the outdoor lighting grid than a constantly burning light.

Modern lighting devices HOA and ZhSK, equipped with photocells, to a certain extent, are devoid of the above problems, since they have several modes of operation (for example, on duty).

Additional features of outdoor lighting

Since the outdoor lighting fixtures for the adjoining territory of any apartment building can be located within the reach of a person, without the use of additional means (for example, stairs), additional protection of the fixtures from vandals is needed. In this regard, all lighting installations located in the courtyard of an apartment building must be equipped with anti-vandal devices.

Vandal-proof luminaire protection

This will prevent premature damage to the luminaire.

Conclusion

It is necessary to approach the organization of lighting in the local area of any apartment building not only taking into account the letter of the law, but also the norms that must be adhered to. This will allow high-quality lighting of the house and spend a minimum of effort, time and money on maintaining this system.

When it gets dark outside, a feeling of discomfort appears. Unlit places are dangerous. You may stumble, bump into an obstacle, or be injured. In the dark, the risk of being attacked or stolen increases. Therefore, there is a need for street lighting at night. But quite often we are faced with the fact that in the yard or on the street there are no lights or are completely absent. This happens especially often in areas of new buildings or residential complexes, apartment buildings in residential areas.

Street lighting on poles - who serves? What if there is no lighting near residential buildings? Where to go or where to call in this case? Let's try to understand these issues.

The scope of the outdoor lighting service

The street lighting service carries out maintenance, maintenance and repair of structures, namely:

prevention and care of structures;
changing lamps, monitoring the health of equipment and power grids;
switchgear inspection and regular cleaning;
inspection of telemechanical control devices, street lighting installations with verification of all structural elements;
cleaning reflectors, reflectors. Minor repair of contact connections and fasteners;
painting the metal surfaces of devices, taking into account the fact that it is necessary to restore coatings once every 3 years;
current repairs with a set of measures;
capital repairs.

In the case of manual control of the lighting system, schedules are drawn up for turning on and off the devices.

Procedure for solving street lighting problems

State and municipal executive authorities are responsible for controlling street lighting. They are authorized to enter into contracts with organizations serving street lighting fixtures. First you need to contact your local government to find out the main points:

information about the customer who has entered into a lighting service contract;
a specific lighting service area is under federal or municipal jurisdiction;
which organization is in charge of providing lighting for the street in question.

It is better to submit an appeal in writing indicating the area with no lighting and a request to fix the problem.

Having received the necessary information, you need to make two complaints: to the customer and the service organization. And only if measures are not taken after the expiration of the 30-day period, contact a higher authority. More details about the general principles of organizing local self-government in the Russian Federation and the city lighting system can be found in Art. 16 of the Federal Law of 06.10.2003. No. 131-FZ.

The permissible number of non-working street lamps, according to the rules of sanitary maintenance, is no more than 10% in the underpass and 5% in the lighting of the adjacent territory.

If there is no light in the courtyard of the house, the management company is responsible for the street lighting, its serviceability and availability. First, you need to draw up an act in which you state all known information about the fact of the lack of lighting: address, house number, date and signatures of neighbors or an elder in the house, indicating his phone number and other data. The act is required to be drawn up in two copies in order to receive a stamp on your copy of the date and the person in charge who received the document.

If possible, supplement your requirement to eliminate the problem with photographs of the area in which there is no necessary lighting or it does not meet the lighting standards. According to Art. 314 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation, an authorized representative of the company within 7 working days will have to check the data set forth in the act-application, answer the question about eliminating the breakdown of the device or the possibility of replacement or installation, if there is none at all.

If the management company ignores your requirements, there will be grounds for recalculating the amount of payment for the maintenance of the house and filing a complaint with the administration of the municipality or the prosecutor's office. It is better if the appeal is collective, including the signatures of all adult residents of the house or houses standing in an unlit area. If after 30 days the answer is not received, and no one will take care of the lighting, then you can submit documents to the court.

Lighting in villages and rural settlements

In the conditions of rural life, the issue of illumination of the territory is almost always acute. Even if there is a sufficient number of devices, then, as a rule, they do not light up in the dark or are turned on only for a few hours. SNiP 23-05-95 regulates the lighting standards for village squares, according to which at least 8/10 of the territory should be illuminated. The only exceptions are very small settlements, where the standard establishes the presence of two street lamps: at the entrance and exit.

Funding for rural areas is provided by the Federal Treasury. The money is distributed by the administration, which decides on the installation and operation of the lighting. The local municipality, according to Law No. 131-FZ, is responsible for the maintenance and provision of lighting.

However, there is always not enough money, there is nothing to pay the power sales departments for repair or other technical work. Therefore, to date, the problem of lighting in rural areas is still not resolved, however, like many other issues of the development of villages and agriculture in general.

Lighting standards for street areas

To ensure the proper level of illumination, there are SNiP standards that determine the standards for streets, roads and other external territories, and instructions for the design of outdoor lighting in settlements.

Conventionally, the territories of settlements are divided into 3 types:

local roads and streets;
streets and roads of regional significance;
high-speed roads.

Indicators of the average illumination level depend on the traffic intensity:

adjoining territories should have illumination of 4 lux or more;
squares, roads, streets with a traffic of up to 500 people per hour - the illumination rate is 6 lux;
from 500 - 8 suites;
from 550 to 1000 - at least 10 suites;
streets of regional significance and highways with traffic intensity of 1000 people require 15 suites;
with the passage of 3,000 people or more, a luminous flux of 20 lux should be provided;
bridges, junctions, road overpasses and city squares, according to the standards, require illumination level of 20 or 25 lux.

Types of pillars and rules for their installation

To ensure a sufficient level of light for the maximum area, it is necessary to install the luminaires at a certain height. For this, special supports are used - pillars, which are made of various materials:

Wood. Softwood is used for lighting fixtures. These poles are inexpensive, lightweight and easy to install. In addition, they are reasonably safe in emergency situations. The disadvantages include their fragility, they require special treatment against decay and do not have a good appearance.

Concrete. Supports are of low cost. They are easy to operate and durable enough. The disadvantages of the structures are the rough appearance and the fear of the proximity of the passage of groundwater.
Reinforced concrete. Poles of this type are durable, not sensitive to corrosion, and inexpensive. Disadvantages: High installation and maintenance costs during operation. The appearance is the same as for concrete supports.
Metal (steel or aluminum). Such supports are durable, strong, stable and decorative enough. The disadvantages include the high cost and the need for periodic painting.

When installing poles for lighting fixtures, you must pay due attention to the foundation . For lawn installation, the depth should be at least 80 cm.With other types of installation of poles, immersion in the ground must be made to a depth of 160 cm.

Other requirements include the following standards:

distance between supports - at least 60 cm;
lining up the pillars in one row;
lining up in two rows with a rectangular or checkerboard pattern.

The remoteness of the devices from the road curb depends on the traffic intensity:

roads not used by freight transport - 0.3 m;
minor roads - 0.6 m;
highway - 1 m.

Types of outdoor lamps and the advantages of LED luminaires

Various lamps are used in street lighting:

mercury;
sodium;
metal halide lamps;
LED.

In recent years, more and more city streets are filled with LED lights. A number of indisputable advantages of lamps of this type allows you to close the eyes of zealous and wise officials at a fairly high cost. Distinctive features of LED street lights are:

durability;
strength;
high resistance to vibration, humidity, temperature changes, dust;
profitability;
emitting an even and bright light that does not dazzle drivers and pedestrians.

The importance and necessity of street lighting on poles is undeniable: for road safety, for the convenience of pedestrians, for a sense of security and comfort in the dark.

The current standards for apartment buildings (MKD) provide for the presence of lighting devices in the entrance, as well as in the courtyard near the entrance to the front door. If the site adjacent to the apartment building is jointly owned by the homeowners, then the lighting of the courtyard areas is the responsibility of the management company. The choice of lighting devices and the organization of lighting are decided by the general meeting of apartment owners.

Is it the responsibility of the management company to illuminate the courtyard areas?

Certain difficulties with the organization of lighting for the courtyard zones of the MKD are associated with the fact that the current legislation does not have a clear explanation of the concept of “courtyard territory”. Currently, lawyers use the definition that is presented in the government decree of the Russian Federation under the number 491 (13.08.06). This document indicates that the common property includes the land plot assigned to the MKD, as well as the objects of improvement and maintenance of the house located on it. To define such an area, the term adjoining (or courtyard) territory is often used.

Confirmation of the opinion that lighting the courtyard is the responsibility of the authorities can be found in Federal Law No. 131 (06.10.03). This act states that the territorial administration is responsible for lighting the land plot near the MKD. She is in charge of organizing and controlling the lighting of the courtyard area at night. To implement this function, administrations conclude appropriate agreements with companies that provide energy supply. The same contracts for the installation and maintenance of street, facade and access power supply devices are drawn up with other specialized enterprises. For their part, apartment owners are trying to prescribe obligations for organizing lighting of courtyard areas in agreements with management companies. After the introduction of such a clause, all responsibility for this problem rests with the enterprise, which ensures the solution of all issues related to the life of the MKD.

The range of tasks related to the energy supply of the courtyard area includes providing illumination at night for such objects as:

entrances and footpaths;
entrances to the courtyard;
yard parking areas for vehicles;
playgrounds for children;
utility sites.

According to the current SNiP, the lighting of the courtyard of an apartment building is designed depending on the functional purpose of individual zones. So, if for parking lots the illumination level should be about 2 lux, then for children's sports grounds - 10 lux. The selection of lighting devices is carried out by the management company. These can be both ordinary street lamps and facade lamps. It should be noted that management organizations do not always deal with courtyard lighting. This is due to the clear definition of its areas of responsibility in relation to the maintenance of the territories adjacent to the MKD. For example, such companies are responsible for cutting trees near an apartment building, but not in a yard. There are two ways to resolve such inconsistencies:

The yard plot can be transferred to the owners of the apartments for the arrangement of the cellars. Therefore, maintaining order in this area, lighting and landscaping are included in the list of their duties.
The courtyard area is at the disposal of the municipal authority, and residents of MKD should contact the regional department of communal services for cleaning it from trees.

Similar options can take place in relation to the lighting of courtyard areas. Lighting masts and poles can be on the balance sheet of local authorities or energy companies, and, therefore, it makes no sense to present any requirements to the management company. Repair and maintenance of lighting in the courtyard must be carried out by the owners of the lighting equipment.

The responsibility of the managing organization for the maintenance and organization of lighting in the courtyard and common property must be accurately described in the contract. Therefore, to draw up such a document, you need to involve a qualified lawyer who understands the needs of apartment owners.

Responsibilities of the management company for the operation and repair of MKD and yard property:

Provide all the necessary conditions for the safety of the home.
Carry out regular monitoring of the condition of the yard property and promptly eliminate the identified deficiencies.
Carry out repair of MKD and carry out its preparation for operation in winter.
Carry out emergency work on the repair of indoor equipment.
Carry out measures aimed at compliance with fire safety.
Ensure that technical systems and equipment are maintained in a condition necessary for the provision of quality utilities.
Maintain the yard in accordance with sanitary requirements.
Carry out the removal of household and other waste from the courtyard and adjacent areas.
Take measures for the collection and disposal of energy-efficient lighting devices.
Install, maintain and replace metering devices that are in common household use.
Promote economical consumption of electricity and heat.

The agreement of the tenants of the house with the management company should include the obligations of the latter for the proper maintenance of the yard area, including maintaining cleanliness and organizing lighting. If the conditions described in the agreement are not met, administrative penalties may be applied to the Criminal Code. The determination of the limits of the courtyard territory is carried out in accordance with the land act, which is held by the head of the managing organization and must be presented at the request of the owners of apartments in MKD. With regard to the maintenance of the local area, the Criminal Code must perform the following measures:

carry out regular cleaning of the yard area;
carry out gardening of the yard area;
cleaning the yard and removing food waste and household waste;
equip children's sports grounds and maintain them in proper condition.

All these provisions do not answer the question: who should pay for lighting the courtyard area? Outdoor lighting in any form (supporting / unsupported, connected to a transformer substation, etc.) has never been paid from the city budget. In Soviet times, these costs were borne by housing trusts. But today such organizations do not exist. Federal Law No. 131 "On the General Principles of Organization of Local Self-Government in the Russian Federation" classifies the provision of street lighting, signs, house numbers and other similar objects as issues within the competence of local authorities. But the city authorities have their own opinion on this matter. Here it is customary to divide lighting into street and yard. In other words, only the outer part of the MKD can be considered a street. Therefore, the lighting of the yard area is the concern of the residents of the house.

One can note the emergence of such a concept as private ownership of common house property. It includes the courtyard and common facilities located on it, including lighting equipment. The logic here is as follows: if tenants use lanterns, then they must pay for their maintenance and other expenses for lighting the yard area, including electricity. At the same time, according to the regulations, only devices for illuminating MKD numbers, as well as lamps illuminating the entrance group and the points of location of fire hydrants, can belong to yard power supply devices. There are many examples when responsible local government officials take responsibility for providing lighting for MKD courtyards.

For example, S. Sobyanin back in 2011 ordered the Moscow Control Committee to monitor the targeted use of budget funds allocated for the reconstruction and improvement of courtyards. After the weather disasters associated with the December ice shower, the Moscow mayor criticized the organization of snow removal in the yards and cleaning the roofs of the MKD. He demanded to impose administrative fines on contractors who were supposed to perform such work. The Moscow government that year allocated 12 billion rubles for the reconstruction of courtyard areas. (of which 2.6 billion rubles was spent on repair work in the entrances). Sobyanin stressed that the improvement of the courtyard areas provides for the reconstruction of children's sports grounds and the installation of modern equipment for lighting the courtyards and noted the importance of informing residents of the MKD about the planned activities.

The size of the area of the adjoining territory of an apartment building

Lighting of courtyard areas is paid within the framework of the ODN

The item of expenditures for general household needs, which include lighting of courtyard areas, in utility bills causes a lot of dissatisfaction on the part of homeowners. In the receipts, the line for the payment of ONE appeared in 2013. Until that time, apartment owners paid only for the resources consumed inside their homes. The ODN was financed from budgetary funds.

Why was it decided to assign responsibility for the maintenance of the house and lighting of the courtyard area to the apartment owners? All tenants of the house, being the owners of the common property of the MKD, must cover all the costs of operating and maintaining the building. Therefore, it was decided that the owners of housing, being co-owners of common property (non-residential premises and courtyard territory), should bear all the costs of their maintenance.

The legal force of this decision is determined by clause 40 of the "Rules for the provision of public services to owners and users of premises in MKD and residential buildings." This decree was approved by the Government of the Russian Federation dated 06.05.2011 No. 354. On the basis of this document, homeowners must pay for services that are provided inside apartments and in premises related to public property in the MKD. Attached to the above Regulation No. 354 is Appendix No. 2, which contains the calculation formulas.

Accruals are carried out regardless of the stay or absence of the apartment owners and includes such costs as:

Sanitary and hygienic measures: cleaning of entrances, staircases, elevators and the local area.
Leakage of consumption resources from centralized engineering networks (gas, heat, water and power supply) as a result of emergencies, scheduled flushing, hydraulic tests and other systems.
Improvement of the adjoining territory of MKD: arrangement of playgrounds, lighting of the courtyard area, landscaping and landscape design.
Heating and lighting of common building premises (basements, attics, entrances).
Payment for the operation and maintenance of elevators, intercoms, security systems, antennas and other devices.

Therefore, the costs of lighting the courtyard areas are included in the ODN accounts. Payment to the owners of MKD is charged monthly and is indicated in the receipts for utilities.

From July 1, 2016, the charge for the general use of energy resources, including the lighting of courtyard areas, is carried out by the method of summing up the readings of metering devices and ODN standards. Accruals are carried out taking into account the total area of the MKD property, the amenities of the house and the area of each apartment. In some cases, for the proportional distribution of payment, it is not the personal area of the premises that is taken into account, but the number of people living in the apartment. Payment for electricity consumption in excess of the established rate is assigned to the management organization. Starting from July 2016, payment for the total consumed electricity, including lighting of courtyard areas, is charged in accordance with the established standard. So, since July 2016, the bill for the total electricity used to illuminate the courtyard and entrances has been issued in accordance with the standard. Debts for utilities can be collected from non-paying owners in court.

Expert opinion

Loss of electricity cannot be avoided

V. D. Shcherban,

Chairman of the HOA "Moskovskaya 117", Kaluga

Some tenants are trying to underestimate the indicators of consumed electricity, or the owner of the apartment does not update an outdated meter, which has expired. As a result, this leads to data corruption. The operation of any metering device is based on electricity consumption. In addition, they have a sensitivity threshold, and the flow below the set limit is not detected by the equipment. Outdated models of metering devices do not give as accurate data as modern meters. The measurement error for each equipment can monthly reach 1.5–3 kWh and more. If you multiply this error by the total number of appliances in the house, then the amount will be impressive!

Another reason for technical losses is poor cable quality. In new buildings with modern utilities, losses are much lower than in old buildings. New buildings use copper cable for wiring, while older buildings still have aluminum wiring. The use of different compounds for connecting cables contributes to electrical resistance and possible losses. No one is engaged in accurate calculations of such leaks, and they do not explain this to homeowners. Fortunately, such "little things" are counted by the public meter.

All these nuances contribute to an increase in the indicators of electricity consumed in the ODN and lighting of the courtyard, and the payment for the excessive consumption of energy resources falls on the owners and tenants of apartments. As an example, we can take our house with 60 apartments, in which almost all accounting devices have been updated to devices with anti-magnetic stickers. Common household appliances that consume electricity include an intercom, video surveillance system, staircase and courtyard lighting, provider equipment, and automatic gates. A separate electricity meter is provided for all public utilities, and LED lamps and motion sensors on the ground floor are used to ensure energy-efficient consumption.

So, in 2015, the consumption of electricity in our house looked like this:

The norm of monthly common house consumption, in accordance with the established Rules No. 306 for the provision of utilities, is 350 kW * h.
In fact, over this period of time, electricity consumption amounted to about 220 kW * h, which is below the established norm.
The difference between the collective consumption of the residents of the building inside the apartments and the total supply of energy is 660 kWh. This figure is twice the established norm and three times the electricity consumption for public systems.
Technical losses are 50 kW * h, losses of apartment meters - 180 kW * h. In total, the total amount of losses in the house was 450 kWh. Experts could not find out where the missing 210 kWh went.

Land surveying of the local area: the pros, cons and the procedure for paperwork

How are electricity meters installed to illuminate courtyard areas

Electricity metering devices for operation in a multi-storey building are installed to solve the following tasks:

determine the total consumption of electricity that is used for the needs of the building: lighting of the courtyard and entrances, maintenance of elevators;
establish the amount of electricity consumed by apartments in a multi-storey building;
identify unauthorized connection to the household power grid.

Collective metering devices are installed at the expense of the residents of the high-rise building. There are several ways to equip MKD with meters.

The decision to install meters is made at a meeting of residents of the house. After that, funds are collected for the purchase and installation of equipment. This usually happens in houses where there is a public committee of residents or apartment owners are responsible for saving utility costs and know their benefits from using metering devices. The financing of the solution for the installation of meters occurs at the expense of general household funds, according to Art. "Maintenance". If there is not enough money on the current account, funds are additionally collected from residents of the apartment building. If the collection of money is approved by a majority of votes of apartment owners, then even those who were against this decision will donate funds.

With the passive participation of homeowners, the decision on all issues regarding the purchase and installation of equipment for electricity metering is taken by the Criminal Code independently. Funds are partially withdrawn in accordance with the item "Routine repairs". The rest of the money is collected from the tenants of the house, or the appliances are bought in installments.

In the absence of consensus between the management company and apartment owners on the installation of meters, the energy company independently establishes the procedure for providing residential buildings with metering devices. In this case, the decision is made by the electricity supplier, which is notified in writing to the Criminal Code, and independently performs all the work on the installation of equipment. According to the law, apartment owners have no right to interfere with the work of the company's specialists and are obliged to provide them with access to basements and internal power grids. Payment for the meters and for the work on their installation is imposed on homeowners with the possibility of an installment plan for a period of 5 years, taking into account the interest rate of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation at the exchange rate.

The categorical refusal of home owners to install collective meters that determine the consumption of electricity entails administrative responsibility and the imposition of penalties on the management company, HOA or the electricity supplier.

If tenants refuse to purchase accounting equipment and pay for its maintenance, the case is considered in court. In practice, such proceedings are not decided in favor of the residents of the house. In addition to the amount of the claim, they must also pay for legal services.

Responsibilities for removing data from the public meter are assigned to the management organization and are carried out in the presence of the head of the housing council or his deputy. The electricity supply company, for its part, can request data from the meters at any time. Homeowners are prohibited from blocking access to shared electricity meters for employees of the energy saving company and employees of the management company.

Expert opinion

The payment for the lighting of courtyard areas can be calculated in different ways

Anna Lezhnina,

leading editor-expert of the help system "MKD Management"

Based on Part 1 of Art. 157 of the RF LC, payment of utility bills, including lighting of courtyard areas, is determined based on the general readings of metering devices, and in their absence, it is calculated on the basis of consumption standards, which are approved by the relevant authorities.

Government Decree No. 354 of 6.05.11 approved the Rules for the provision of utilities to owners and users of premises in MKD (hereinafter Rules No. 354), on the basis of which the consumer separately pays for the following services as part of utility bills:

provided for users of residential and non-residential premises;
received in the course of exploitation of common property in MKD (utility services for ODN).

From 01.01.17, the provision of this norm is valid for those categories of homeowners who:

chose the form of direct management of MKD;
did not choose a control method;
did not implement the chosen form of management.

With such forms of management of an apartment building as UO, HOA, ZhK, ZhKK, payment for hot and cold water supply, electricity, sewerage, courtyard lighting and other services consumed in the maintenance of home property is included in the payment that is provided for the maintenance of the residential premises ...

To determine the inclusion of payment for electricity spent on the lighting of courtyard areas, at the expense of ODN, it is necessary to understand whether the equipment used is the property of the MKD or not.

The calculation for the volume of used common building utilities and for the lighting of courtyard areas in the presence of an ODU is divided proportionally between consumers, taking into account the size of the total area that is their property or in temporary use, residential and non-residential premises according to formulas 11-14 of Appendix No. 2 to Regulation No. 354 According to these formulas, the readings of the ODPU are taken as a basis.

If the MKD is not equipped with an ODPU, then the volumes of the general public utilities are determined in accordance with formula 15 of Appendix No. 2 to Rules No. 354. According to these calculations, the volume of the service is the product of the energy consumption standard (for general household needs) and the total area of the premises that are included in the common property.

For the unit of measurement of the electricity consumed for the lighting of the courtyard territory, indicators of 1 kW * h per 1 m 2 of the total area of the premises belonging to the property of the MKD are taken.

Regarding the total area of the rooms of an apartment building, the total area of the premises of common property, the total residential and non-residential area, the letter of the Ministry of Regional Development dated November 22, 2012 No. 29433-VK / 19 indicates the need for determination based on the information specified in the registration certificate of the house.

Payment for electricity consumption for ONE is calculated according to the indicators of metering devices, if such are equipped with MKD, or, when calculating, they are based on the total area of the premises belonging to the MKD.

Improvement of the territory of houses and everything you need to know about it

What to do if the lighting of the courtyard of an apartment building is violated

If you cannot solve the problem with electricity on your own, then you need to contact the company's specialists for help. Responsibilities for troubleshooting the lighting of courtyard areas are assigned to the Criminal Code. Otherwise, residents can contact the administration that controls the activities of the Criminal Code. Residents are entitled to change the management organization if it does not fulfill or does not cope with its obligations.

In the absence of lighting in the courtyard or in case of faulty lighting devices, an application to the Criminal Code is submitted in writing. In it, apartment owners must indicate the reason for their appeal. This paper with the substantiation of the problem is signed by the owners of apartments in the amount of at least 3 people (the chairman of the house, the head of the entrance and neighbors). As documentary evidence, photographs of the courtyard, taken in the evening and indicating the problem, are attached to the act. The act drawn up by the residents, along with a photo, is provided to the Criminal Code. After that, for a week, the veracity of the complaint is checked, an audit is carried out and an internal investigation is carried out. The results obtained are recorded in the act. A copy of the drawn up document is sent to the applicants together with a notification of the decision regarding the adoption of measures to eliminate the problem.

On the basis of the Housing Code, all financial expenses provided for the maintenance of joint property and lighting of the courtyard area are divided between tenants in proportion to the total area of their apartments. Since this space belongs to common property, the payment for its lighting is also borne by the property owners. The costs of supplying electricity to the yard area are determined by general metering devices, proportionally distributed among residents and included in utility bills.

If the space near the entrances is not documented as the property of the apartment owners, the administration is responsible for the electricity costs for street lighting. In this situation, the courtyard area does not belong to joint property, which means that payment for the supply of electricity cannot be included in the receipt for utilities and is considered illegal.

How and when are the calibration and repair of energy metering devices carried out?

How to save money on courtyard lighting

In many panel buildings with a typical layout, there are lighting devices for courtyard areas such as a Mercury Cantilever Street lamp with 125-watt DRL lamps. Such equipment is installed at a height of up to 6 m at an angle of 60 0. At night, lamps are usually turned off due to high electricity consumption and the lack of automatic control devices.

Even with a working courtyard lighting system and using an economical and efficient DRL lamp (light output is more than three times that of an incandescent lamp), the total luminous flux coefficient for an RKU lamp is not more than 0.5.

The main problem with yard lighting fixtures is the height of the installation, which makes it difficult to replace light sources. A failed power supply system is the cause of increased injuries, a decrease in the level of safety of citizens and is considered a violation of SanPiN 2.1.2.2645-10.

Residents' statements that the lighting of the courtyard interferes with sleep are considered unfounded.

Lighting standards for courtyard areas with outdoor light installations are determined by SP52.13330.2011, according to which the total illumination level using various devices installed on residential buildings should not be higher than 5 lux. Exceeding the established indicator can be for several reasons:

incorrect installation of the lamp;
displacement of lighting devices or lamps;
high lamp power.

For lighting devices for courtyard areas installed above the entrance area of the entrance, higher standards are determined. The terms of reference "Lighting of courtyard areas" should provide for such areas with an illumination level of at least 6 lux.

Illumination of courtyard areas is carried out using DRL, DRI, KLE lamps, LED floodlights and lamps.

Mercury arc fluorescent lamp- the most popular type of lamps used for courtyard and industrial lighting. Compared to other lighting devices, DRL lamps have a low light output, but no additional energy-intensive igniting devices are required to start them. The disadvantages of DRL lamps include the presence of mercury of about 100 mg, electronic ballast, which reduces the efficiency of the luminaire, and reaching the rated power for 7 minutes.

Metal halide arc mercury with radiant additives... This kind of lamp is widely used as architectural lighting and yard floodlight. Among gas-discharge lamps, they have the highest luminous efficiency with a minimum decrease in luminous flux during long-term operation.

The main disadvantages of DRL and DRI lamps include:

high dependence of the luminous flux on the supply voltage;
high heat transfer;
danger of explosion of the lamp;
high pulsation of the luminous flux;
the content of mercury in the lamp is about 25 mg;
long start-up time - from 2 to 10 minutes.

Energy saving compact lamp used to illuminate the courtyard area. The highest performance indicators of such devices are determined in temperature conditions from -50 0 to +30 0. At lower temperatures, the intensity of the luminous flux decreases and the time to reach the normalized mode increases.

LED floodlights... Despite the large abundance of LED lamps in the domestic market, most of them are cheap Chinese-made products with the name of a well-known brand, made in a metal halide lamp housing with a radiator and built on an LED matrix.

The main disadvantages of LED devices when illuminating courtyard areas include:

low luminous efficiency of the matrix luminous flux (about 70 lumens per watt);
hindered heat removal from a concentrated heat source (LED matrix);
poor performance under low temperature conditions;
the complexity of the maintenance of the lamp.

What is the difference between a lamp and a spotlight? A luminaire is a device for diffusing and directing a light flux to illuminate buildings, adjoining areas, streets and interiors. Their principle of operation is based on the redistribution of electricity within large solid angles. As a result, the illuminated area is filled with light. Observing the rules and conditions for installing the luminaires, a low glare effect of the device is ensured.

If it is necessary to create a high intensity of the light flux (concentrated light) with a clear directionality to illuminate the courtyard, then focusing elements (lenses or reflectors) are installed in the lamps. Such a lamp will already be called a spotlight. When installing such a device to illuminate the courtyard, strict requirements must be observed. Among the main ones are the height and direction of the light flux, which reduce the glare. If we take a flashlight as an example, then its main purpose is to shine only forward. But when you remove the reflector, it already turns into an ordinary lamp.

RKU lamp with DRL-125 lamp it is used as a standard option for illuminating the courtyard area. Differs in high energy consumption and low light output. The lamp contains mercury vapor. Its main advantages for illuminating the courtyard area include low cost and long service life.

Halogen cantilever outdoor lamp with lamp DRI-70... Modification of the device with a DRL-125 lamp. This luminaire provides 50% more light output. But the cost of such a lamp is almost 5 times more, and the service life is 2 times less. It contains mercury and differs only in improved illumination indicators.

Incandescent cantilever outdoor lamp for 105 W KLE lamp does not provide any advantages over the DRL-125. Therefore, it is not profitable to replace the RCU model with the DRL-125 with it for financial reasons. The positive moment of installing the LVCD model consists only in the lowest installation cost.

50W LED floodlight is the most inexpensive source of diode lighting. In terms of lighting performance, this option is inferior to all others, but, due to its low price, it has a minimum payback period.

LED luminaire SLG-ST24- This is the most expensive device for illuminating the courtyard area, which, at the same time, has a maximum operating period. Another advantage of this option is the highest strength. The main advantages of the SLG-ST24 include powerful and economical lighting.

The most efficient and economical solution for your yard light is automatic lighting control by means of an astronomical relay... This equipment has a program that adjusts the switching on / off of the lighting lamps depending on the sunrise / sunset. She herself adjusts the operation of courtyard lighting according to the annual cycle of the duration of daylight hours, depending on the season and regional location.

A more affordable option for automating the courtyard lighting process is photo relay... This device manages the light based on the information about the illumination level of the area. For the relay to work properly, you must strictly follow the rules for its placement. Therefore, it is better to entrust such operations to professionals in the field of electrical engineering. It is important to ensure that no artificial light from different sources (advertising, facade lighting, car headlights, light from windows, etc.) falls on the sensitive part of the relay. In addition, dust, snow or rain will interfere with the normal operation of the device, which will reduce the sensitivity of the photocell. For ease of maintenance, it is better to install such a relay near the entrance window structure. The main thing is not to install the photo relay under a canopy, canopy or protruding balcony. In this case, the duration of the courtyard lighting will greatly increase. Experimental measurements have shown that with such an installation, the operating time of the lighting fixtures will increase by an average of 1.5 hours per day. Therefore, with a large number of yard lamps, the energy overrun will be insignificant.