LED Spotlights Solution for Coastal Property Managers
A particular issue plaguing South Florida ocean-front property managers over the last decade has been addressing human concern regarding sea turtle conservation. Condominium property maintenance seems far from the business of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWCC), but these two governing bodies have come together to solve how building lighting is adversely affecting sensitive coastal areas.
Boca Mar Association contacted our team here at Superior Lighting to create a lighting solution that would provide sufficient brightness for the residents of the building, consisting mostly of seniors, keeping safety first while preventing negative impact on the nestling sea turtles that come ashore nearby the property. The Association was aware of light pollution from local communities is threatening large segments of the sea turtle population. By insisting on turtle friendly outdoor lighting, the condo was following the FWCC and helping these and many other species cope with human encroachment of their habitats.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWCC) developed a model lighting ordinance as a guideline to help coastal counties and municipalities in Florida develop their own local ordinances to protect sea turtles from the adverse effects of artificial lighting. Keeping this ordinance in mind, our team at Superior Lighting selected the LED R20 Amber 5.8 Watt spotlights with non-corrosive ceramic canisters.
The amber color is pure, unlike ordinary bulbs that filter white light, and has been specifically selected by the FWCC to reduce attraction of turtles and other wildlife. The bulb is well suited for use in sensitive coastal areas such as Boca Mar, which is frequented by nesting sea turtles. This excellent down light emits the equivalent of a 50 watt incandescent bulb. After installation, Boca Mar the bulbs created an energy savings from 26 watts to only 8 watts and the R20 bulbs should lifespan is up to 50,000 hours.
Adapting to Sea Turtle Friendly Lighting can seem daunting for many property owners who at first glance. On a local level, we realize that property owners and managers must be aware that the sea turtle preservation with stringent lighting requirements is in no way to limit the safety of residences of properties located along the cost but instead to provide an overall positive improvement. Luckily, the team from Gumbo Limbo Environmental Complex worked with Boca Mar on the project, insuring the compliance with FWCC. Each facility faced with adapting to sea turtle lighting is actually becoming masterful in lighting design through simple and affordable methods.