Gulf Gates Street Light Issue and LED Color Temperature Controversy
In Gulf Gate, FPL installed 4000K LED lights in 2018 despite advice for a maximum of 3000K in 2016. The American Medical Association recommends a maximum of 3000K for street lights due to the harmful effects of blue light at night. Other cities advocate for even lower color temperatures like 2700K for residential areas for reduced health and environmental impact. The Sierra Club emphasizes the importance of adhering to lower Kelvin LED fixtures to prioritize public health and the environment over higher color temperatures.
Download Presentation
Please find below an Image/Link to download the presentation.
The content on the website is provided AS IS for your information and personal use only. It may not be sold, licensed, or shared on other websites without obtaining consent from the author. If you encounter any issues during the download, it is possible that the publisher has removed the file from their server.
You are allowed to download the files provided on this website for personal or commercial use, subject to the condition that they are used lawfully. All files are the property of their respective owners.
The content on the website is provided AS IS for your information and personal use only. It may not be sold, licensed, or shared on other websites without obtaining consent from the author.
E N D
Presentation Transcript
Gulf Gates Street Light Problem Summary FPL installed 4000K led lights in 2018; said in 2016 3000K should be max. FPL offers a 3000K LED for the fixtures currently used in Gulf Gate at same cost; it s unclear why county advice was ignored. Updated Nov. 18, 2023
Background: Measuring Lights Color CCT stands for Correlated Color Temperature. It defines the color not brightness of a light source and is measured in kelvin (K). Kelvin reflects the equivalent color of a heated metal object to that temperature.
Background: Blue Light Blue light is shorthand for wavelengths roughly between 450 and 495 nanometers. Normal during the day; not at night.
4000K = Harm at Night From 2016 AMA Guidance 3-4 years after AMA guidance, FPL changed Gulf Gate from 2100K HPS lighting to 4000K LED Many negative effects from blue light at night Apple and Google devices now automatically eliminate blue light at night.
says 3000K max + shields https://www.ama-assn.org/press-center/press-releases/ama-adopts-guidance-reduce- harm-high-intensity-street-lights adopted by AMA on July 14, 2016
Other Cities Demand 2,700K LEDs max for all residential https://ddot.dc.gov/page/streetlights Residential areas are served best from the use of LED lights in the 2200-K to 2700-K range. LEDs with a color temperature of 2700-K are a close proximity to standard incandescent bulbs and cause minimal side effects and are pleasing to most people's eyes.
Sierra Club says 2700K max Installing 3000-Kelvin LED fixtures instead of 2700 Kelvin or lower flouts the D.C. Council's clearly stated preference for goods and services that are "less harmful to human health and the environment when compared with competing goods or services that serve the same purpose."14 The experience of other jurisdictions demonstrates that DDOT can light all the District's streets to national standards with 2700-Kelvin LEDs. Phoenix has successfully installed 2700 Kelvin city-wide, regardless of street category or surrounding land usage. Los Angeles County plans to install 2700 Kelvin for all the streetlights it owns and is investigating the option of 2200 Kelvin. https://www.sierraclub.org/dc/blog/2022/02/changes-needed-dc-street-light-plans
FPL can correct to 3000K for no additional operating costs. FPL offers a 3000K for the AEL Contemporary fixture they deployed in Gulf Gate, and it s the same revenue code. Shouldn t FPL replace the 4000K LEDs with 3000K LED at their cost, as it was negligent to not follow AMA guidance published two years earlier? Gulf Gate s street lighting currently uses the 40W-4000K LED. Image source is FPL s Street Light catalog: https://www.fpl.com/content/dam/fplgp/us/en/landing/pdf/led-catalog.pdf
FPL policy on street light shields. Street Light shields are recommended by the AMA guidance in addition to capping at 3000K. Shields keep light toward road, block from intruding on residences. However, FPL has said it will only install street lights with consent from all adjoining property owners. Property owners across the street from a 4000K light understandably are reluctant to have a shield installed which would further concentrate this harmful light towards their house. FPL offers fixtures with ideal color temperature + shields for coastal residents.
Gulf Gate Lighting District - Background Lighting Districts are created by and controlled by County Commissioners per state statute Gulf Gate Lighting District was created by Sarasota County Ordinance 87-068 on June 23, 1987
Gulf Gate Lighting District - authority Sarasota County Code gives broad latitude to County Commissioners. Framework is in County Code Chapter 110, Article VI - Street Lighting Districts Sec. 110-176(b) of the Code gives the Board of County Commissioners total control over operation. The County has contracted out all operations decisions to FPL on an indefinite basis. A Gulf Gate home with an assessed value of $300,000 pays approximately $55 per year to FPL for our harmful street lights.
Lighting District Advisory Board is an option for GGCA According to Sarasota County Public Works, the County has never given FPL any direction over lighting choices. Without a municipal government, FPL operates autonomously in Sarasota County under indefinite contracts with each lighting district. The County Board of Commissioners may create an Advisory Board for the Gulf Gate Lighting District.
