Torrance, Calif., Aug. 8 – The City of Fernandina Beach, Florida, has
completed modifications and upgrades to the lights at its Main Beach Park using
LED turtle-friendly high power lighting that will protect sea turtle nesting
without compromising the public’s safety at night.
The LEDtronics SLL003P-800-0UO-004 shoebox-style LED luminaires will offer
over 65% energy savings and cost benefits related to reduced maintenance and
much extended lifespan compared to traditional incandescent lights. Additionally,
the upgrades will provide significant reduction in greenhouse gases.
The project was completed in partnership with Amelia Island Sea Turtle Watch
and with a grant administered by the Sea Turtle Conservancy.
The LEDtronics
lights meet the requirements of Florida’s F&WCC Wildlife Lighting
Certification Program when the luminaire’s light is downward directed
in a manner that has minimal intrusion into sea turtle nesting beaches, migratory
corridors, and Dark Skies Initiative-friendly communities.
Designed also to avoid disrupting turtle hatchling’s crawl to the sea, the
LEDtronics lighting at the Dolphin Avenue and Main Beach parking lots also
offered the city the option of reducing the height of the light poles. Additional
benefits include: Maintenance-free operation of over 5 years; reduced light
pollution — no wasted light; no ultraviolet emission — does not
attract insects; enhanced vision — little or no debilitating glare as compared
with standard high glare from HID lamps.
The GTE Companies of Jacksonville provided project-planning assistance. Vanguard
Electric of Jacksonville installed the fixtures. The city’s maintenance
crew also played a key role in facilitating this project. The Sea Turtle Grants
Program provided funding with proceeds from the sale of Florida’s “Helping
Sea Turtles Survive” specialty license plate (www.helpingseaturtles.org).
Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island is the northernmost city on the eastern coast of Florida, with a population
of around 12,000. The city hosts loggerhead, green and leatherback sea turtles
in the nesting season.
Many coastal counties and communities in Florida have developed
lighting ordinances to reduce hatchling disorientations, since the state boasts the largest nesting concentrations of loggerhead and leatherback
sea turtles in the United States. About 80 percent of loggerhead nesting in
the southeastern U.S. occurs in six Florida counties. Total estimated nesting
in the U.S. has fluctuated between 47,000 and 90,000 nests each year over the
past two decades.
About LEDtronics®
Based in Torrance, California, LEDtronics, Inc., since 1983 has been a world
leader in designing, manufacturing and packaging Solid State Lighting products
and state-of-the-art LED’s to meet the world’s constantly changing lighting
needs—from
industrial control panel LED indicator lights to solid-state LED street light
fixtures, LED Post Top or Pendant bulbs, High-Bay or Low Bay fixtures, LED
Wall Pack Floodlights from direct incandescent- replacement based LED bulbs
to direct
fluorescent-replacement T8 and CFL LED tube lamps.
For more details and technical
data, visit the LED Turtle Friendly High Power Lighting direct web link
at:
http://www.ledtronics.com/Products/ProductsDetails.aspx?WP=877
Special thanks to our Reps Mr. Jeffrey Mizel and Mr. Ralph Hood
of RF
Industries East LTD for qualifying the application:
RF Industries East LTD:
Phone: (561) 797-0114
E-Mail: jeff@rfieast.com
A Special thanks to Mr. Len Kreger for the application photos.