Crossroads LED pitches warmer lighting in Angel Fire

This article was published for TOAS News by Ellen Miller-Goins. Read the full article here!

If light pollution can be solved “at the speed of light,” as one expert phrased it, Angel Fire has a decision to make.

Buddy Stefanoff, vice president of engineering for Crossroads LED out of Tulsa, Oklahoma, delivered a 75-minute presentation to the Angel Fire Village Council, members of the Dark Sky Committee and residents Thursday (Feb. 5) at Village Hall, urging the village to adopt lower color-temperature streetlights and consider a pilot retrofit program.

Stefanoff’s presentation, titled “Eliminating Skyglow at the Speed of Light,” outlined what he described as the science behind sky glow, glare and “light trespass,” and argued that commonly used 3000 Kelvin LED streetlights are a major contributor to light pollution.

“When it comes to light pollution and white LED streetlights, lighting manufacturers and their distributors have been consistent, clear, very precise at times, but dead wrong,” Stefanoff said. “The Dark Sky movement, on the other hand, has been inconsistent, uncertain, but they’ve been absolutely correct.”

He defined light pollution as “the introduction of artificial lighting in the night sky,” and broke it into three components: sky glow, glare and light trespass. Blue-rich light, he added, scatters more in the atmosphere — a phenomenon known as Rayleigh scattering — and contributes disproportionately to sky glow.

Stefanoff cited a Chelan County, Washington, study in which high-pressure sodium lamps were replaced with 3000 Kelvin LEDs, resulting in a significant increase in measured sky glow. He also referenced research presented by Truman State University showing that 2000 Kelvin LED conversions reduced light pollution while improving illumination on the ground.

He contrasted Santa Fe and Flagstaff, Arizona, as cautionary and model examples, respectively. According to his presentation, Santa Fe installed 3000 and 2700 Kelvin fixtures and is now experiencing higher levels of glare and sky glow, while Flagstaff has adopted stricter standards and uses 1600 Kelvin luminaires to maintain its Dark Sky status.

“The current evolving guidelines today have made 3000 Kelvin and 2700 Kelvin LED streetlights functionally obsolete,” Stefanoff said. “Anybody who passes an ordinance using these numbers today, you’re passing an ordinance that is already obsolete.”

DarkSky International recommends fully shielded fixtures and warmer color temperatures to minimize blue light. Stefanoff told councilors that 2200 Kelvin or lower should be the minimum standard, and that 2000 Kelvin would “guarantee” compliance for the next decade.

Councilor Jake Crain asked whether there was a disadvantage to going to 1600 Kelvin rather than 2000.

“It’s just more of an amber color,” Stefanoff said. “There isn’t really a difference in cost. Dark sky enthusiasts love it, but some residents balk at it. They think it’s too amber. Everybody in Flagstaff loves it.”

Several councilors focused on cost and energy savings.

“All LEDs are energy efficient compared to high pressure sodium, metal halide, fluorescent lighting,” Stefanoff said, explaining that lower-Kelvin fixtures can deliver similar lumens per watt. In one example, he said, a 35-watt, 2000 Kelvin fixture replaced a 200-watt high-pressure sodium light in Raton.

He estimated that converting Angel Fire’s decorative acorn-style fixtures — roughly 63 to 65 units along North Angel Fire Road — would cost between $625 and $695 per light, depending on configuration. Of those, he said about 15 lights were already out.

“If the village was interested in doing a pilot program, that would be a good one to start,” Stefanoff said. “That way, everybody could see how the lights will look.”

Village Manager Bret Wier said the council invited Stefanoff to provide cost estimates so the village could “get a feel for what it’s going to cost.”

“I believe in leading by example,” Wier said. “So if we’re going to adopt an ordinance, I think the village probably should be one of the first ones to be in compliance.”

Crain said the globes along North Angel Fire Road would likely provide the “biggest showcase” if retrofitted first.

The presentation also addressed commercial properties. Stefanoff showed photos of brightly lit gas stations and wall-mounted fixtures he measured at 4000 Kelvin and described as “glare bombs.” He said such fixtures could often be retrofitted with shields or lower-Kelvin LEDs at a cost of roughly $650 to $750 per light.

He acknowledged that while his company’s primary clients are municipalities and state agencies, Crossroads LED would work directly with local businesses or homeowners seeking compliant fixtures.

Councilor Owen Curry asked about lighting requirements at the village’s wastewater treatment plant and water tanks.

Wier said state regulations require fencing and lighting at certain facilities, but do not specify the type of light. Stefanoff responded that lower-wattage, shielded fixtures could meet state requirements while reducing glare and energy use.

“The state of New Mexico only requires one- to two-foot candles on the ground,” he said. “Right now you’re lighting up about seven- to 10-foot candles on the ground.”

Near the end of the meeting, Crain noted that the committee’s draft ordinance may need to be updated to reflect lower Kelvin standards.

“We have to consider” adjusting the temperature limit, he said.

Stefanoff said he would provide a formal quote to the village for converting municipal fixtures and could have pricing for the decorative globes early next week.

“Success can be measured at the speed of light,” he said. “Take down the offending fixture, put up a dark-sky-proof fixture — problem solved.”