vendor members, Ski Area Management (SAM), and Snow-Ops Magazine. Ensure that the design firm has expertise in snow venue lighting with access to photometric design software. 6. Sustainable Lighting Technologies Sustainable slope lighting prioritizes energy efficiency, durability/longevity, minimal environmental impact, and economic viability. If the resort is using metal halide or high pressure sodium lamps, certain measures can be taken to keep this lighting infrastructure viable within many sustainable parameters. As mentioned, energy savings related to demand charges (in-rush current) can be lowered using staggered activation, capacitor discharge start-up current, load shunts, and pulse-start ballasts. These measures can increase longevity, lower energy bills, modestly decrease operating electricity, and lower impacts on landfill through extended lifecycles. IMPORTANT: Make sure consideration is given to “grandfathering” regarding lighting upgrades. If the municipality, state, National Forest Service, National Park Service, or Federal government agencies have implemented light pollution ordinances (Dark Sky compliance), upgrading lighting will likely 1) lose grandfather status , and 2) require adherence to regulations. Any required approvals should be gotten in advance of moving forward with a lighting upgrade. Equally important are regulations and fees regarding lamp disposal. See section on disposal requirements. Given the major emphasis upon energy efficiency and climate change, technologies like traditional HID lamps (e.g., metal halide, high-pressure sodium, mercury vapor, halogen) are being phased out . In many cases, bulbs and ballasts are no longer being manufactured for obsolete lighting brands. This forces mountain operators/managers to seek rebuilt or used parts that are becoming increasingly scarce and expensive. Thus, old technologies are no longer sustainable from a practical as well as environmental standpoint. This leaves two technologies capable of snow venue illumination: 1) LEDs, and 2) magnetic induction lights (MILs). It is worth noting that only one U.S. lighting brand is marketed as “specifically designed to meet the unique requirements for snow sports venues.” It is branded Snow-Bright™ which is manufactured by Tesla Induction Lighting Co; formerly Ultra-Tech™ Lighting, LLC. This product was introduced in 2012 and remained available as of 2025. In Europe, the Arctic Beam LED fixture is sold as a snow sports venue floodlight. Unfortunately, the offering does not accommodate U.S. or Canadian electricity at 60/Hz. A review of the Arctic Beam specifications as of 2025 reveals the use of a standard LED form factor of either 4,000K or 5,000K color temperature and a color rendition index (CRI) of 70. No U.S./Canada models appear to be available. For the purpose of evaluating sustainability and compatibility, two technologies will be reviewed.
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