ABOUT THIS HANDBOOK Snow sports venues have very particular lighting requirements that must match specific applications. This Handbook provides general guidelines as well as specific illumination objectives. It can be used by mountain operations managers, general managers, racing and freestyle staff, slope designers, lift maintenance managers, sustainability managers, efficiency managers, or anyone who may be involved in slope lighting decisions. New lighting technologies like light emitting diodes (LEDs) or modernized magnetic induction lights (MIL) have only been recently introduced. It is important to have a comprehensive understanding of pertinent concepts from sustainability to Dark Sky compliance and human vision. Effective slope illumination goes far beyond energy efficiency considerations. OVERVIEW Slope illumination is increasingly essential for maintaining viable revenue models. Mountain venues are a 24-hours by 365 day proposition that can include recreational activities beyond night skiing and riding like mountain biking, hiking, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, and even more esoteric activities like hang-gliding and wing-suiting. It can even include hosting special events like weddings. Slope lighting standards established in the 1960s were based only upon skiing and involved two standards: 1) recreational, and 2) competitive. For recreational skiing, the goal was to balance the minimum light required for safety against the cost of required infrastructure. Competition standards were based upon minimum light levels needed to activate video equipment that used vidicon tubes requiring levels of 6 to 8 foot-candles (fc) or 60 to 80 lux. Traditional slope lighting uses metal halide, mercury vapor, or sodium vapor fixtures. These technologies are not energy efficient by today’s standards. With concerns over climate change, new energy efficiency objectives have become a priority. The ubiquitous nature of light emitting diodes (LEDs) offers high-efficiency alternatives to traditional slope and venue lighting. However, LEDs have substantial drawbacks discovered with increasing deployment. These include premature failure, excessive glare, high-frequency flicker, potential high disposal costs, inappropriate spectral bias, propensity to freeze over with snow and ice, and even health issues. To meet sustainability objectives, technology must be environmentally neutral as well as energy efficient and long-lasting. For slope lighting, the technology must meet visual acuity requirements for recreational and competition applications. SUSTAINABILITY Sustainability, as championed by the first Earth Day in 1970, emphasized the elimination of the "Five Ps" of pollution: soil, water, air, light , and noise. In the context of slope lighting, foundational principles remain urgent and relevant. Light pollution, in particular, has emerged as a critical concern for both the environment and neighboring communities.
4
Made with FlippingBook Digital Proposal Creator