1. Dark Sky Protection
in Catalonia
Generalitat de Catalunya
Departament de Territori i Sostenibilitat
Direcció General de Qualitat Ambiental
Servei per a la Prevenció de la
Contaminació Acústica i Lluminosa
4th International Symposium for
Dark sky Parks
Parc Astronomic Montsec, 27th June 2011

2. REGULATIONS IN CATALONIA
LAW 6/2001, of 31 MAY,
ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATION
OF LIGHTING FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE
NOCTURNAL ENVIRONTMENT
DECREE 82/2005, of 3 MAY,
APPROVING THE REGULATION DEVELOPING
THE LAW 6/2001

3. OBJECTIVE
To protect the nocturnal environment
from artificial lighting
PURPOSES
A) Maintaining natural night-time
conditions
B) Promoting energy efficiency
C) Preventing light intrusion in the
domestic setting
D) Preventing and correcting the
effects of light pollution on the night
observation of the sky

4. The regulation establishes requirements
regarding:
• Light quality
• Light amount
• Spatial light confinement
• Temporary light confinement

5. Light quality
• High efficiency
•Emission of only visible radiation to human eye.
Minimum radiation below 440 nm
• The installation of hight pressure mercury
vapour lamps forbidden
• The installation of other lamps different from
sodium vapour lamps limited

6. Light amount
Lighting limitations:
• public street lighting: vehicles and pedestrians areas
• facilities lighting
• luminance in monuments
• luminance in electric signs
• luminance in windows and shop windows
• glare rating

7. Spatial light confinement
Lighting should be directed exclusively to the space and the
object to be lighted
The regulation limits:
• intrusive light on vertical surfaces
• directional light towards areas with maximum protection
• directional light towards the sky
• glare rating

8. Temporary light confinement
Night-time is defined from 22 h UTC until sunrise
At night-time, it can be illuminated only for the next
reasons:
• safety
• traffic of people
• when the need is justified because some human
activity
During night-time the electrical signs should be closed,
except when they are giving a necessary service

9. Actions to foster the protection of
the nocturnal environment
• Map of protection from light pollution
• Municipal plans to adapt outdoor lighting
• Subsidies for local entities
• Introduction of “light” as an environmental vector
in the process of new facilities approval
• Training
• Diffusion
• Reflection

10. Map of protection from light
pollution in Catalonia
The Map preserves the entire
territory, limiting outdoor lighting
of each area to 4 differents
degrees:
E1 Maximum protection
E2 High protection
E3 Moderate protection
E4 Low protection
The Map and the 947 municipal
maps can be consulted at:
http://sima.gencat.cat/Visors/PCL/Inici.html

11. Map of protection of the environment
from light pollution in Catalonia

13. Town councils that have applied to the Ministry for
subsidies to adapt outdoor lighting in Catalonia

14. Generalitat subsidies to adapt municipal outdoor
lighting 2006- 2010
Applications made: 80 M €
Adaptations undertaken: 27 M €
Subsidies awarded: 9M€

15. Action taken by local authorities with
Ministry subsidies between 2006 and 2010
allowed town councils to save:
• 6 M € in energy bills
• 53 GWh in electricity consumption
• 20,000 t of CO2 emissions

16. Introduction of light as an environmental vector in:
• Environmental authorisations for facilities subject to
the integrate intervention of the environmental
authority (Law 20/2009, of 4 December, on the prevention and
environmental control of activities)
• Environmental impact evaluation of projects for
facilities and infrastructures
• Environmental evaluation of plans and
programmes approved by the Catalan Government
administration, local authority or Catalan Parliament
(Law 6/2009)
• Control, monitoring and inspection of outdoor
lighting installations (Light and Noise Pollution Prevention
Service and Environmental Authority Collaborating Entities)

17. The Montsec Consortium
Objective: The integrated development of the
touristic, social and econòmic scope of the
Montsec area
Purposes: Taking action in the social,
cultural, leisure, sports, economic, employment,
educational and scientific spheres

18. On 4th December 2002, the Ministry
responsible for environmental affairs of
the Catalonia Government, drew up a
collaboration agreement with the
Montsec Consortium
The aim of the agreement was to adapt
outdoor lighting facilities and
appliances, in the municipalities that
make up the Montsec Consortium

20. Ministry subsidies to
the Regional Councils
of La Noguera and El
Pallars Jussà (Montsec
area), have enabled 44
municipal adaptation
plans to be
implemented, which
have allowed the
identification of the
elements and facilities
that do not comply
with regulations

21. The adaptation of street lighting in the seventeen
municipalities of the Consortium was undertaken
between 2003 and 2010 with an investment of
2,091,637 euros, of which Generalitat of Catalonia
provided 852,078 euros in subsidies
Subvencions del Departament (DTES) als
ajuntaments del Consorci del Montsec
200.000,00
150.000,00
Euros
100.000,00
50.000,00
0,00
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

22. Article 5.2. of Law 6/2001
defines “point of reference”
as a point close to an area
of special astronomical or
natural value
In May 2005, Decree
82/2005 established the
Montsec Astronomical
Observatory as a point of
reference
In December 2007, the
Environment Minister
approved the protection of
1,600 km2 around the
Observatory with maximum
protection from light
pollution (E1 zone)

23. Evolution of brightness in the Montsec area
between 2001 and 2008
Talarn
Graus
Tremp ciutat
Tragó
Baronia de Rialp
Alfarràs
Binéfar
Most of the Montsec area maintains the same brightness in 2008 as in 2001:
Light pollution has decreased in: La Baronia de Rialp, Tragó, Talarn, Alfarràs...
Light pollution has increased in: Tremp, Graus, and Binéfar.

24. Training. Courses on light pollution prevention
Diffusion. Publications and website
http://www20.gencat.cat/portal/site/dmah/menuitem.718bbc75771059204e9cac3bb0c0e1a0/?vgnextoid=60c930a0
bb597210VgnVCM1000008d0c1e0aRCRD&vgnextchannel=60c930a0bb597210VgnVCM1000008d0c1e0aRCRD&vg
nextfmt=default
Christmas campaign. Annual campaign on
sustainable decorative lighting

25. Areas of work and challenges for the future
To improve environmental protection regulation and reconcile it
with energy efficiency regulation
To coordinate the efforts of the government agencies involved in
reducing light pollution taking advantage of synergies
To find new ways of financing projects on energetic efficiency
improvement
To raise awareness amongst the general public of the need to
save energy as a way to improve quality of life

26. Reflections
Quality lighting enables the human eye to see
objects properly without harming people or
environment
The new light culture prevents light pollution
• Use quality light avoiding the emission of radiation that is invisible
to the human eye
• Use the right amount of light – the amount necessary to carry out an
activity safely
• Direct the light where it is needed
• Turn lights off when not in use

27. This new
environmental light culture
is fundamental
to advance
in energy saving
and environmental protection
Thank you