In October of this year, the New Lighting Regulation will begin to apply across the entire national territory. Concretely, this means that all new luminaire projects for exterior public lighting anywhere in Chile will need to meet technical requirements such as limits on blue light emission, directionality of luminous flux, and prior luminaire certification.

Is this feasible? Vitacura already proved it is. In January of this year, the municipality received an honorable mention in the Pedestrian Lighting category at the first edition of the Premio Cielos de Chile for its work at Parque Bicentenario, which became the first park in the country to fully comply with Decreto Supremo N°1 of the Ministry of the Environment before it was mandatory to do so.

A Change of Lights: What the Lighting Regulation Demands

The initiative, led by the Public Lighting team of the Municipality of Vitacura, involved the replacement and expansion of the lighting system, going from 304 to 608 luminaires in pedestrian areas, pathways, entrances, and play areas, with an investment of $891 million Chilean pesos. The results are concrete: 50% less light pollution, elimination of dim zones, and continuous coverage throughout the park.

What is most interesting about the project, however, is not the technical data but the approach behind these decisions. The new luminaires significantly reduce blue light emission, which affects the circadian rhythms of people, fauna, and flora, and lower the color temperature from 4,000 to 2,200 Kelvin, producing warmer, less invasive lighting.

Fundación Cielos de Chile has highlighted this work as proof that getting ahead of regulation is possible. “This is not simply a replacement of luminaires, but a paradigm shift: moving away from asking how much light we want to install, and beginning to ask what the purpose of that light is, where it is directed, and how we are using it”, said Daniela González, Executive Director of Fundación Cielos de Chile.

From the Observatories of the North to a Park in Santiago

The Foundation is not alone in celebrating this milestone. The project was also recognized by the European Southern Observatory (ESO), an institution with a presence in the municipality. “Protecting Chile’s skies is not only a task for the observatories in the north; it is a shared responsibility that begins here, in cities, in neighborhoods, and in parks”, said Itziar de Gregorio-Monsalvo, ESO’s representative in Chile.

The ESO’s perspective is especially relevant. With Chile hosting approximately 40% of the world’s astronomical observation capacity, projects like the Extremely Large Telescope, currently under construction in the Atacama Desert, depend on the lighting regulation being enforced and the country’s skies remaining dark.

What Comes Next: Lighting Regulation Goes National

In October, what Vitacura did as a pioneer will become mandatory for the entire country. The challenge is significant: according to a compliance report recently published by Fundación Cielos de Chile, only 35.5% of luminaires declared before the Superintendency of Electricity and Fuels (SEC) in the Astronomical Areas currently comply with DS N°1. If the enforcement mechanism is not strengthened before that date, the non-compliance observed in the highest-demand zones risks being replicated at a national scale.

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VET EcoLume is a vocational education program funded by the European Union that trains young people in sustainable lighting to reduce light pollution. During February, participating institutions met in Santiago for the third stage of the project: training those who will be the “trainers of trainers” who will replicate this knowledge in their countries.

Over three intensive days, Fundación Cielos de Chile led the technical training. “They brought it down to earth so well that we all now understand this technical language,” said Dur Montoya, VET EcoLume leader in Latin America.

Bringing technical knowledge down to earth

VET EcoLume’s education approach allows participants to acquire specific technical knowledge in brief periods, generating immediate job opportunities and promoting, for example, the inclusion of women in traditionally male-dominated technical careers.

Natalia Fuentes, from the Mujer Latina cooperative, came from the cultural sector curious about innovation in lighting. “I think as a society we are very far from having awareness about light pollution,” she reflects. “And everything related to entertainment, music, mass sports events is precisely where light is used most, not only so the event can be seen, but because it has an impact on people’s attention.”

Likewise, Natalia valued the program’s clarity, stating that “it allowed us to delve deeper into the needs and the problem itself, and also into the impacts and how they are totally measurable. The truth is that not much more information is needed because the parameters have very accurate, quantifiable data. It’s not complex to understand,” she noted.

Chile’s leadership

The country was a pioneer in the region in developing specific regulations to protect the skies, initially driven by its role in world astronomy, to which today is added the recognition of excess artificial light as a pollutant affecting biodiversity and people’s health.

“Each actor in the consortium contributes a capacity. And it has been key that Fundación Cielos de Chile is part of it. Chile will be one of the examples for creating norms and implementing sustainability practices,” adds Dur Montoya, who coordinates the consortium from her experience working in international social business networks.

From Chile, participants include Fundación Cielos de Chile, the Municipality of Peñalolén through Corporación Yunus, and the NGO Activa. The Municipality of Peñalolén is the first in Chile to implement these practices, while in Colombia the Municipality of Envigado is the pioneer.

VET EcoLume stages

VET EcoLume structures its impact in five stages. The first consisted of research and contextualization of participating countries. From that research emerged the main needs. The second stage was the creation of an educational curriculum, designed by experts in collaboration with the entire consortium.

Currently, VET EcoLume has advanced to its third stage, which is to begin implementing the pilot. According to Dur, “this is where knowledge is delivered, feedback is received, corrections are made, and training begins. What we are doing is training those who will be VET Providers, that is, the trainers of trainers in all this knowledge.”

Next will come an awareness and sensitization campaign in participating countries. The final stage is projected for October, where, Montoya noted, “many more actors will be visited and we will show how the pilot progressed and how we will sustain this project.” The meeting will be in Envigado, in the metropolitan area of Medellín.

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At a time when insecurity is increasingly worrying citizens, the proper use of lighting in public spaces is becoming essential. Not only does it help people feel safer, but it also allows for better use of municipal resources and effective compliance with the new lighting standard in force in Chile.

This topic and the strategies for achieving it were addressed in the webinar “New Lighting Regulations and Urban Safety,” held on August 14 with the participation of Daniela González, executive director of Fundación Cielos de Chile, and Macarena Rau, president of The International CPTED Association–ICA.

In her presentation, Daniela González highlighted the significance of Chile being the first country in the world to have a nationwide lighting regulation, which came into force in October 2024 and establishes improvements for outdoor lighting such as streets, squares, industries, and stadiums. “Its implementation seeks to prevent light pollution and incorporate the care of biodiversity and human health,” she said.

For her part, architect Macarena Rau addressed important interventions in lighting spaces to make them safer, based on the CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) methodology.

Lighting strategies for safer urban spaces

Both speakers provided concrete examples of how the implementation of the Lighting Standard and the CPTED methodology can help improve the perception of safety in cities.

Daniela González emphasized that “complying with the Lighting Standard does not mean lighting cities less, but lighting them better and more efficiently.” To this end, she highlighted the following points:

More height does not mean more brightness

High-rise luminaires with very intense lights are not efficient, as they generate a loss of light towards the surface to be illuminated and create more glare for people.

Credit: Ikshit Chaudhari on Unsplash

Avoid shadow areas

Homogeneously lit spaces avoid areas with contrasts where shadows are generated that could lead to unsafe situations.

Credit: Victor Zh on Unsplash

Warm light instead of cold light

Although there is a perception that white light illuminates more, the truth is that it is often a source of over-illumination and glare. On the other hand, with good lighting design, warm light not only illuminates adequately, but also contributes to respecting natural cycles and people’s health.

Credit: Honney Artkongharn on Unsplash

Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design

Macarena Rau highlighted examples of the implementation of CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) principles, which have proven successful in urban lighting:

Natural surveillance

Lighting in urban spaces must allow people to see and be seen, for which it is essential to use appropriate lighting.

Credit: Max Litov on Unsplash

Elements of urban design

When designing safe spaces, in addition to lighting, elements such as street furniture and plant species must be considered and how they interact so that they do not interfere with lighting and contribute to natural surveillance.

Credit: sq lim on Unsplash

Community participation

For efficient use of municipal resources, it is key to encourage community participation in defining public lighting plans. This helps to focus resources on the spaces that need them most and improve the perception of safety.

Credit: M ACCELERATOR on Unsplash

Both professionals concluded by emphasizing the importance of continuously evaluating the effects of changes in urban lighting to determine whether they actually improve the perception of safety and adjust them when necessary.

Watch the full webinar here:

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The project is located in one of the communes declared as areas with scientific and research value for astronomical observation by the Ministry of Science. This is due to its proximity to cutting-edge scientific infrastructure such as the Las Campanas, La Silla observatories, and the future Giant Magellan Telescope.

The light impact of Dominga puts at risk the significant investment in astronomical scientific research in the area. Additionally, it impacts other sustainable productive activities that require dark skies, such as astrotourism.

Unfortunately, the extended environmental processing of this project lags behind the implementation of the new Lighting Standard of the Ministry of the Environment. This regulation came into effect in October of this year and establishes specific restrictions on the emission of artificial light in areas of interest for astronomy and biodiversity, aiming to preserve the scientific and natural heritage of our country.

We hope that these new instances of discussion will consider the aforementioned background, as the excellent reputation and leadership of our country in astronomical development worldwide are at stake.

-Daniela González Espinoza, Executive Director of the Cielos de Chile Foundation

Letter extracted from La Tercera.

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In a seminar led by the Minister of the Environment, Maisa Rojas, authorities and experts addressed the details and challenges of updating the lighting standard, which will be enforced nationwide.

“The New Lighting Standard is good news and an opportunity to share that pollution is not only air or water pollution, but also, as a result of human activities, there is pollution of other aspects of nature: one of those is the night sky,” stated the Minister of the Environment, Maisa Rojas, during the launch seminar of this regulation. At the meeting, authorities, academics, civil society representatives, and astronomers discussed the details and challenges involved in implementing the regulation.

Although light pollution has been studied worldwide since the 1970s, in Chile, it was only in the 1990s that this pollutant and its effects began to be discussed. In 1996, the astronomical community provided the technical and legal background that allowed the creation of the first lighting regulation in Chile. While the initial regulations focused on protecting dark skies for astronomy, this third update—which came into effect on October 19 of this year—extends the regulations to the entire national territory and seeks to protect not only astronomical observation but also biodiversity and human health.

The 5 Key Requirements of the New Lighting Standard

According to the Ministry of the Environment (MMA), the most relevant background for updating the regulation is that light pollution has increased in recent years, mainly due to the emission of light with a high blue content—or cold light—due to the proliferation of LED technology.

For this reason, one of the main requirements of the new regulation will be the limitation of the blue component in outdoor lighting. “With the regulation, we are reducing the blue light content in luminaires, so from cities mostly with white lights, we will see warmer cities,” explained Jessica Salas, a professional from the MMA’s Noise, Lighting, and Odors Department.

Additionally, the Lighting Standard will require that luminaires be directed towards the ground to avoid light waste towards the sky, reduce over-illumination, decrease brightness in advertising screens, and restrict certain public lighting between midnight and seven in the morning.

The Preventive Approach and the Challenge of SMA Supervision

The Superintendence of the Environment (SMA) will be responsible for supervising compliance with the Lighting Standard. According to Marie Claude Plumer, Superintendent of the Environment, this will be one of the greatest challenges of the regulation, due to its national scope and the inclusion of new light sources, such as advertising signs. “The coverage is not only territorial but also the number of sources constitutes a challenge for supervision. We know that supervising 100% of the lighting is not realistic, so collaboration through citizen reporting will be important,” she emphasized.

Furthermore, the Superintendent of the Environment highlighted the preventive nature of the standard. “There is early control, non-compliance is not awaited,” she stated. This will be achieved through certification by testing laboratories of luminaires before their commercialization and the supervision of the Superintendence of Electricity and Fuels of the businesses that distribute the products established in the standard.

The Role of Civil Society and Citizens

“We have to understand the Lighting Standard as a starting point, not the end of a path,” stated Daniela González, Executive Director of the Fundación Cielos de Chile, in the expert panel that closed the seminar. Alongside her, Charif Tala, Head of the Species Conservation Department of the MMA; Iván Kopaitic, Head of the Photometry and Quality Control Laboratory of the PUCV; and Ximena Muñoz, President of the Association of Lighting Professionals in Chile (API), participated.

Daniela González highlighted that one of the main challenges is the public’s lack of awareness about light pollution and the regulation. “What we have seen, in our approach to the public, has been a lack of awareness regarding what this standard means and even what light pollution is,” she noted.

In response to this, she emphasized the need to develop dissemination strategies for different audiences, from citizens to key stakeholders, to raise awareness about the problem and its effects. “Part of our work is to review the projects that enter the Environmental Assessment Service, and we have seen in those projects that are in astronomical communes a profound lack of knowledge about how to present their projects in lighting terms,” she concluded.

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In the month when the new regulation begins to operate, Fundación Cielos de Chile and the Ministry of the Environment present a visual guide that not only explains the new regulation but also seeks to raise awareness about the effects of light pollution.

Technical terms related to lighting, such as the blue portion of the visible spectrum or spectral radiance, are unknown to most people. Until now, these concepts were exclusive to experts, but the update of the Lighting Standard and its extension to the entire national territory presents the challenge of bringing these concepts closer to the general public.

In this context, Fundación Cielos de Chile in collaboration with the Ministry of the Environment (MMA), present the Illustrated Lighting Standard, a visual guide of the new regulation that seeks to reduce the knowledge gap regarding its application. Separated by type of lighting and through infographics and illustrations, this guide simplifies the most technical aspects of the regulation.

“Light itself is a complex concept,” declares Daniela González, executive director of Fundación Cielos de Chile. “With this guide, through practical applications, we can see that the update of the Lighting Standard promotes a sustainable form of lighting. Additionally, it allows us to question why we need light, how to use it well, and in this way contribute to the reduction of light pollution,” she explained.

The work in disseminating the new regulation

During the months prior to the implementation of the regulation, the team from the Department of Noise, Lighting, and Odors of the MMA toured several municipalities in the country to address the doubts and concerns present in local governments and communities. Doubts that the MMA has addressed and that Igor Valdebenito, head of the Department, hopes the Illustrated Lighting Standard can also help resolve.

“For the rest of the country, outside the astronomical municipalities, it is a new regulation, so it will be quite a challenge. The creation of these documents that are easy to read, visually appealing, with infographics, becomes super useful because the image explains the concept better,” declared Igor Valdebenito, head of the Department of Noise, Lighting, and Odors of the MMA.

Those who have a key role in the implementation of the regulation are the local governments. Although, Valdebenito points out, the municipalities are informed and have not had major problems with the regulation, the Illustrated Lighting Standard will allow them to clearly understand the regulations. “This regulation governs many types of public lighting, so it is super good to have a document that clearly explains the requirements according to the type of luminaire. In that part, we have diagnosed that there is little clarity,” he noted.

A contribution to citizen education

The Illustrated Lighting Standard seeks to inform the population about the importance of responsible lighting to protect the environment and human health. “By reducing the knowledge gap and bringing the concepts of good lighting to people, we are also raising awareness about light pollution and its effects,” affirms the executive director of Fundación Cielos de Chile.

In addition to educating the public about the need to preserve the night skies to protect biodiversity, the Illustrated Lighting Standard also aims to demystify some existing beliefs about outdoor lighting, especially regarding safety. “We hope to dispel the myth that reducing light pollution will mean our cities and public spaces will be darker; on the contrary, through sustainable lighting, it will be possible to illuminate in a way that is friendly to the health and safety of people, and also to the environment,” concludes Daniela González.

Download the New Illustrated Lighting Standard

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Experts from the public sector, private sector, and academia debated the impacts and challenges in the implementation of the New Lighting Standard in Chile, in a seminar that focused on the advancement of light pollution and its consequences for biodiversity and human health.

A couple of years ago, estimates based on satellite data indicated that light pollution was increasing by 2% each year globally. However, in 2023, a study from the citizen science project “Globe at Night”, revealed that this growth is much faster than previously thought: light pollution is doubling every eight years.

This increase highlights the need for those who design and create lighting technology to reflect on how cities in Chile are being illuminated and what opportunities the implementation of the New Lighting Standard can generate. These topics were the focus of the seminar “How are we illuminating? The challenges of the lighting standard in public spaces”, organized by DarkSky International and the Association of Lighting Professionals in Chile (API).

Additionally, the event featured participation from the Ministry of the Environment, the Cielos de Chile Foundation, and the photometry and quality control laboratories of the Catholic University of Valparaíso and the Lambda Laboratory.

The advancement of light pollution: a global problem

The CEO of DarkSky International, Ruskin Hartley, warned during his presentation that currently more than 80% of the world’s population lives under skies polluted by artificial light. He explained that, from a scientific perspective, light pollution is the alteration of outdoor light levels compared to natural levels. However, for Hartley, the problem is deeper. “Light pollution is the light that enters our children’s room at night and prevents them from sleeping. It is the blinding light of public luminaires,” he noted.

Indeed, for the CEO of DarkSky, the problem of artificial light pollution not only affects astronomical observation but also human health and threatens biodiversity. “Who are the inhabitants of the night? 90% of amphibians, 69% of mammals, 60% of invertebrates, and 30% of birds. The brightness in the sky has become the main predator of migratory birds and has generated what is known as the insect apocalypse,” he added.

The New Lighting Standard in Chile: an advancement in the protection of biodiversity and health

Igor Valdebenito, head of the Noise, Lighting, and Odors Department of the Ministry of the Environment, highlighted that the impact of light pollution on biodiversity and health was one of the main factors for updating the lighting regulations in Chile. “One of the key pieces of information we gathered was the impact of cold light on biodiversity, especially for swallows, white-chinned petrels, and other seabirds. Additionally, the impact of cold light on people’s health, especially on the circadian cycle,” he explained.

During his intervention, Igor Valdebenito detailed the next steps for the implementation of the new regulation, which will begin to take effect on October 18. He also emphasized the importance of collaboration between the public and private sectors to ensure its success. “We cannot achieve the correct implementation of the New Lighting Standard alone from the Ministry; we need everyone’s support. This is a transition period, and dissemination is crucial,” he concluded.

Challenges and opportunities in the implementation of the New Lighting Standard

Daniela González, executive director of the Cielos de Chile Foundation, addressed the challenges presented by the new regulation, especially for local governments. “In Chile, there are around 3.5 million luminaires. The replacement will not be a minor expense, but if accompanied by proper design, it can generate savings for municipalities in the medium and long term. Efficiency in this process is key to the success of the regulation,” she emphasized.

She also highlighted the importance of correctly informing the public about the replacement of public luminaires, especially in the context of the security crisis. “We cannot ignore that we are in a security crisis. According to a study that evaluated the impact of reducing lights in public lighting on crime, the relationship between security and light is not linear, and there is no direct correlation; it is a multifactorial phenomenon,” she pointed out.

Paulina Villalobos, a member of the API and the board of DarkSky International, stated that those who design and produce luminaires play an essential role in the implementation of the new regulation, and the standard undoubtedly opens opportunities for the sector. “We have a certain window to design, and good lighting also involves design decisions. A good lighting project must pay attention to light levels, shadow and contrast control, light color, glare, among other aspects,” she noted.

With the New Lighting Standard about to come into effect, the seminar made clear the urgency to act, not only to meet the requirements of the regulation but to ensure that cities are illuminated in a more efficient way, respectful of the environment and healthy for their inhabitants. As pointed out in her intervention by the executive director of the Cielos de Chile Foundation: “The new regulation sets the standards and the minimums, but it does not mean that we cannot go further in caring for dark skies.”

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