The collaboration between the Foundation and the School of Electrical Engineering along with the Photometry and Quality Control Laboratory of PUCV seeks to promote research, development, and innovation projects, education and dissemination, and will have special relevance within the framework of the new lighting regulations.
In a significant step for the production of knowledge regarding light pollution, at the end of November the Cielos de Chile Foundation signed a collaboration agreement with the School of Electrical Engineering and the Photometry and Quality Control Laboratory of the Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso (PUCV).
The main objective of this agreement is to enhance the management of collaborative and associated projects in research, development, and innovation, education, and dissemination. This partnership is especially relevant with the recent implementation of new lighting regulations in the country.
For Daniela González, executive director of the Cielos de Chile Foundation, the alliance with PUCV marks a great milestone in protecting the skies from light pollution. “The university has understood our work very well because it has recognized in this type of pollution a transversal problem that affects people’s health and the environment,” she commented.
The university’s contribution in this field has extended over decades, not only focusing on research and the generation of technical evidence on light pollution but also on the certification of luminaires, contributing to the regulatory development of this area.
The Photometry and Quality Control Laboratory of PUCV, with a trajectory since 1965, has stood out for its work in the certification and regulation of products and luminaires that comply with current regulations. The laboratory’s academics have played a crucial role in the formulation of public policies and were part of the creation of the lighting regulations in force since 1998.
Regarding the New Lighting Standard signed this year, Iván Kopaitic, head of the laboratory and professor at the School of Electrical Engineering of PUCV, identifies a crucial change: the reduction of blue content and the production of a more yellow light. He explains that this modification represents a challenge for the industry, as no other country in the world has implemented a similar restriction. However, he also sees it as an opportunity to innovate in this field.
Kopaitic highlighted the relevance of the School being able to collaborate with the Cielos de Chile Foundation in terms of research, training, and content generation related to light pollution. He emphasized the opportunity to enhance research projects carried out by students. “For graduation projects, we can see with the foundation what research topics they would be interested in working on next year at the university, what resources they can contribute, and work together,” he added.
For his part, Sebastián Fingerhuth, an academic at the School of Electrical Engineering of PUCV, commented that this agreement goes hand in hand with the need to expand the technical focus that the School has had to other areas. “We realized that our projects were super technical and that they had more aspects like education, how people know about light pollution, and also public policies, as a university we have an important role,” he emphasized.
In this regard, Daniela González highlighted the importance of continuing to develop public policies that have technical evidence. “The results of the research in which the university will work in collaboration with our Foundation will be valuable to justify resources and public policies, this work will allow us to continue strengthening public policies that seek to reduce and mitigate light pollution,” she concluded.
