Efficiency and energy savings are priority objectives for any modern society. The protection of the environment through public policies based on sustainable development is a duty as established by Article 46 of the Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia.
Artificial lighting is essential at night to achieve suitable living conditions in urban and rural areas. It is also indispensable for carrying out a large number of recreational, commercial, or productive activities, being necessary to ensure industrial safety in certain facilities.
An incorrect lighting design in lighting installations produces light pollution, adversely affecting the natural conditions of the nighttime environment.
What does the nighttime lighting regulation cover?
The decree 190/2015, of August 25, implementing Law 6/2001, of May 31, aims to regulate the characteristics of lighting installations and devices concerning the light pollution they may produce. Law 6/2001 establishes the corresponding criteria.
The purpose of this Decree is to regulate lighting systems to protect the environment at night:
- Maintain the natural clarity of the sky as much as possible
- Avoid light pollution
- Prevent negative effects in natural spaces and in the urban environment
- Improve energy efficiency by promoting energy and natural resource savings
Application areas
It is divided into four types of protection zones, depending on the vulnerability of the nocturnal environment to light pollution.
E1 Zones (Maximum Protection)
- Areas included in the Natural Interest Spaces Plan (PEIN)
- Natura 2000 Network Sites
- Beaches, coasts, and shores of non-continental waters, not integrated into population centers or established industrial hubs
- Areas in which the department responsible for environmental matters approves
E2 Zones (High Protection)
- Areas classified as non-urbanizable land, outside of the E1 zones.
- Areas in which the department responsible for environmental matters approves
E3 Zones (Moderate Protection)
- Areas classified as urban or developable land (except for areas that are zone E1, E2, or E4)
- Intensive use spaces during the night due to high mobility of people or their significant commercial or recreational activity, located on non-buildable land, which municipalities propose as such and the competent environmental department approves.
E4 Zones (Minor Protection)
- Urban land used intensively at night due to high mobility of people or its significant commercial or recreational activity.
- Areas that are less than 2 km from an E1 zone cannot be classified as E4 zones.
El diseño de iluminación exterior debe prevenir la contaminación lumínica y favorecer el ahorro y el aprovechamiento de energía:
- The amount of light should be adjusted to the needs so that only the necessary amount is used to carry out the activity that is intended to be developed normally.
- The light should be directed only to the areas to be illuminated.
- The light should be kept off when no activity is taking place in the area to be illuminated, except in cases of safety reasons.
- Se han de utilizar lámparas de alta eficacia luminosa que emitan principalmente en la zona del espectro visible de longitud de onda larga, siempre que las exigencias funcionales del lugar a iluminar así lo permitan.
Lighting usage schedules
Nocturnal schedule | Evening schedule |
Time frame from 11:00 PM UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) until sunrise. In areas E1 and E2, outside the urban area, nighttime starts at 10:00 PM UTC. | Time period from sunset until night time begins. |
Allowed characteristics and maximum levels
Protection zone | Evening schedule | Night schedule |
E1 | Tipo I | Tipo I |
E2 | Tipo III | Tipo II |
E3 y E4 | Tipo III | Tipo II |
Type I. Lamps that have less than 2% radiance below 440 nm, within the wavelength range of 280 to 780 nm. In the case of LEDs, they must have less than 1% below 500 nm and a predominant wavelength above 585 nm.
Type II. Lamps that have less than 5% radiance below 440 nm, within the wavelength range of 280 to 780 nm. In the case of LEDs, they must have less than 15% below 500 nm.
Type III. Lamps that have less than 15% radiance below 440 nm, within the wavelength range of 280 to 780 nm.
The lamps must comply with the previously established percentage of electromagnetic radiation. In the case of being unable to document this percentage, lamps that emit light with a color temperature equal to or less than 3,000 K are accepted as type II, and lamps with a color temperature greater than 3,000 K and equal to or less than 4,200 K are accepted as type III. In all cases, a lamp type established for areas with higher protection can be used.
All lamps installed in outdoor lighting must be of energy efficiency class A, A+, or A++ and comply with the mercury restrictions of the European Union directives, with the exception of lamps installed in security lighting, signals, and illuminated advertisements, as well as in Christmas lighting.
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Regulatory and Technical Summary
This regulatory and technical compendium is present in the development of all Luxes systems for all types of nightlife spaces. From the definition of the color spectrum to the selection of each lamp, everything is designed to provide a precise visual experience, without shadows, and energy-efficient.
BOE-A-2001-11962 Ley 6/2001, de 31 de mayo, de Ordenación Ambiental del Alumbrado para la Protección del Medio Nocturno. (s. f.).
https://www.boe.es/buscar/act.php?id=BOE-A-2001-11962
BOE-A-2001-11962 Ley 6/2001, de 31 de mayo, de Ordenación Ambiental del Alumbrado para la Protección del Medio Nocturno. (s. f.-b).
https://www.boe.es/buscar/doc.php?id=BOE-A-2001-11962