2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWELVE - Conservation (§§ 1-16 — 8162) › Subtitle 8 - Environment II (§§ 8001 — 8162) › Chapter 503 - Light Pollution Control and Prevention Program (§§ 8031 — 8038) › § 8034 - General provisions

The following norms, measures, and methods are hereby established as the ones allowed concerning light emission toward the night sky, as the basis for the Program’s development:
(a) Outdoor emission sources, regardless of whether these have been installed before the date of effectiveness of this act, located in private properties for commercial, industrial, or personal use, must comply with the following provisions:
(1) When colored luminaires are used for commercial or industrial purposes, such outdoor lamps or luminaires must have full cutoff shades that eliminate light emission 90° above the vertical axis of the luminaire, devices for automatic on-off switching, and must use the minimum light necessary; according to the criteria and the standards established by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA), and the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE); and regardless of the type of lamp used, in the case of private residences, they shall only be lit to achieve the necessary security and comfort conditions. It shall not exceed 80% of the lighting power densities for exterior areas and 50% for building façades and landscape features as defined in ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1-2004 (or the most recent edition).
(2) When the purpose of the lighting system is to provide security or to illuminate sidewalks, roads, equipment storage areas, or parking lots, only low-pressure sodium emission sources may be used.
(3) When the purpose is to provide lighting for signs or to decorate in recreational areas, buildings, gardens, and analogous structures or areas, such outdoor lighting system must have automatic on-off switching, and whenever feasible, shades that minimize top hemisphere emissions and light intrusion.
(4) Any outdoor emission source whose light can be observed from the special classes defined in § 8036 of this title, shall have its uplight cut off at 70°(seventy degrees), in other words it shall not emit light above this angle, measured from its vertical axis (0°), and shall be oriented (directed) in such a way that it cannot perceived from the center of the classes, or from the coast.
(b) To such effect, outdoor emission sources, regardless of whether these have been installed before or after the date of effectiveness of this act, in private properties for commercial, industrial or personal use, shall remain off between 11:00 p.m. and six in the morning (6:00 a.m.) of the next day, except for:
(1) Outdoor emission sources intended for commercial and industrial use on locations serving the public after 11:00 p.m., but only as long as such locations are in service;
(2) outdoor emission sources intended for security purposes, such as lighting for sidewalks, roads, equipment storage areas, and parking lots, and
(3) outdoor emission sources intended for recreational areas in use after 11:00 p.m., but only as long as such areas are in use.
(4) those intended to provide security in residential areas.
(c) Any lighting system intended for advertising or publicity located inside the facilities of a commercial establishment shall remain off between eleven at night (11:00 p.m.) and six in the morning (6:00 a.m.) of the next day, except if such establishment is open to the public. Provided, That all lighting systems intended for advertising or publicity located outside such facilities shall remain off between midnight (12:00 a.m.) and six in the morning (6:00 a.m.) of the next day. All outdoor emission sources must comply with the provisions of this chapter, as well as with all other applicable statutory, administrative, and municipal provisions.
(d) Any lighting system used for open-air advertisements must comply with the following provisions: Such system shall be installed on the top or uppermost side of the advertisement’s structure, and the same must comply with control provisions, in order to avoid top hemisphere emissions and diffuse lighting, and comply with provisions in this section concerning time schedule control.
(1) Light systems of existing advertisements shall be modified so that they comply with applicable provisions within a term of six (6) years as of the date of effectiveness of this act.
(2) The use of reflectors or floodlights in light systems for advertisements is hereby prohibited.
(e) Any off-premises digital advertising that uses plasma, LED, or LCD technology, or others with similar characteristics and purposes, shall have their brightness and contrast ratio adjusted differently for day and night. Provided, That during the night, only the minimum amount of light necessary for it to be seen shall be allowed. It shall also have a visor on the top to avoid light from being emitted towards the sky. The specific requirements for the operation and range of lighting on these types of systems shall be contained in the regulations that shall accompany this chapter and its supporting documents.
History —Aug. 9, 2008, No. 218, § 6, eff. Jan. 1, 2010; Jan. 18, 2012, No. 29, § 3.