The Tyrol Competence Center on Light Pollution and Dark Skies is a hub of knowledge, practice, and exploration on one of the most practical and sensual fields of planetary protection.
The Center is an initiative of the Tyrolean Environmental Ombudsoffice, started in 1999.
The Center is:
→ the Alpine Arc’s living regional lab for visitors and dwellers of all ages to explore how starlight and darkness power life on Earth,
→ a central gateway to/of scientific work and hands-on experience on light pollution and starry skies,
→ a regional hub for advice and service on dealing with light in cities and municipalities, business or factory sites, outdoor facilities and public spaces.
We are proud to now bring together three decades of rigorous compilation, referral and regional innovation. We make our body of knowledge and experience accessible to many decision-makers and shapers, industry, visitors and students, and, most importantly: future generations.
The invention of electric light liberated people from darkness. But since then it has become brighter and brighter on Earth, and the starry sky is now no longer visible in many places. The increasing use of outdoor lighting for streets, buildings and cable car stations and the apparently unlimited availability of light not only affect the day-night rhythm of human beings; they also have an impact on the habitats of many animal and plant species.
2023
| Organization of the symposium "Dark Skies in the Alpine Region" as part of the "Innsbruck Nature Film Festival" with DarkSky International in Innsbruck.
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2023
| Tyrolean Environmental Ombudsoffice becomes part of the DarkSky Austria committee.
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2023
| Participation and contributions at the 25th European Lighting Congress (LICHT2023) in Salzburg.
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2022
| Participation in the "Light Pollution Workshop" in Brno in the course of the Czech EU Presidency.
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2022
| Participation and oral presentations of HELLE NOT and SKYSCAPE at the "Protection of the Night Sky Symposium" in Fulda.
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2022-2025
| Erasmus+ Project STARLIGHT: Skills for Tourism and the Recognition of the Importance of Dark Skies – Education and Training for Tourism Stakeholders.
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2022
| Tyrolean Environmental Ombudsoffice becomes a board member of the "Lichttechnische Gesellschaft Österreich".
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2022
| Cooperation with the Tyrolean Football Association: Floodlighting on football pitches – new installations and retrofitting, lighting requirements: Information for municipalities and clubs.
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2020-2022
| Interreg project SKYSCAPE: Awareness for Dark Skies, Development and implementation of tourist offers and products – diligent use of artificial light, experiencing starry nights.
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2021
| Accompanying the conversion of the Zirl football pitch lighting system: The new, warm-white, targeted LED floodlighting system reduces the illumination of the nearby edge of the floodplain forest by a factor of 10.
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2021
| Position paper series of the Tyrolean Environmental Ombudsoffice: PART 1: Artificial lighting at night, PART 2: Street, cycle path, footpath and car park lighting, PART 3: Sports facility lighting, PART 4: Effect lighting.
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2020
| Participation and oral presentation at the symposium "Good Light" in Vianden, Luxembourg.
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2020
| Festive LIGHT CODE, a cooperation with the company MK Illumination to minimize adverse effects of decorative lighting.
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2019
| Publication in the yearbook of the "Verein zum Schutz der Bergwelt": Light pollution and the vulnerability of nocturnal insects.
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2018
| Collaboration on the "Austrian Guide to Outdoor Lighting".
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2018
| HELLE NOT folder, info sheet and postcard, design by Liquid Frontiers.
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2018
| Participation and oral presentation at the "Upper Austrian Environmental Congress – Good Light for a Natural Night" in Linz.
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2017-2019
| HELLE NOT Travelling exhibition with Liquid Frontiers: A mobile, interactive room-in-room concept can be seen at 25 locations throughout Tyrol, and in Vorarlberg in 2019.
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2017
| Position paper of the Tyrolean Environmental Ombudsoffice: Skybeamer.
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2016
| Participation and oral presentation at the "Fachkongress Kommunale Straßenbeleuchtung" in Feldkirch.
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2016-2019
| Interreg project FUTOURIST: Development of nature based tourist offers – First guided tours to starry nights in the Kaunertal Valley in 2018.
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2014
| Participation and poster presentation at the "Artificial Light at Night" conference in Leicester.
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2013
| Joining "Loss of the Night Network".
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2013
| Participation in the "Artificial Light at Night" conference in Berlin.
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2012
| Participation in the Austrian Light Immission Control Standard ÖNORM O 1052 (updates in 2019, 2022).
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2011-2014
| "Innovative outdoor lighting" project with the companies Bartenbach, Swareflex and IKB: Development of a compatible, efficient lighting concept for outdoor areas.
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2011
| Position paper of the Tyrolean Environmental Ombudsoffice: Ski slope lighting (updates in 2014, 2015).
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2011
| 2nd study with Tyrolean State Museum: Insect attraction test with optimised experimental setup in cooperation with Bartenbach company. Warm white LED lamps have a comparatively lower attraction effect on insects.
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2010
| 1st study with Tyrolean State Museum: Attraction effect of modern light sources on nocturnal insects. |
2010
| Initial contact with the Bartenbach company and consideration of the topic of "light pollution" in the Light Academy.
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2009-2011
| Lighting check with Energie Tirol: Promotion of environmentally friendly and energy-efficient lighting in Tyrolean municipalities.
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2005
| 1st prize in CIPRA's Future in the Alps competition.
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2003
| It is thanks to the initiative of the Federal Environment Agency that HELLE NOT has found its way across Tyrolean borders to all the provinces (e.g. Vienna's Environmental Ombudsman's Office).
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2002
| Ford Environmental Award.
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2000 | HELLE NOT Foundation with the Tyrolean State Museum and publication of the HELLE NOT brochure (updates in 2003, 2009, 2012). |
Seen from space, populated and industrial regions can be clearly recognised by their light points.
Studies show a rapid increase in light pollution. Not only the brightness is increasing but also the size of the illuminated area. Depending on the location, the brightening of the night sky is increasing by two to six percent annually.
Light pollution is an easy problem to solve.
The first step is to question the need for the lighting.
Where artificial light is essential, the location and type of lighting in particular are crucial in terms of responsible use.
Good lighting improves the quality of life, saves costs and improves the state of our environment.
