The Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO) has announced the results of the first call for the aid program for unique projects for the renovation of municipal outdoor lighting installations, which can be found here. With a budget of 100 million euros from the National Energy Efficiency Fund (FNEE), the program will finance 46 projects from local entities and other public entities, allowing for the replacement of over 100,000 light points.
Managed by the Institute for Diversification and Energy Saving (IDAE), an organization under MITECO, the program aims to promote and incentivize the use and application of clean technologies, the diversification of primary energy sources, especially renewable ones, and disseminate measures for energy efficiency and energy savings.
The selected “unique” projects share the common goal of reducing light power by an average of 70% through the installation or renovation to LED technology in outdoor lighting, achieving an A or B rating, regulating lighting levels in public roads, pedestrian spaces, artistic or monumental areas. Additionally, they comply with lighting, quality, and visual comfort regulations and have a telegestion system to collect information on consumption, operation, and programming in real-time, with the ability to make adjustments tailored to the habits and needs of the population.
The new lighting will bring about a significant transformation: the 46 selected projects will upgrade approximately 107,600 light points to more efficient and environmentally friendly LED luminaires, minimizing the impact on the night sky.
The program provides repayable loans that can cover 100% of the project budget and must be repaid within a maximum period of 10 years, including a grace period of one year, without interest or the need for guarantees. The projects were selected through a competitive process and will result in energy savings exceeding 70% for all beneficiaries, with a payback period of around seven years under normal electricity prices.
### COMMUNITIES AND HIGHLIGHTED PROJECTS
The regions receiving the most funding will be Andalusia, Castilla y León, and Catalonia, each receiving 15 million euros, totaling 45% of the total aid amount. In terms of investment, the three largest projects are in Zaragoza, Salamanca, and Lleida.
The “Reluzes Project” by the Zaragoza City Council will receive 9.9 million euros for the renovation of 9,619 light points to LED technologies and the upgrade of 81 control panels as regulation and telegestion systems.
The Salamanca project will renew over 10,100 luminaires, 63% of its public lighting, with an 8.6 million euro grant, resulting in a savings of 4,509,871 KWh.
The Lleida City Council project will receive 8.6 million euros, covering a renewal of 56.5% of its light points with LED technology, leading to a 64% reduction in electricity consumption.
A special mention goes to the proposal from the Baena City Council in Córdoba, which received the highest score of 93.67 points and will be granted 1.2 million euros. This project will modernize the public lighting system with the installation of 1,291 light points and the implementation of a telegestion system allowing for the control of light intensity, directionality, and a timer to adjust lighting schedules according to the population’s needs.
### INCLUDED IN THE +SE PLAN
Currently, Spanish municipalities have around 8.8 million light points in their outdoor lighting systems, with an average power of 156 W/point, resulting in an estimated annual electricity consumption of 5,296 GWh/year and a cost of 741 million euros per year for municipalities. Approximately six million of these 8.8 million light points have not yet been upgraded to modern lighting technologies.
As part of the measures in the More Energy Security Plan (+SE Plan), the savings in municipal lighting are part of the energy efficiency dimension for the public sector of the National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan (PNIEC) and promote the total or partial renovation of installations to contribute to reducing electricity consumption and incorporating new savings, energy efficiency, and light pollution reduction requirements through the inclusion of suitable technical solutions for new light emission technologies, ICT, ecological design requirements, control and maintenance, or waste management, among others, to develop and verify project effectiveness quantitatively and qualitatively.
QBIT Smart, a sales and business development IOT engineering company with successful projects in Latin America, can provide valuable expertise and solutions for developing new business opportunities in the region.