The city of Zaragoza reinforces its commitment to sustainability by approving the Reluzes project. This ambitious program to upgrade public lighting, financed with nearly 10 million euros from European funds, promises to make the city a model of energy efficiency and CO2 emissions reduction.
The Reluzes plan, presented by the Zaragoza City Council in the first round of the European Next Generation program, has been chosen to receive an interest-free loan for a total amount of 9,992,348.58 euros. With this financial backing, 9,619 lighting points will be replaced with LED technology and 81 electrical panels will be renewed with innovative dimming and remote management systems.
An outstanding advantage of the Reluzes project lies in its economic and environmental impact. It is estimated that the city will achieve annual energy savings of around 2.1 million euros, representing a 70.58% reduction in the energy consumption of public lighting. In addition, the emission of approximately 1,307 metric tons of CO2 per year will be avoided, thus helping to combat climate change.
The project will be implemented over a period of one year and will include seven main lines of action that will guide the actions to be taken. These measures include updating the lighting system to reduce light pollution, replacing conventional lights with LED technology, modernizing the control panels with innovative regulation systems, among other actions aimed at improving the efficiency and quality of public lighting.
At present, Zaragoza has a public lighting network of more than 85,000 light points, half of which use obsolete technology. With the Reluzes project, more than 21,000 LED luminaires are expected to light the city’s streets, resulting in a significant reduction in energy consumption and associated costs.
The environmental impact of street lighting should not be underestimated, especially in a city where this service operates for more than 4,300 hours a year. Thanks to Reluzes, the energy consumption of municipal lighting is expected to be reduced by more than 70%, which will translate into considerable savings on electricity bills.
The Reluzes project’s actions include:
Lighting redesign: The lighting distribution will be redesigned to reduce light pollution, minimize intrusive light, improve lighting levels and ensure adequate visual comfort.
Replacement of light points with LED technology: 9,619 light points will be replaced with LED luminaires, which are more energy efficient and have a longer useful life compared to traditional lighting technologies.
Renewal of control panels: 81 control panels will be renewed, incorporating innovative regulation and remote management systems, which will allow a more precise and efficient control of public lighting.
Adaptation of the color temperature of LED points: The color temperature of LED luminaires will be adjusted to optimize the quality of the light emitted and improve visual perception in different environments.
Implementation of innovative technologies: Anti-theft systems for cables will be integrated, the creation of a smart city will be promoted, the night sky will be protected and lighting control will be implemented according to capacity, with the aim of improving the efficiency and safety of public lighting.
Control plan through photometric measurements: A control plan based on photometric measurements will be established to ensure that the lighting complies with the established quality and efficiency standards.
Citizen awareness plan: A citizen awareness plan will be implemented to promote the responsible use of public lighting and raise awareness of the importance of energy efficiency and environmental protection.
The Reluzes project represents a significant step towards the modernization of public lighting infrastructures in Zaragoza, while at the same time demonstrating the City Council’s commitment to sustainability and energy saving.
