Zaragoza aims to achieve energy efficiency in 34% of its lighting in two years

Zaragoza City Council will promote the “Reluz y Dos” project with the aim of improving energy efficiency in the city’s public lighting. To do so, it will request a grant of 9.9 million euros from the Institute for Energy Diversification and Saving (IDAE). With this money, more than 9,000 lights will be replaced with LED technology and 72 control panels will be renovated.

Currently, Zaragoza has 85,680 lighting points in its public network. Of these, 10,447 already use LED technology, and another 9,619 are in the process of modernization thanks to the Reluzes project, which received similar support in the previous IDAE call for proposals. With the approval of “Reluz y Dos”, it is hoped to continue advancing in the improvement of the city’s lighting.

The total budget for the new project is almost 10 million euros and would be financed with an interest-free loan. The plan contemplates one year of execution and, subsequently, the City Council would return the money within a period of nine years. However, thanks to the savings on the electricity bill, it is estimated that the investment will be amortized in just five years.

This project is the continuation of the Reluzes plan, which in 2024 obtained funding to modernise almost 10,000 lighting points and 81 control panels. It is expected that with ‘Reluz y Dos’ 34% energy efficiency will be achieved in the entire public lighting network of Zaragoza, reducing both electricity consumption and light pollution.

The head of Urban Planning, Víctor Serrano, has highlighted that the modernisation of public lighting not only seeks to save money, but also to advance the sustainability of the city. The new luminaires will reduce CO₂ emissions and allow for better management of the system through the use of smart technologies. Thanks to these efforts, in 2024 the Starlight Foundation recognised Zaragoza for its innovation in efficient lighting.

In addition to this project, the City Council has allocated a multi-year budget item in the 2025 Budget with a credit of up to 30 million euros to continue improving the energy efficiency of lighting in the coming years.

The municipal government has also strengthened its technical team to carry out these improvements. Since May 2023, new professionals have been hired and work has begun to design long-term energy efficiency plans.