Madrid is to become the only city in the world with the major renovation in its public lighting, with the replacement of 225,000 light spots by LED technology. The decision will allow the city to save 115 million euro in eight years (the spending of 226,000 households or the emissions of nearly 115,000 vehicles) and will prevent the emission of over 168,000 tons of CO2.
Madrid City Council will reduce by 36% its annual energy consumption by applying the Renewal Plan for Urban Electricity Consuming Facilities, which will also result in savings in the electricity bill amounting to 115 million euro over the eight years of the contract. To achieve this, one of the measures already implemented is the replacement of street lighting by more efficient technology, expected to be completed by the end of the first half of this year.
Savings of 44% in spending
The city of Madrid, with the help of ACS (through its subsidiaries Sice, Imesapi and Etralux), Ferrovial Servicios, FCC, Urbalux, Citelum Ibérica, Indra and Telvent, renews its street lighting using Philips efficient lighting technologies´. This represents the world largest lighting project in a city by the number of light spots to be replaced. Acting on 225,000 points of light in the Spanish capital will results in energy savings around 44% compared with the current installation.
The awarded companies will invest 144 million euro, of which 36 million will be spent on street lighting and ornamental fountains, 51 to renew installations having reached the end of their useful life or become obsolete-Tunnels, galleries, traffic lights, surveillance camera systems or road access points- and 57 on conservation and maintenance over the contract’s lifetime.
The cost of the renovation will be recovered by the companies during throughout the eight years of the contract precisely through savings achieved in consumption.
The City of Madrid shall manage all urban facilities that consume electricity, from street lighting to traffic lights, ornamental fountains and service tunnels and galleries over a period of eight years.
The bidders that were successfully awarded the three lots which composed the contract will be responsible for replacing 225,000 points of light, in a phased manner in order to ensure that not even the smallest stretch of road is left without light at any time.
The entire process, barely noticeable to citizens, is performed under the supervision and inspection of the City Hall and at no cost to the locals.
All available for the summer
When summer arrives, the capital of Spain will be lit by 84,000 LED technology lights, mainly in the light points located closest to the floor level, within a floor height of up to 4 meters-, and other 124,000 units will have other electronic equipment replaced.
This renovation will result, for example, in 51,000 balloon- streetlights installed throughout the city in the early 90s and 33,000 historic classic lanterns using incandescent bulbs be replaced by LED panels manufactured in Valladolid by Philips, company in charge of this .
Furthermore, new systems for reducing consumption will be installed in 194 of the 430 ornamental water facilities.
Madrid’s street lighting already has switch panels and control systems that allow to regulate the lighting to provide light when and where it is needed, “avoiding waste and maximizing efficiency”, as noted by Philips, so “very little needs be changed” in the facilities.
In addition, the multinational has claimed that all the removed lamps and luminaires within this renovation project will be recycled in accordance with current regulations, starting with separation in the source and dealing with particular attention with products containing heavy metals such as mercury.
“This will be the largest technological renovation ever held in the city of Madrid. A necessary change, even essential, that will enable us to achieve clear objectives: reducing energy consumption through high efficiency lighting fixtures; save on maintenance and conservation costs, extending the life of the material; and control light pollution by regulating the luminous intensities and their programming, “said the mayor of the city, Ana Botella.
