The Government of Spain’s ‘More Energy Security Plan’ and street lighting renewal programme
On 11 October 2022, the Government of Spain approved its More Energy Security Plan, known as +SE. One of the measures in the plan deals with financial support for street lighting renewal. It is really a contingency plan designed to address the uncertainty generated by geopolitical tensions and soaring gas and electricity prices. There are 73 measures covering a variety of topics. Grants for street lighting and energy bill savings in public institutions are just two of them.
In this article we will talk about...
- The More Energy Security Plan: aims and key measures
- Decreasing the energy consumed by street lighting
- The next steps
- SECOM street lighting
The More Energy Security Plan: aims and key measures
The energy security plan has several objectives, one of the main ones being stability in energy prices for homes throughout Spain. It also seeks to support standardisation of supply in the European Union. The government wants the impact of the plan to be noticeable as soon as late 2022 or early 2023 and it should help cushion the impact of instability in the energy sector on residents in Spain.
The plan also seeks to implement structural changes that reinforce the system and bolster it in the face of the fluctuating political climate overseas.
There are three main objectives:
- increase protection for the most vulnerable social groups in Spain, including people and businesses;
- strengthen Spain’s energy and strategic independence so that it can become more self-sufficient;
- use solidarity and mutual support criteria as the bedrock for cooperation with other EU Member States.
The document highlights that, over the last few years, steps have been taken to accelerate energy transition. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and increased energy prices have certainly triggered implementation, but the European Union had already embarked on this journey some time ago.
Decreasing the energy consumed by street lighting
The +SE plan includes measures related to taxes, increased competitiveness in the industry and energy bill rebates for residential buildings. But that is not all! One of the key features of the plan is a street lighting renewal programme aimed at decreasing the energy these luminaires consume.
New street lighting
Public street lighting in Spain will need to be updated. It will have to meet the requirements of energy efficiency regulations for illumination of this kind. Thanks to devices such as LED lights, this renewal process will translate into savings of around 80% compared with conventional systems.
The requirements themselves, however, stipulate a decrease of at least 45% in consumption levels and CO2 emissions.
In addition, councils, autonomous communities and other public organisms and institutions will have to ensure their public lighting undergoes comprehensive checks. This includes the lights in streets and on roads, but also ornamental lighting in parks and other public spaces. Even Christmas lights will need to be checked. The aim is to come up with ways of making savings until all lighting systems can be renewed and replaced with more efficient models.
Loans
The plan for decreasing energy consumption in outdoor public spaces includes interest-free loans for updating street lights. The loans are expected to cover the cost of renovations in full and be funded by the National Energy Efficiency Fund. The loan term will be 10 years, including a one-year grace period and there will be different types of exemptions, such as arrangement and cancellation fees.
Energy efficiency regulation updates
Spain’s public street lighting regulations will also have to be updated. The aim is to ensure regulations align with energy transition. Bolstering use of renewable energies and efficient lighting technology is also another objective. The Government of Spain will update the regulations so that they align with energy savings and decreased light pollution objectives.
The next steps
Public institutions need to get started right away. All existing street lights and lights in public spaces need to be checked. Institutions also need to optimise their public lighting usage, maintenance and management programmes.
In addition, they will have to publish energy savings plans before 1 December 2022, which must include steps aimed at achieving savings in energy bills.
It is also important to keep in mind that the measures provided for in Royal Decree 14/2022 of 1 August still apply. They include turning shop window lights off after 10 p.m.
The same rule applies to lights in public buildings and decorative lights on façades. Another measure focuses on maximum temperatures for heating and air conditioning systems.
SECOM street lighting
SECOM has a wide range of luminaires and illumination devices that can help make great savings. In fact, they can help make savings of 80% compared with conventional options. LED technology has come on in leaps and bounds over the last few years and now its features are better than ever. Not only is it the most energy-efficient type of lighting, it is also more durable and keeps light contamination down to the minimum.
The SECOM products range includes street lamps, traffic lights, optical groups and street lights that all have unbeatable features. Some of the devices can also be used with programmable systems, motion sensors and other money-saving features. Some of the products that are available include:
- Amura for residential use
- Balma LED traffic lights
- Ecodut K1 street lights
- IP65 optical group Ecodut LED
- Konak City street lights.
These are just some of the many devices in the SECOM product range. Councils, autonomous communities and provinces updating their street lights need to look for the most efficient options on the market. In just a few years’ time, all government-run lighting in streets, on roads and in parks will need to be updated to meet savings and sustainability criteria.
The Government of Spain’s More Energy Security plan will lead us on this trajectory and street lighting renewal is a key objective that all public institutions must strive to meet.
