24 Nov The impact of public lighting on the council’s CO2 emissions.
When municipalities carry out emissions inventories, they focus on the obvious large sources: municipal buildings, transport fleets or waste management. However, there is a silent emitter that has gone unnoticed for years and, in many cases, accounts for almost half of the total energy consumption: street lighting.
1. Lighting: a major blind spot in the carbon footprint
In most Spanish municipalities, public lighting accounts for between 40% and 60% of total electricity consumption, according to the Institute for the Diversification and Saving of Energy (IDAE). Returning to emissions, this is equivalent to thousands of tonnes of CO2 per year, simply for keeping the streets lit at night.
And most importantly, it is a constant emission: it does not depend on habits, nor on public awareness campaigns. Every night, the streetlights are switched on… and with them, COlog is emitted. Reducing this impact is, therefore, one of the most direct and effective actions a council can take as part of its decarbonisation strategy.
2. Hidden costs beyond energy
When we talk about sustainability, it is not enough to think about energy consumption. Conventional lighting infrastructure has environmental and economic costs, due to installation and maintenance:
- Trenching and ducting for underground cables.
- Electrical sockets and control boxes.
- Dependence on the grid and vulnerability to
- supply interruptions.
- Regular replacement and maintenance of luminaires.
All of this involves intensive use of materials, machinery and transport, and also generates indirect emissions. If we consider the circular economy, grid-connected lighting is unlikely to be sustainable in the long term.
3. Solar revolution: clean energy and complete autonomy
In this context, autonomous solar lighting is one of the most effective solutions for reducing the municipality’s carbon footprint. A modern solar street light integrates a photovoltaic panel, battery, controller and LED light in a single unit, capable of generating, storing and managing its own energy.
The benefits are clear:
- Zero consumption from the electricity grid.
- No CO emissions during operation.
- Installation with no civil works or cabling.
- Minimal maintenance.
Each unit prevents an average of 250 kg of CO2 emissions per year; this means that in a municipality with 400 solar street lights installed, over 100 tonnes of CO2 are avoided. Unlike other areas where structural changes are needed to reduce emissions, here the transition is immediate and measurable from day one.
4. Efficiency and intelligence: two sides of the same coin
Today’s solar solutions not only use renewable energy instead of fossil energy, but also feature operational intelligence. Through remote telecontrol and monitoring systems, each street lamp can adjust its brightness level according to the time of day, traffic or weather conditions, and optimise the energy it generates. Using algorithms and predictive analysis, faults can also be detected, maintenance planned, and the lifespan of the equipment extended.
Lighting thus becomes a living infrastructure that learns and adapts. In this respect, artificial intelligence applied to lighting opens up a new era of true efficiency: it is no longer just a matter of lighting with less, but also of lighting better.
5. From technology to urban strategy
The transition to sustainable public lighting should not be understood as a mere technological change. It is a strategic decision that directly affects urban planning, the municipal budget, and climate neutrality goals.
In an era where European and Spanish funds are promoting energy transition projects, every euro invested in solar lighting has a dual return: economic (operational savings) and environmental (reducing emissions).
Furthermore, the social impact is significant: rural or isolated areas—historically neglected when it comes to energy infrastructure—can now illuminate their streets without depending on the electricity grid, thereby promoting safety, mobility and population retention.
6. Resilient municipalities and local energy
Another key aspect is energy resilience.
In a climate of volatile electricity prices and growing concern about external energy dependency, stand-alone solar systems offer complete independence and the ability to provide an immediate response in the event of power cuts or emergencies. For this reason, solar lighting is a key component of resilient and sustainable cities of the future, capable of maintaining essential services even in difficult situations.
Conclusion: A great opportunity to act today.
Within municipal management, public lighting is one of the areas with the greatest potential for reducing emissions. Acting on this does not require complex urban transformation or lengthy awareness-raising campaigns: it is enough to replace one system with another, a better one.
Investing in solar and smart lighting is a vote for a cleaner, more self-sufficient and more responsible energy model.
And most importantly, it’s a decision that delivers impressive results, both for the council’s finances and for the air we breathe. The question isn’t whether we should do it, but how much CO2 we want to continue producing simply by keeping the streets lit.
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