Benidorm consolidates its firm and determined commitment to Energy Efficiency

Benidorm City Council on a date as prominent as today, the World Energy Efficiency Day, makes a highly positive assessment of its commitment to sustainability and the Environment through its energy-saving initiatives that it develops with its own Energy Efficiency project and with the Sustainable and Integrative Urban Development Strategy that includes a specific line of action in the field of energy efficiency

Both initiatives have significant funding through European Funds.
The Institute for Diversification and Energy Saving, IDAE, subsidizes projects in Benidorm with 3 million euros, such as the renovation of 7,808 light points out of the 14,343 in the municipality, which represents 54.44% of municipal lighting. With this plan, all neighbourhoods will be reached and, in addition, action will be taken on 132 command centres. The estimated saving has been estimated at 700,000 euros.

As a whole, it is the most important lighting and energy project in the history of the city due to the number of points of light and interventions that are going to be carried out. The initiative will mean energy savings of up to 79% of the current cost.
"We are firmly committed to energy efficiency in our progress towards a more sustainable Benidorm," declared today, on the occasion of The World Energy Efficiency Day, the mayor of Benidorm Toni Pérez, who pointed out, linking the celebration with EDUSI, that “it is also one of the nine key lines of action of the Sustainable and Integrative Urban Development Strategy that we plan with such care to transform our city.”

Benidorm in this field of energy efficiency, the mayor insisted, “works with an eye on the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals; in particular with SDG7, which proposes guaranteeing access to affordable, safe, sustainable and modern energy for all, which implies opting for energy efficiency and renewable energies” in the energy mix.

Within the Municipal Energy Efficiency Plan, Benidorm City Council has managed to reduce electricity costs by almost 52% in recent years, thanks to the implementation of lighting with 'LED' technology and the energy-saving policies implemented in recent years. . As Toni Pérez explained at the beginning of February, "the electricity bill, which in 2011 was three million euros -(3,001,663 euros)-, we managed to reduce in 2021 to one million four hundred and fifty thousand euros" - (1,450,014)-. Likewise, Pérez insisted, “there has been a reduction in consumption of 2.3 million kilowatts between 2012 and 2021, thanks to energy efficiency practices” –

Regarding actions, Pérez explained that at the moment 'led' luminaires are being replaced "in the Plaza de España and the surroundings of the Parque de l'Aigüera as well as in the Old Town".

An important performance, he specified, will take place throughout the La Cala area. It is "a planned and phased action through a recycling operation, also with 'LED' type luminaires, which will mean energy savings and economic savings in an operation that will last throughout the year 2023".

And as for EDUSI and its line of energy efficiency, the mayor stressed that he "is present in all the projects of the strategy that we have undertaken." And he explained: "The change from public lighting to a network of more efficient LED luminaires is carried out in all the actions to improve mobility and accessibility that we undertake". This procedure, he stressed, “saves costs and reduces Benidorm's carbon footprint“. And one last detail, Pérez pointed out: “improving lighting contributes to urban security”.

Thus, it can be established that the actions to improve urban mobility are responsible for reducing the city's energy consumption by 50% and contributing to sustainability.

These works explained by the mayor, together with EDUSI projects such as the Smart City sensor network, the energy remodelling works of public buildings or the awareness campaigns underline Benidorm's firm commitment to energy efficiency and the transition to a more sustainable city that takes better care of the health of the planet.