The street lighting market in Portugal

The concept of street lighting is a relatively recent one, dating back to the 19th century for public safety reasons, coinciding with increasing urbanization and crime.

The street lighting market covers all energy-related activities that require the provision of a street lighting service, which all municipal authorities must provide in the areas they administer for their citizens. Street lighting is defined as all the equipment, items and devices (street lamps, bulbs, lighting towers, illumination, etc.) that provide illumination in public places.

The street lighting market brings together various players whose aim is to light up roads and public spaces, for the comfort and safety of users. Several activities are involved in this market: supply of lighting equipment, energy supply, construction of appropriate infrastructures.

In Europe, the issue of energy efficiency is already well advanced. Proof of this is the abandonment of traditional halogen lamps, used until now, and their replacement by more economical lamps, such as LEDs, representing an estimated energy saving of 39 terawatts per hour by 2020 .

As a result, Portuguese municipalities are already adapting to the new reality. At least a third of municipalities have modified or announced their intention to replace street lighting with LEDs, and several hospitals, educational establishments and public buildings have followed suit. In the last two years alone, around 100 municipalities have publicly announced that they have already replaced all traditional lamps or will do so. In 2018, there were around 3 million public lighting points in Portugal, with an overall consumption of around 1.3 TWh. In the same year, more than 450,000 LED lights were installed. [Público]