In the northernmost area of the province of La Coruña lies a beautiful municipality with an endearing name — Cariño. A town known for its fishing port and as the gateway to the spectacular Cape Ortegal, the natural boundary between the Atlantic Ocean and the Cantabrian Sea.
This region stands out for its exceptional geological, morphological, and scenic value. Its streets are sheltered by the surrounding hills, making Cariño a town with a truly unique landscape.
The beauty of Cariño will soon be enhanced thanks to the renovation of its public lighting system. Currently, the streets and squares suffer from poor lighting, which prevents the town’s singularity and charm from being fully appreciated. This has been one of the main reasons why the Town Council decided to address the issue and carry out a complete overhaul of its lighting system.
Being in expert hands is essential when facing a project of this magnitude.
EnergyTAS, the most reputable public lighting consultancy firm at the national level, has been entrusted with conducting a comprehensive assessment of the current state of the lighting infrastructure.
According to Carlos Cifuentes, CEO of EnergyTAS:
“In addition to ensuring the well-being of citizens by fully complying with electrical safety standards, all dark areas will be illuminated, and the greatest possible uniformity across streets will be achieved.”
Particular attention has been paid to streets such as Avenida Fraga Iribarne and Avenida Constitución, where a complete renovation of luminaires and poles will give these main thoroughfares a renewed aesthetic appeal.
Special care has also been taken with the design and materials of the luminaires along the seafront promenade, all of which have been selected for their resistance to marine corrosion and durability.
The current luminaires along the promenade show significant wear due to marine environmental conditions, posing both safety risks and a high maintenance cost. Replacing them with new, corrosion-resistant luminaires represents a major improvement for the Municipality of Cariño.
Furthermore, the color temperature chosen for the entire town will be 4,000 K, in line with the Council’s objective of prioritizing the safety of its residents.
The Council also aims to modernize the lighting system to promote energy efficiency and cost savings. To this end, it launched a public tender for the execution of the project, which was awarded to Grupo SITELEC.
The Cantabrian energy services company secured a contract worth €730,000, which includes the replacement of 1,236 luminaires with LED technology and 23 control panels, as previously defined in the study conducted by EnergyTAS.
To finance the project, the Council received a grant from the Institute for the Diversification and Saving of Energy (IDAE). Through European Union FEDER funds, a total of €642,256.97 will be provided, with the remaining amount covered by municipal funds.
For a project of this nature — where the luminaire materials were a crucial factor due to the proximity to the sea — the Council selected the manufacturer Monoof, known for its wide portfolio of luminaires for public lighting.
The new Monoof luminaires, together with the modernized control panels, will make it possible to reduce electricity consumption, increase system durability, cut CO₂ emissions by 180 tons per year, and respond more quickly and efficiently to any incident.
The complete replacement of the public lighting system with LED technology will reduce consumption from over 700,000 kWh/year to less than 250,000 kWh/year, representing energy savings of more than 67%.
Thanks to this renovation, the Municipality of Cariño will take a major step toward energy efficiency, modernization, and safety for its residents.
The effort and teamwork of all parties involved — from the Town Council to the engineering firm, the energy services company, and the manufacturer — have been essential in achieving an outstanding project carried out, fittingly, with great “cariño.”