Aytos Municipality is undertaking a large-scale project to modernize street lighting, which will cover a significant part of the settlements in the area. According to an official announcement published on the municipality's website, the initiative envisages the reconstruction, modernization, and introduction of intelligent management of the lighting system in 17 settlements. The total value of the project amounts to 1,631,836.80 leva, with the financing secured through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. The deadline for completion is set for March 31, 2026.
The main goal of the project is to increase the energy efficiency of street lighting. This will be achieved by replacing the existing, outdated systems with modern LED lighting fixtures and implementing an intelligent management system. It is expected that, with the implementation of these measures, electricity consumption will be drastically reduced. According to expert assessments, the annual electricity costs for street lighting can be reduced by as much as 79.15%. This means that from an average of 1,195,919 kWh per year, consumption will fall to about 312,640 kWh. In the next five years, the municipality will have to recover 50% of the funds invested in the project in the Decarbonization Fund, which will be achieved thanks to the realized savings.
The project is ambitious in its scope. It includes both the city of Aytos and 16 villages in the municipality. The planned work envisages the replacement of an impressive 3200 lighting fixtures and 48 electrical control panels. The installation of the new LED lights will be adapted to the category of the individual streets, using lighting fixtures with different power. The installation of a small number of solar lamps is also planned, which will further contribute to the sustainability of the project.
The implementation of the project will have many positive effects for the residents of the municipality. First of all, a significant improvement in the illumination of the streets is expected, which will contribute to increasing safety. In addition, the costs for the maintenance of the lighting system will be reduced, and the response in the event of accidents will be faster and more efficient. All these improvements will have a positive impact on the living conditions of 25,068 residents of the municipality. A reduction in carbon dioxide emissions is also envisaged, which is important for the fight against climate change.
The project was presented at a special press conference, which was attended by Deputy Mayor "Kaloyan Kaloyanov", representatives of the contractor, and the team involved in the implementation of the project.
The Bulgarian Telegraph Agency recalls that a contract was signed in January last year between the mayor of Aytos Municipality and the Ministry of Energy for the financing of this large-scale municipal project.