The Córdoba Luze project of 2015 aimed to transform the city into an energy efficiency pioneer, using smart city technologies to improve street lighting, energy use in buildings, and municipal services. Córdoba is also working with regulations, tax incentives, subsidies and awareness campaigns to promote green behavior, including awarding energy efficiency with tax reductions. In 2015, Córdoba became Spain’s first winner of WWF’s city challenge.

Córdoba was once one of the largest cities in the world with an estimated population of up to a million people as the center of an Islamic caliphate in the 10th century. Today it is a medium-sized city of 330,000 inhabitants with the world’s largest urban area declared as a UNESCO World Heritage site. In December 2014, the historical buildings came alive in "The Magic City", an audiovisual mapping show that was attended by 100,000 people, and which celebrated the Córdoba Luze project, initiated in 2014. The project was also the focus of the Intelligent & Emotional Lighting for Cities conference held in Córdoba in November 2014, where members of the smart city network Spanish Network of Intelligent Cities convened.

Córdoba Luze halves energy consumption

The Córdoba Luze project intended to make Córdoba a role model in energy efficiency innovation with a number of projects, including investments in public lighting, renovation of public buildings, investments in network communications, and systems of monitoring and control. The city aims to achieve a 52% reduction of energy consumption in public lighting through installations of 50,000 LED lights and 730 electrical control panels, and a 33% energy efficiency improvement in public buildings via optimization of energy management and boiler replacements in 173 public building. The city also installed 10 rooftop solar PV systems.

The project also included a smart monitoring and control system, where street lighting, buildings, public spaces and infrastructure can be managed from one control center. Another important aspect of the program is using ICT to develop participatory government measures of transparency, involvement and cooperation. Córdoba has for instance developed the special service “72 hours to answer the citizens” which tries to solve local issues in less than 72 hours.

European Energy and Efficiency Fund, “EEEF supported the city of Córdoba at the 'Intelligent & Emotional Lighting for Cities' conference”, http://www.eeef.lu/news-detail/items/eef-supported-the-city-of-cordoba-at-the-intelligent-emotional-lighting-for-cities-conference.html
 
City of Córdoba, The Sustainable Energy Action Plan – Appendix II, http://carbonn.org/uploads/tx_carbonndata/AnexoI_Fichas%20de%20Acciones%20o%20Medidas%20de%20PAES%20Cordoba.pdf

carbonn Climate Registry, City Climate Report: Municipality of Cordoba, http://carbonn.org/data/report/commitments/?tx_datareport_pi1%5Buid%5D=660