Bratislava, 23 July 2015
In September this year, Cofely plans to complete the reconstruction of public lighting in Čadec and will start its operation by the end of the year. Cofely will thus comply with the set schedule of reconstruction works specified in the concession contract it signed with the town representatives last spring. Additional requirements from the customer will be implemented based on the successful completion of the Munsef grant of EUR 460 thousand and other orders according to the financial possibilities of the city.
Čadca has been dealing with the problem of inefficient and non-functioning public lighting for several years. Since the city was unable to cover the costs of the reconstruction of the public lighting from its own resources, it decided to launch a public tender. On the basis of the most favourable bid, the tender was won by Cofely, which is financing the entire project from its own resources until it is handed over to the city. Moreover, Cofely provides the town of Čadca with a guarantee to achieve the expected economic benefits by contractually guaranteeing a level of energy savings that will cover the costs of the reconstruction of the HVAC system within the meaning of the basic concession agreement. Prior to launching the tender, the city collected suggestions for improving the public utility system from the residents of Čadca. All requests were included in the project documentation, but only part of them became part of the concession contract. Thus, the required works beyond the basic project are not financially covered by the guaranteed savings. Part of the funds needed to implement the additional requirements of the residents and the city should be covered by the Munsef programme. Cofely and the city management are currently jointly looking for other possible sources to co-finance the remaining part of the requirements. The reconstruction works related to the replacement of public lighting in Čadca were started by Cofely in July 2014, i.e. already one month after the contract was signed. As part of the reconstruction, a total of 2,250 luminaires, 400 public lighting poles, 13 km of overhead and underground electrical distribution lines and 63 new electrical switchboards and 24 lighting systems for pedestrian crossing lighting will be replaced, in accordance with the applicable laws. Cofely will also purchase electricity for the city, in addition to operating the HVAC system
. „Vzhľadom k tomu, že Cofely nakúpi a spotrebuje viac ako 30 GWh elektrickej energie ročne, vieme v porovnaní s inými dodávateľmi pre Čadcu dohodnúť výhodnejšie ceny,“ says Jozef Galdun, director of the Žilina branch of Cofely.
“According to the positive feedback from the residents of Čadca, we know that the replacement of inefficient low luminous intensity luminaires with modern and energy-efficient LED luminaires was important. We are pleased that in addition to better visibility at night, improved lighting comfort and increased safety in the streets and pedestrian crossings, the city can also benefit from the fact that the reconstruction did not burden the municipal budget and the saved funds can be used for other necessary projects.
I would like to mention that the LED luminaires that have been continuously installed and are currently already in operation achieve an electricity saving of 40 to 60% compared to the original luminaires. Until the completion of the reconstruction, the operation of the HVAC system is financed by the city from its own budget, so at present all the savings achieved positively affect the amount of their operating costs.
Currently in Čadec, the final reconstruction works related to the installation of new and renewed lighting covers are being carried out, columns are being aligned, new electrical switchboards are being installed and surfaces are being modified,” adds Jozef Galdun. Since the autumn of this year, Cofely in Čadca has taken over the operation of the entire public lighting network. According to the contract with the city, its management and maintenance will last for 15 years. Cofely will mainly focus on ensuring efficient and quality operation with respect to the guaranteed level of energy savings.
